A creamy textured and warmly complex Alsatian Pinot Gris from the French side of the Rhine valley This example from Domaines Schlumberger is from their 'Prince Abbes' which they like to think of as being their '2nd wines' in Bordeaux terms. Most of the fruit comes from their Schimberg vineyards. It's a wine that successfully pulls off the elusive trick of being rich and intense yet refreshing, with incredible finesse all at the same time. It also has satisfying hints of spice, honeyed citrus and lychee leading up to the weighty finish. It's certainly a pedigree wine from an acknowledged expeert producer.

One of the best of Alsatian dry Muscats. Deftly crafted, lifted, lilies and blossom. Impressively concentrated and ripe, but so fine, so delicate.

This is an astonishing and almost perfect expression of Gewurztraminer; floral, smoky and spicy, then terrific concentration and balance and length, with some juicy sweetness detectable and adding to the enjoyment of the whole. Very, very fine. The sedimentary limestone geology, mostly located on the Vosges mountains foothills in Alsace, has always been the prime choice for producing long lived and structured Gewurztraminer wines. The presence of clay, more or less important, brings a cooler element in the soil, slowing down the ripeness process and preserving better acidity. The presence of limestone influences the aromatic profile and texture of the wine. They become more spicy, less floral, with a recognisable tighter tannic structure so crucial for the balance of the wine. Gewurztraminer, more than any other in Alsace, requires an accomplished skin ripeness. Failing so can end up in an over aromatic, not complex and bitter wine. The quality of the terroir will help greatly, but so does harvesting later! Since the acidity is naturally low, harvesting later isn’t affecting the wine as much as other grapes that would suffer more from acidity loss. All the grapes going into this wine are sourced from the estate's top single vineyards or Grands Crus, where they use the 'younger' vines. Pale yellow colour. The nose shows a restraint, almost mineral, smoky aromatic expression, so typical from a limestone soil. It eventually opens up and reveals ripe citrus, exotic fruits in a very elegant way. The palate shows a surprising freshness and acidity, and finishes with a balanced delicate sweetness. Clearly this wine will benefit from further ageing in order to allow it to express its full potential.

Rolly-Gassmann is a domaine like no other and has a unique style. It is located at Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form wines that melt on the palate.

Some citrus, pear and white flowers perfumes develop on the nose. The rich aromas continue through the mid-palate. A long lasting wine, with a refreshing finish. Very versatile wine for a range of fish, chicken and salad dishes.

The Schoenenbourg Grand Cru dominates Riquewihr, the village next to Hunawihr. This marl-limestone and gypsum hillside favours Riesling. Very fruity; stone fruit, peach, and apricot forward. 8-10g/l RS. Persistent. Soft.

A delicious blend of four white grapes, traditionally grown in the Alsace region: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat. Very pretty aromatic nose (flowers and turkish delight) with great structure from the ample acids and delicious clean, crisp fruity flavours. Plus there’s a hint of sweetness to balance the acidity and complement the sushi rice and soy sauce.

Fruity and floral on the nose with crispiness and medium+ acidity as a contrast on the palate. Outstanding Riesling that is several steps ahead of any other regular/basic house Riesling. Citrus, grapefruit, hints of honey and minerals. Vegan, Biodynamic agriculture

Pale yellow with green hues. Aromas of citrus fruits, clementine, pineapple and ginger which follow to the palate. Lime, yuzu zest and white flowers. This wine is lively, medium-bodied with an attractive underlying mineral finish. The grapes come from the locality of Bollenberg and Grands Crus Saering and Kessler, and the young vineyards of Kitterlé. Now run by the 6th and 7th generations, Domaines Schlumberger was founded in 1810 by Nicolas Schlumberger, who established vineyards on the renowned slopes above the town of Guebwiller. These vineyard sites have a history of viticulture, having been planted since 207AD. Through successive generations the holding has grown to be one of France’s largest and finest domaines.

