Domaine Marcel Deiss / Altenberg Grand Cru Bergheim - 750ml, 2018

The Kientzler domaine is a small, 5th generation family-run estate spread out over the villages of Ribeauvillé, Bergheim, Hunawihr and Riquewihr. “La Soif” is a brand new wine that Domaine Kientzler has been working to cultivate for a number of years. The goal was to create an Alsace wine that is all-around usable for food, but which can also be enjoyed on its own. This wine is a blend of the white grapes grown on the property with an eye towards producing the right balance of fruit and liveliness. It is a wine with really fine and diverse aromas and with notes of bright, white fruits.

Ok, so Sylvaner isn't exactly the most common grape variety around, but in places like Alsace, southwestern Germany, and Alto-Adige it's a regular part of the wine culture. This particular Sylvaner comes from Henry Fuchs' oldest vines in Ribeauville where 60 years of age allows the vines to produce small but incredibly complex buunches of fruit that make for a fabulous introduction to this varietal. An aromatic and exotic nose leads to a medium bodied palate that is precise, full-bodied, crisp and soil-driven in personality, with a lovely core of fruit. This wine shows fine balance and a long, complex, and classy finish.