Medium straw yellow with clear, luminous brilliance
Nose
Crystal-clear citrus and orange fruit, fresh stone fruit, grapes, subtle petrol notes and minerallic hints of stone and petrichor
Palate
Full and intense, silky-creamy texture with vibrant acidity, saline minerals, bright stone and stone fruit as well as herbal-piquant notes of limequats – extraordinarily complex and multi-layered
Character
Elegant, highly complex Grand Cru with tightly-woven acidity structure and fine palate grip – powerful and precise at once, only just beginning its development and with outstanding ageing potential
Pairing
Cod en papillote with spring vegetables and coconut milk, grilled langoustines with Quatre Épices, spring vegetables with Thai basil from the wok
Notes
From the historic Furstentum vineyard (documented since 1330), characterised by a unique Jurassic limestone-marl terroir with 37% slope gradient and south-southwest exposure – a wine that benefits from the approximately 30-year-old vines and the wind-sheltered valley of Kaysersberg
Tasting note
Colour & Appearance
Medium straw yellow with vibrant, crystalline luminosity in the glass – a wine that already promises excitement on the eye.
Nose
The nose displays striking clarity and precision: citrus and orange in bell-like purity, complemented by fresh stone fruit and a delicate grape note. In the background, petrol, cold stone and a whisper of petrichor emerge – that unmistakable aromatic signature through which great Alsatian Rieslings tell the story of their terroir. Powerful and intense, yet never surrendering elegance.
Palate
On the palate, a wine of impressive density and complexity unfolds. The texture is silky and creamy, the acidity tightly woven and precise, underpinned by pronounced salinity that enlivens the palate and extends the finish. Light stone fruit, orchard fruit and the herbal-piquant juice of limequats lend the wine an enticing tension between richness and vibrancy. A fine grip holds everything together – structured, complex, remarkably harmonious.
Finish
Long, saline and mineral. The finish resonates like a chord on limestone – precise, fresh and of great depth. This wine has a long journey ahead.
Terroir & Origin
The Furstentum is one of Alsace’s most characterful vineyard sites: 30.5 hectares on a steeply south-southwest facing slope of 37%, sheltered between Kaysersberg and Sigolsheim. The terroir – limestone-marl-sandstone from the Middle Jurassic, overlaid with tertiary conglomerates – gives this Riesling its unmistakable minerality and structure. Already recorded in 1330 in the inventory of a Basel monastery: history you can taste in the glass.
Grape Variety & Vinification
Pure Riesling from vines around 30 years old. With 13.5% alcohol and only minimal residual sweetness, this Grand Cru showcases the dry, serious side of Alsatian Riesling – powerful, yet never heavy; complex, yet never overwrought.
Food Pairing Suggestions
An ideal companion for cod en papillote with spring vegetables, coconut milk and Thai basil – the wine’s creamy texture mirrors beautifully the delicacy of the dish. Equally convincing with grilled langoustines with Quatre Épices, deglazed with Riesling, or an aromatic spring vegetable wok with coconut milk, Thai basil and coriander.
Special Characteristics
The 2020 vintage presents itself as particularly harmonious and delicate – a vintage that channels the power of Furstentum into elegant proportions. Those encountering it now should grant it time in the decanter. Those with patience will be rewarded in five to ten years with an even more complex experience. A Grand Cru that fully deserves its name.
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