"Philippe Kubler is a young, idealistic,
grower who will take risks to go for the
utmost quality in his wines." - La Revue du
Vin de France
After earning his oenology degree from
Bordeaux, and a stage at Cloudy Bay, young
Philippe Kluber whom I did not have
occasion to visit took over at his familys
domaine beginning with the 2004 vintage.
Based on the several samples that reached me
while in Alsace from his second harvest, this
is a vigneron to watch. -eRobert Parker.com
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Peach and quince preserves with notes of
lychee and smoked meat inform this ripe,
full-bodied, yet fully dry Pinot Gris.
Many long-time wine lovers will tell you that
the moment you begin to appreciate an
Alsatian wine is the moment you enter the big
leagues of wine-loving. A talented Alsatian
winemaker ranks among the most exceptional
winemakers in the world.
The nose of Kublers Pinot Gris is powerful
and warm with the aroma of apricots.
The mouth is full and richly textured with
layers of toasted bread and exotic fruit.
There is a long and velvety finish. The wine
is luxurious without being sweet.
So what are you waiting for?
You should also know that Pinot Gris and
Pinot Grigio are two different animals. They
may be the same grape type, Pinot Grigio is a
light-styled wine of Italian origin with
relatively bland fruit that has become a
bar wine more or less (with exceptions, of
course). Pinot Gris is a feisty, smoky little
critter, structured with distinctive spice
characteristics. It resembles good Chardonnay but has an extra dimension of complexity.
Let me tell you a little bit about Philippe
Kubler. Estates can be very old in Alsace.
The Kublers have been making wine since 1620.
Amazing! The Domaine is made up of only 9
hectares (about 22 acres). The Kubler terroir
is very special. The soil is sandstone.
The age of the vines averages 30 years. The
grapes are picked by hand. The vineyards are
spread around Soultzmatt another of the pin
neat, geraniumed villages of Alsace where you
imagine while you slept someone must have
been out cleaning and polishing.
Philippe, himself, is very accomplished.
After getting his Masters in oenology from
Bordeaux University, Philippe snagged a job
making wine at Doisy Daene (one of my
favorite Sauternes) with Denis Dubourdieu
(one of Bordeauxs most famous wine makers).
He then went on to Burgundy and worked with
Colin Deleger making one of Burgundys finest
Chassagne Montrachets all this, in addition
to his stint at Cloudy Bay in New Zealand.
Philippe knows what he is doing.
Cynthia Hurley
