ALSACE
GEWURZTRAMINER
95 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht 2017 Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann Grand Cru Gewurztraminer (Alsace). Honey, crushed mint, pineapple juice and ripe peach on the nose make for a complex combination of flavors. The palate of this wine bundles these in a zesty, concentrated, layered package conveying zest, fruit and smoke. At the core, however, there is power and considerable drive. This wine is lovely now but will evolve for the coming decade if not longer. The finish is off dry to medium sweet and zesty. Drink 2020–2040. Kobrand. —A.K.
abv: 14% Price: $89
95 Leon Beyer 2011 Comtes d’Eguisheim Pfersigberg Grand Cru Gewurztraminer (Alsace). The headiness of evolution is immediately apparent in this wine. Hints of chalk and honey are lifted and play around subtle notions of dried orange and lemon peel. The palate is dry, concentrated, slender and incisive. A different kind of Gewurztraminer, this is made for the table, with exquisite, dry freshness in its maturity. Honeysuckle notes come to the fore on the lemony finish. Banville Wine Merchants. —A.K.
abv: 13% Price: $73
Flinty, smoky reduction hovers