An unusual, but terrific, blend showing off Alsace's grape varieties in a supergroup line up. The spiciness of Gewurz; the grapiness of Muscat; the body of Pinot Gris; the backbone of Riesling; and the refreshing character of Sylvaner. The resulting wine is fresh and characterful. Aroma and flavours of lemon, tropical fruit and white peaches, floral notes and petroleum. Additional flavours on the palate of pineapple and ground white pepper. Dry medium plus bodied wine. Good length. A super complex wine and fabulous value. Vegan, Biodynamic agriculture

The late Bruno and his son François realised a dream ten years ago with the final purchase of a plot of steep ‘garrigue’ in the heart of the Grand Cru Pfersigberg. They now have amassed 1½ hectares in one plot. Bruno had secretly been buying parcels of this land for the last 30 years. Much hard work was necessary, in clearing the forest and then terracing the very steep slopes. This great vineyard is planted with Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris and the fruit was used for the first time in 2004. In 2004 François Sorg built a temperature controlled winery just outside the village. François says he now has time to think instead of climbing up and down ladders and stairs. The wines were always first division but now they have that extra dimension.

The late Bruno and his son François realised a dream ten years ago with the final purchase of a plot of steep ‘garrigue’ in the heart of the Grand Cru Pfersigberg. They now have amassed 1½ hectares in one plot. Bruno had secretly been buying parcels of this land for the last 30 years. Much hard work was necessary, in clearing the forest and then terracing the very steep slopes. This great vineyard is planted with Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris and the fruit was used for the first time in 2004. In 2004 François Sorg built a temperature controlled winery just outside the village. François says he now has time to think instead of climbing up and down ladders and stairs. The wines were always first division but now they have that extra dimension.

Wonderfully textured, creamy, spicy big squishy cuddle of a wine. Smells of poached pears with spices and a dollop of rich double cream. A crystallised ginger sweet/heat is bounded by citrus acidity. What a piece of work at the price. Classic cheese wine.

I am always impressed with the quality and drinkability of this lovely Pinot Blanc from one of France's best Cooperative wine companies. The nose is fresh with a little crisp apple and hints of apricot and yellow plum. The typically high acidity pairs well with the slight residual sugars and the flavours following from the nose. The finish is dry and dominated by more apricot.

Rolly-Gassmann is a domaine like no other and has a unique style. It is located at Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form wines that melt on the palate.

Form the marl and calcareous soils of Rorschwihr, the Terroir des Châteaux Forts is a blend of 25% Gewürztraminer, 40% Auxerrois and the rest Pinot Gris and Riesling. The wine has a clear, golden shimmering citrus color and offers a clear and delicate bouquet with flinty/earthy aromas. Round, fresh and piquant, this is a a refreshing, elegant and well-structured white from 20- to 40-year-old vines. There is a lovely finesse and piquancy, while the finish is firm, intense, salty and quite long. An excellent wine at a very reasonable price.. A must with asparagus!

Rolly-Gassmann is a domaine like no other and has a unique style. It is located at Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form wines that melt on the palate. From clay/calcareous marl soils from Rorschwihr, the golden-yellow Gewurztraminer opens with a beautifully clear, intense and aromatic, very elegant and already mineral and complex nose. Full-bodied, highly elegant and perfectly balanced, with stimulating salinity and grip, this is a gorgeous, well-concentrated Gewurz with a long and elegant, highly seductive finish

Grapes for this Pinot Gris were sourced from selected small plots in the Hunawihr vineyards, which lie at an altitude of 250-300 metres above sea level. On the palate, elegant flavours of pear are supported with a subtle smokiness.

Pinot Blanc from this area of France is sometimes a bit overlooked but, as demonstrated here, in the hands of a good estate such as Domaines Schlumberger they bear comparison with some of the more illustrious Alsatian varieties. The fruit for this wine is mainly from their Saering and Spiegel Grand Cru vineyards with a little more coming from other sites. The wine is fermented in stainless steel where it remains on its lees for a further seven months prior to bottling. It has a pale golden colour which hints at the citrus and peachy notes to come. Nicely crisp but with good weight it has an excellent balance of acidity and body leading to a pleasantly dry finish.

From the heart of the Grand Cru Pfersigberg. Crystal clear, arrestingly intense and spicy.

A delicious blend of four white grapes, traditionally grown in the Alsace region: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat. Very pretty aromatic nose (flowers and turkish delight) with great structure from the ample acids and delicious clean, crisp fruity flavours. Plus there’s a hint of sweetness to balance the acidity and complement the sushi rice and soy sauce.

Rolly-Gassmann is a domaine like no other and has a unique style. It is located at Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form wines that melt on the palate.

Rolly-Gassmann is a domaine like no other and has a unique style. It is located at Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form wines that melt on the palate.