Description
Last year, I was unable to offer her much better known Pinot Noir from the neighboring Strangenberg, as it was already sold out. This year, I am quicker to the punch, and for good reason….This too found me in sigh-inducing disbelief, as the gorgeous purity of blue/red fruits and spice is a knockout that I could smell all day long….This same fruit tone is echoed in the mouth, with a deep sense of sappiness, with light tannic grip at the sides of the palate. For its striking purity and overall harmony, this too makes an exceptional case for the nobility of Alsatian Pinot Noir. I would say that the Strangenberg has a bit more muscle and maybe a smidgen more “stuffing” than the Lieutzaltal, which I would posit as a bit “finer”. Both are terrific no matter which way you slice it…..another little * awarded here.
“Dark ruby. Aromas and flavors of flinty red cherry, violet, Asian spices and potpourri. Deeper, richer and sweeter than Bursin’s 2015 Pinot Noir Lutzental but with an austere bent on the long, stony finish. These Pinot Noir plots grow on a slope right over the village of Westhalten, on mostly clay-calcareous soil. Bursin macerates and ferments the wine as she does the Lutzental, but this strikes me as being noticeably more tannic than that wine (and of the 2014 Strangenberg, for that matter). I know this is a more important wine than the Lutzental, but right now they are just about equally enjoyable.” 91+ Ian D’Agata for the 2015, NOT THE 2016 OFFERED HERE
