2018 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Alsace France 750 ml

Alsace is ground zero for epic dry Riesling. Long before dry was cool in Germany, the Alsatians had perfected the art of bright, steely Riesling with power—and it’s hard to find a more renowned estate in Alsace than Domaine Weinbach.

Their estate Riesling is one of the greatest values in great wine: a racy, mineral, floral white from their star Clos des Capuchins vineyard, first planted in 1612—yes, you read that right—and given the same love and attention as the Weinbach’s $80+ Grand Cru bottlings.

The result is a wine that’s uncompromising in its expression of Alsace’s most noble grape, but without the pricing that often comes with Alsace’s Grand Crus. It jumped out of a lineup in a recent tasting, with aromatics that recall salted limes, Golden Russet apples, satsumas, and a hint of jasmine. The palate is a blast of minerals, led by wet rocks and quartz, with highlights of lemon blossom, verbena, and juicy nectarine filling out the lively mouthfeel.

In short, it’s quintessential Alsace, which goes without saying for a Weinbach wine. One of the great family estates of the region, which lies on the border of France and Germany, they produce a stunning array of wines from some of the best sites—but their monopole, the Clos des Capuchins, is a wonderful glitch in the system: a jewel of a vineyard without the official classification (and pricing) to match.

First planted in 1612 by the Capuchin monks, it’s been a prized vineyard ever since—and a gem in the Weinbach holdings since the Faller family, who run the storied domaine, acquired it in 1898. Despite its long-recognized greatness, though, the vineyard isn’t classified, or priced like, a Grand Cru—solely because it sits at the foot of a slope, not higher up.

That small difference in topography doesn’t affect the quality of the modest 12-acre vineyard, with its gravelly sandy loam and granite pebbles—which are instrumental in moisture and heat retention to ensure perfect ripening—but it does mean that their estate Riesling stays reasonably priced, despite the vineyard’s four centuries of acclaim.

The vines are pruned short for low yields and high quality, while biodynamic farming improves soil health and ensures that the grapes reach their fullest potential. Once in the winery, the star treatment continues, with a slow, gentle, whole-cluster pressing—ideal for maintaining the delicacy of the wine.

Fermentation is done with native yeasts, a further step to help the stellar terroir express itself, before eight to ten months of aging in large, old, oak vats builds complexity and texture without woody flavors. The result is a classic Alsatian Riesling of the highest quality, but at a price that demands you buy in bulk.