I just can't get enough of the Philippe
Kubler's wines. I have been drinking them all
week and every bottle surprises and "seduces" me. That second word
comes from La Revue du Vin de France. They
are beautiful, dry, white wines with pert
acidity and floral notes, that are so much
better than other Alsace wines I've had.
Have you been thinking about pouring that
first splash of Alsace into your glass? There
is probably no better vintage than 2009 for
taking the plunge.
Wine Spectator reports that the 2009 vintage is "excellent...All of the area's major varieties looked good, though several producers feel the Pinots - Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris - did especially well"
Wine Spectator writes, "The success of the harvest is undoubtedly due to the near-ideal weather during September and October-warm, dry days and cool nights-but the growing season laid the groundwork."
Robert Parker has praise for Kubler as
well:
"After earning his oenology degree from
Bordeaux, and a stage at Cloudy Bay in New Zealand, young
Philippe Kluber ... took over at his family's
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
"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
Let me tell you a little bit more 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 age
of the vines averages 30 years. They pick the
grapes by hand. They age the wines in
Alsatian oak foudres (big oak casks)
for 8 to
ten months.
The vineyards are spread around Soultzmatt
which is in southern Alsace near Colmar and
Eguisheim.
Philippe, himself, is very accomplished.
After getting his Master's in oenology from
Bordeaux University, Philippe snagged a job
making wine at Doisy Daene (one of my
favorite Sauternes) with Denis Dubourdieu
(one of Bordeaux's most respected white
winemakers and consultants.
He then went on to Burgundy and worked with
Colin Deleger making one of Burgundy's finest
Chassagne Montrachets - all this, in addition
to his stint at Cloudy Bay in New Zealand.
I am so glad I met Philippe Kubler. I had
been looking for a great Pinot Blanc for a
long time. I wanted a refreshing, good value alternative to Chardonnay and this is it. The problem with other Pinot Blancs is that they can be over-produced resulting in
diluted and just not flavorful
enough wines. Kubler's Pinot Blanc is very important to Philippe. It is loaded with
lemons and other fruits with some minerals
and even some spicy hints on the finish. It is a beautifully pure expression of Pinot Blanc and shows this grape's full potential.
If you love Alsace whites, then this is your
moment, and if you don't know much about
Alsace wines, give this wine a
try. Cynthia Hurley
