Riesling Réserve 2022 Albert Boxler | Alsace

Albert Boxler 's Riesling Réserve is a lesson in humility in the bottle. Behind the Réserve appellation, often perceived as a simple village wine, Jean Boxler delivers here a dry white of striking purity, made mainly from young Riesling vines planted on the granite slopes of the Sommerberg Grand Cru, cultivated organically. These vines, still too young to reach the level of expression expected of a Grand Cru, are currently vinified in the regional appellation, where they are already delivering a promising, highly precise cuvée. The Sommerberg's mineral backbone is complemented by spicy touches characteristic of the limestone soils on the hillside or in the transitional zones around Niedermorschwihr. The winemaking process, unchanged for decades, involves direct pressing of whole bunches of grapes, followed by natural fermentation and ageing on fine lees for around ten months in century-old tuns. The result is a vibrant, precise wine with a balance that few Alsace Rieslings at this price level can claim.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Jean Boxler's Riesling Réserve is stunning in its depth and sincerity. It demonstrates that even a wine from a "simple" regional appellation can achieve a form of pure evidence, a crystalline expression of terroir. This wine surprises from the very first sip with its accessibility and staying power. Without doubt one of the best value for money wines in Alsace today.

The nose offers vegetal and floral notes, which is rare for a Riesling, which usually expresses itself through citrus aromas. We discover scents of camomile, verbena and marjoram. Fresh, original and purely striking. After a few minutes of oxygenation, an exotic note of bergamot and mandarin appears.

On the palate, this is a wine of great purity and elegance. The palate stretches throughout the tasting thanks to a beautiful vertical acidity. This impressive length is reminiscent of some great German Rieslings. A saline note on the finish adds complexity and depth.