MCF Rare Wine

Super Deal from an Alsace Legend

As I've said before - if you imagine selling German wine is hard, try Alsace...

The taller, even more dramatically tapered bottle shape usually sends people running, but as of late, we're starting to pierce their armor when it comes to this tragically underappreciated region.

When you have a fantastic wine from a legendary producer (arguably the greatest in the region), with some bottle age on it and at what is a great price, though, perhaps it will be a little bit easier.

Today we have just that -- Zind Humbrecht's Riesling Clos Windsbuhl 2012 at just $59/btl (with an additional 10% off a case), and boy is it yummy.

For a wine that's usually between $75-85 on release, you're getting a whole bunch of maturing Alsatian fruit, nuts and minerals with rather sprightly acidity for a pretty nice price.

When you first pull the cork, the bright, textured fruits jump from the glass, laced with the classic petrol notes, though it's still rather closed initially.

After about and hour's time, the sternness on the finish begins to ease up, allowing even more of the flowery elements to emerge and the lively acidity to dominate the finish.

Finally, once it hits full stride, the caramelized elements start to emerge.  It's still all about the bright, textured fruits, but the nutty, caramel-y nuance on the nose and in the mid-palate really captivates you.

As I type this, even after nearly 4 hours of air, the wine is still going strong and the acidity on the finish is keeping all those oily, baked fruits neatly in place.

A nice savory note has emerged as well.

Here's a great chance to get an idea of what aging Alsatian white wine is all about.

As a region, Alsace is one of the greatest food destinations on earth and, as a category, Alsatian wine is one of the most food-friendly that you'll encounter, but because of the 'scary bottle shape' most people are very hard to convince.

Those who know, though, are more than happy to quietly enjoy these wines with everything from spicy Thai to roast poultry, to rich, creamy winter fare.

My personal favorite way to enjoy a wine like this, though?

A generous board of cheeses and cured meats, of course.

#bougieSuperBowl


There is a decent stock of these, but I certainly wouldn't say there's a lot.


Matt Franco

MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street
New York 10011
mcf@mcf-rarewine.com
212.255.8870
www.mcf-rarewine.com