2014 Kuentz-Bas Riesling Geisberg Alsace Grand Cru 750 ml

Only 4% of the vines in Alsace qualify for Grand Cru designation—about the same area as Grand Cru Burgundy and a mere fifth of Grand Cru Champagne. From that elite sliver of lieux-dits, a handful have become Alsacian touchstones for sommeliers on every continent. Smack in the heart of the region, Geisberg stands out further still for yielding the most pristine Riesling of them all. 

No one handles those grapes more nobly than Maison Keuntz-Bas. Their Geisberg Riesling is a razor sharp, high acid, long-lived wine that rings out with celestial clarity. Collectors take note. This ranks as one of the greatest white wine values to be found. 

Wine Advocate called it “a beautiful Geisberg,” gushing that it’s “intense, concentrated, lush and powerful.” “Purity,” they said. “Tension.” Wine that will continue to improve into the next decade and beyond. 

Vigneron Jean-Baptiste Adam took over the domaine in 2004, modernizing Keuntz-Bas by taking it back to its roots, with a focus on elevating terroir through biodynamic vineyard practices but still keeping the signature openness and accessibility of the Keuntz-Bas style. Adam’s family has been making wine in France for 14 generations, more than 400 years. And the origins of Maison Keuntz-Bas date back to 1795. There’s pedigree here, and it's not wasted.

To top it off, 2014 was spectacular. Adam’s contemporary, Jean Trimbach (one of only two other Geisberg producers), called 2014 “possibly the best in the history of Alsace.” That’s coming from Trimbach! Depuis 1626.

With a broad and expansive palate, delightfully contradicted by a racy acidity, the wine pours golden and pure and only improves from there. A textural richness keeps the salivary glands activated, like sucking on a lime twist as the ice melts in the bottom of your cocktail glass. And the palate stretches out over a long meander through orchard fruits and river beds, ending with a honey-sweet peck on the cheek.  

The steep Geisberg slope rises from the picturesque village of Ribeauvillé toward the ridge at the top of “goat mountain,” dotted all over with funky little stone terraces, or Kammerle, that winemakers have built over the centuries. These Kammerle serve a dual purpose, enhancing two characteristics of the site that makes it so perfect for Riesling. 

Facing south, at nearly 400 meters, Geisberg gets ample sun. But a regular wind falls over the ridge at night, cooling the vines and keeping the immature grapes clean and dry and free from the rot of botrytis. Lest good climate get the best of anyone, the Kammerle act as a moderating influence, radiating the previous day’s warmth and shielding the vines from the stiffest gales. In one of the driest regions in France, in the rain shadow of the Vosges Mountains, this cycle stays remarkably consistent all season long.

Somewhere in the complicated balancing act, perfected over centuries by farmers who learned day by day, year by year, how to cultivate perfection in their land, the grapes flourish into something truly rare and completely stunning. 

Consider what tippy-top white Burgundy typically sets you back. Think about your favorite Grand Cru grower Champagne. Now compare them to this wine: ethereal Riesling from one of Alsace’s top producers working 70-year-old vines in the center of a créme de la crème Grand Cru vineyard. $50.