Wine Reviews

A striking Riesling that balances precision with the flair of artistic freedom. There is a flinty note which quickly gives way to a vibrant core of white raspberry, citrus zest, savory minerality.

The 2024 Riesling Brand Grand Cru comes from this warm, well-drained granitic site, trembling with flintiness on the nose. The palate is wonderfully fluid and smooth, gliding with its compact, focused but powerful body, cutting a swathe of citrus and leaving a wonderful lemony savor on its clean-cut, pure finish. Grown on granite, from the Steinglitz parcel among others, it shows a slight reductive smokiness and a touch of tart red apple skin. The palate is immediately juicy and salty, with more of that red, tart apple, full of crunch and verve, thrilling and bright, hair-raising even, exciting and full of a beautiful, sunny, vivid, lively energy, like the most delicious jolt of freshness. (Bone-dry)

It has a slightly reductive smokiness and a touch of tart red apple skin. The palate is immediately juicy, salty and full of crunch and verve. It’s thrilling, bright, hair-raising and full of a beautiful, sunny, vivid, lively energy, like the most delicious jolt of freshness.

This giant of granitic minerality creeps up on you, the crushed rocks and minerals building dramatically as it flows over the medium- to full-bodied palate. Incredible intensity of fresh pineapple, star fruit, fresh mint and basil aromas is married to delicate creaminess…

Propelled to legendary status by Léonard Humbrecht, the founder in 1959, and his son Olivier, this Turckheim estate has pioneered biodynamics with scientific rigour since 1997. Spanning 40ha in all, it encompasses Alsace’s finest terroirs, including the volcanic Rangen de Thann, marly-limestone Hengst and granitic Brand. Since 2019, Olivier and Margaret’s son Pierre-Emile has overseen vinification. In the sweltering 2022 vintage, only old vines and marl-grown fruit were selected for the Grand Cru Brand, resulting in a wine of unparalleled depth and complexity. Thierry Meyer: Good intensity of floral and citrus aromas. Dry, full and complex. Pure, with fresh and ripe acidity. Long, salty finish. Vincenzo Arnese: Ripe peach and apricot aromas. Rounded and rich, the finish showing good structure and body. Elegant and balanced. Claire Thevenot MS: A ripe, lemony nose, good tension and depth. Palate weight and acidity are key here, and it leaves an almost tannic impression, with a long finish.