A Classic Alsace Riesling with Serious Weight
The 2021 Domaine André Kientzler Riesling is a perfect example of why Alsace Riesling can be one of the great white wines of the world. The grapes come from vineyards immediately adjacent to the fruit sources used by Trimbach, giving this wine an impressive pedigree from the outset. And 2021 was an excellent vintage in Alsace; one that produced wines with tremendous freshness, definition, and the kind of structure that rewards patience. Yes there was crop loss, but what was made was rich and long-lived.
As a 2021, after some time in bottle, this Riesling has taken on considerably more weight and texture. The fruit has broadened, the mineral character has deepened, and the wine has developed into a classically styled, powerful dry Alsace Riesling. It has presence.
Think lemon oil, ripe citrus, white flowers, crushed stone and the unmistakable stony/mineral character that great Alsace Riesling develops with age. There is plenty of fruit, but the wine remains completely dry, with a long, persistent finish and the kind of acidity that keeps all that weight in balance.
And this is exactly what I want from maturing Alsace Riesling: power, richness without sweetness, and freshness without austerity.
The connection to Trimbach makes sense. This is the same basic neighborhood and the same classic Alsatian sensibility, but at a much more approachable price. It is a wine that has quietly moved into a different category in the bottle—one where you begin to understand just how much depth a great dry Riesling can develop.
91 Points, James Suckling
A forthright expression of the special terroir in this calcareous section of Alsace that played such an important role in making the reputation of Alsace dry riesling. Very citrusy and crisp with plenty of chalky character on the medium-bodied palate. Emphatically dry finish with stacks of minerality. A cuvee of wines from various sites in Huhnawihr and Robeauville. From organically grown grapes.