The Soulez of the land

Soulez “Château de la Genaiserie” 1996 Coteaux du Layon Saint-Aubin La Roche “Sélection de Grains Nobles” (Loire) – 500 ml. I remember the fuss about wines of this nature back in the time it was released, with people taking sides on the question of whether or not a wine with ludicrous levels of residual sugar could actually be called a wine anymore. I never really saw the point of the argument, myself; I mean, if it’s made from grapes and there has been any yeast conversion of sugar to alcohol at all, how is it not wine? As with so many such debates, the issue is really just a bunch of pundits trying to externalize their personal preferences into independent existence. Which is, of course, utter nonsense. If you don’t like sweetness of this magnitude, just say so and move on.

And yes, this is powerfully, painfully, almost unimaginably sweet. Even after fifteen years, it’s primary, syrupy (though there’s perceivable acidity), and has fuck-all to say about chenin blanc or Coteaux du Layon other than that the appellation is entirely capable of producing wines like this. That said, isn’t that by itself a statement about the terroir and cépage? After all, I don’t think you can do this with cabernet franc up-river in Chinon. Do I like it? Well, it’s impressive. It’s sort of an absurdly-endowed porn star (either gender) sort of impressiveness, though. I have no idea how much age would be required to make it develop, but I suspect the cork will have failed long before that point has been reached. So really, there’s no particular reason not to drink it, but no particular reason to hurry towards it with a corkscrew either. It is, I suspect, a near-eternal monument to excess. (10/11)

Last in the grave

P. Blanck 1997 Gewurztraminer Furstentum “Sélection de Grains Nobles” (Alsace) – 375 ml. Cruising along, essentially untouched by time. Quite sweet, extremely flavorful (roses and rambutan syrup), not all that complex, with fair structure and plenty of cream. Maturity, and its concomitant complexity, are a long, long way down the road. (8/11)

Rebberger

Kreydenweiss 2000 Pinot Gris Clos Rebberg “Aux Vignes” “Sélections de Grains Nobles” (Alsace) – 500 ml. Pear, peach, and hints of red fruit all sticky and gummy. Honestly, this is still OK, but has gone nowhere beneficial or interesting over the time it’s spent in my cellar. Drink six years ago for best effect. (8/10)

Trademarked sausage

Rolly Gassmann 2003 Pinot Gris Brandhurst de Bergheim “Sélection des Grains Nobles” (Alsace) – Sticky and extremely sweet. Sugared apples and some interesting vegetal notes. I tasted this at release and didn’t think it had a long future, and I think that was the right call both then and now. In fact, I’m a little surprised how fast it has fallen off. (3/10)

Who's the Mann?

Mann 1998 Gewurztraminer Furstentum “Sélection de Grains Nobles” (Alsace) – Concentrated and intense. Peach, apricot, lychee, and cashew oil laden with Indian spice are forcefully shoved to the front, after which gorgeous sweetness braced by flawless acidity expand, fill, then cleanse. A really, really terrific gewürztraminer. It’s drinking beautifully, and while further aging will depend on the drinker’s taste for the saltier form that it will take in 15-20 years, there’s much to admire right now. (8/08)

The upside-down "e"

Trimbach 2000 Gewurztraminer “Sélection des Grains Nobles” “Hors Choix” (Alsace) – Made from the first botrytis-seeking pass through the vineyard. The resulting grapes were picked 23.5% potential alcohol, but the finished wine is 13%, leaving 170 grams/liter of residual sugar. The wine is dark, dark bronze, and absolutely lush with botrytis, showing a huge brown-sugar-encrusted, baked lychee palate with iron flakes and as endless a finish as I’ve ever experienced. Truly unbelievable. (5/06)

Rolly Gassmann 2003 Muscat d’Alsace Moenchreben de Rorschwihr “Sélection de Grains Nobles” (Alsace) – The rarest of all Alsatian wine styles. Succulent mixed flowers and perfume. Absolutely huge…and, yet, not, with the sweetness coming on softly, rather than assaulting with balled fists. There’s a balance and purity to this wine that’s almost shocking considering the grapes from which it’s made. The finish is rather endless, though why anyone would want this taste out of their mouth in the first place is beyond me. (10/07)

Riesling star

Gresser 2000 Riesling Mœnchberg “Sélection des Grains Nobles” (Alsace) – Racy ripe apple of shocking density, very sweet (120g residual sugar), but with acidity of a density more than matching the sugar. There’s an apple cider quality to the acidity that grows on the long finish, during which are also introduced elements of lemongrass, Makrut lime, and a shower of iron flakes. Magisterial.

Nobility

Gresser 1998 Gewurztraminer Andlau “Sélection des Grains Nobles” (Alsace) – Creamed cashew and rose jam dusted with white pepper, the latter of which defines the initial texture of the wine. Dense, rich and spice-laden, with flakes of steel throughout. This is a terrific, balanced wine of intensity but also – and more importantly – of style. The finish is incredibly long, as it should be. Brilliant.