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2019 Alsace Pinot Noir
Kuentz-BasThe village of Husseren-les-Châteaux
With the new year right around the corner, I’d like to suggest one wine resolution for the months ahead: Do not let 2024 go by without embracing Alsatian Pinot Noir every chance you get. All four of our Alsace producers make red wines from the grape and, in recent years, some of their bottlings have counted among the most exciting Pinot Noirs in our entire portfolio—even compared to many stellar bottles of red Burgundy.
A great place to begin is with Kuentz-Bas, who produces an all-purpose, value-driven cuvée perfect for your weeknight dinner table or backyard barbecue. While the domaine has built its reputation on the more famous Alsatian white grapes over the last several decades, vigneron Olivier Raffin is justifiably enthusiastic about the potential of Pinot Noir in his region. “Historically,” he says, “Alsatian Pinot Noir was harvested at high yields and vinified to be light and clear. But the complexity of Alsatian soils is quite similar to that of Burgundy. The two regions are in a geological continuity. The main difference is in the latitude—we are further north and probably benefit from a more intense acid structure. Apart, maybe, from the rare and greatest sites identified by monks in Burgundy centuries ago, I think that with the same yield, we can do as well as they do in Burgundy.”
This may sound like a lofty claim, but with the 2019 vintage of this cuvée, he’s earned it. Sourced from decades-old vines and aged in large foudres in the domaine’s centuries-old cellar, this is classic old-world, unadorned Pinot Noir at its best: ethereal, but not lightweight; ripe, but not rich or overly extracted. Evoking delicate, crunchy berries, spices, and black tea, this is a versatile red that is as well-suited to a vegetable-forward dish as it is to seared tuna or your favorite roast fowl, not unlike top-notch Bourgogne rouge. Don’t miss one of the best Pinot Noir values in the world.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Pinot Noir |
Appellation: | Alsace |
Country: | France |
Region: | Alsace |
Producer: | Kuentz-Bas |
Winemaker: | Olivier Raffin |
Vineyard: | 25 - 45 years |
Soil: | Loess, Silt, Limestone |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2018 Pinot Blanc Vieilles Vignes “Trois Châteaux”
France | Alsace
This unique old-vine bottling from Kuentz-Bas is pure Pinot Auxerrois and boasts honey and orange blossom on the nose for days.
2021 Riesling
France | Alsace
Bone-dry on the palate, it features intense, clean aromas with excellent minerality.
2022 Alsace Pinot Noir
France | Alsace
Bright, lively, and fun, with just the right of amount of tannin for some chew as well.
2018 Muscat Grand Cru “Pfersigberg Trois Châteaux”
France | Alsace
Kuentz-Bas vinifies a glorious dry Muscat from grand cru Pfersigberg, an ample and fleshy white scented of ripe citrus, tropical flowers, and exotic fruits.
2019 Pinot Gris Grand Cru “Eichberg Trois Châteaux”
France | Alsace
You’ll want to pair this with a roast chicken or duck, or grilled sausages, when you are in the mood to forego a red with the main course.
2019 Riesling Grand Cru “Pfersigberg Trois Châteaux”
France | Alsace
Pfersig means “peach,” and the wine’s subtle whispers of white peach are adorable, and then the bouquet keeps growing more expansive, more intense, grander.
2019 Riesling Grand Cru “Eichberg”
France | Alsace
It’s a perfect palate cleanser with refreshing notes of lime granita and tart pineapple.
2021 Pinot Blanc
France | Alsace
New to Alsatian wine? This is the perfect place to start.
Crémant d’Alsace Brut
France | Alsace
There is a rich, toasty complexity from lees aging, which highlights the delicate aromas you’ll find in your glass: honey, nectarine, citrus, and summer flowers.
2020 Riesling “Trois Châteaux”
France | Alsace
Racy and pure, with a full arsenal of fruit and ample style, this is a complete Alsatian Riesling experience.
About The Producer
Kuentz-Bas
More than two hundred years of tradition and vineyard pedigree have made the wines of Kuentz-Bas perennial favorites. However, when the family sold the property to famed vigneron Jean-Baptiste Adam in 2004, many wondered what direction the new team would take. Adam, like the estates former owners, has a reputation for being an advocate of Alsatian terroir, and he is the fourteenth generation to continue a family winemaking tradition that began as early as 1614. The wines are more open than ever while still reflecting the unmistakable character of the vineyards that clients have come to expect from Kuentz-Bas.
About The Region
Alsace
Tragically, Alsace might be the most misunderstood wine region of France. In spite of its long history of viticulture and tremendous diversity of pedigreed terroirs, a past fraught with marketing mishaps has left consumers baffled as to what exactly to expect inside one of these mysterious tall, thin bottles.
The good news, on the other hand, is that a new wave of quality-oriented growers is working hard to put Alsace in its rightful place as one of the world’s most fascinating sources of fine white wine. By embracing tradition, respecting terroir, and making a concerted effort to better communicate the countless virtues their wines have to offer, they have succeeded in putting Alsace back on the map.
Crafted from a number of grape varieties and beautifully interpreting the region’s mosaic of soil types, our Alsace imports are by and large dry whites offering exceptional versatility at table. While each of these selections is ready to be uncorked tonight, the finest among them are also capable of maturing for many, many years in a cool cellar. Expect kaleidoscopic aromatics, lively acidities, and loads of terroir transparency in these skillfully crafted masterpieces. Enjoy a foray into the thrilling world of the world’s most underrated wine region, and certainly do not hesitate to contact our sales staff with any questions as you take off on this mouth-watering adventure.
More from Alsace or France
2021 Riesling Grand Cru “Kaefferkopf”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2021 Riesling Grand Cru “Muenchberg”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2022 Pinot Gris
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2020 Pinot Gris Grand Cru “Florimont”
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2023 Pinot Noir “Les Jardins”
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2017 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Sélection de Grains Nobles “Kaefferkopf” 500ml
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2021 Riesling “Vignoble de Katzenthal”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2022 Alsace Pinot Noir
Kuentz-Bas France | Alsace
2018 Pinot Gris Grand Cru “Brand”
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2022 Pinot Blanc
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2021 Pinot Blanc
Kuentz-Bas France | Alsace
2021 Pinot
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2021 Riesling Grand Cru “Kaefferkopf”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2021 Riesling Grand Cru “Muenchberg”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2022 Pinot Gris
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2020 Pinot Gris Grand Cru “Florimont”
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2023 Pinot Noir “Les Jardins”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2017 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Sélection de Grains Nobles “Kaefferkopf” 500ml
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2021 Riesling “Vignoble de Katzenthal”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2022 Alsace Pinot Noir
Kuentz-Bas France | Alsace
2018 Pinot Gris Grand Cru “Brand”
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2022 Pinot Blanc
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2021 Pinot Blanc
Kuentz-Bas France | Alsace
2021 Pinot
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.
Inspiring Thirst, page 211
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