It's been a while since we have offered wines from Gustave Lorentz, but this historic Bergheim estate has long been a key source of classic Alsace, and today we have an excellent late release from the domaine. The 2019 Gewurztraminer comes from Altenberg de Bergheim, one of Alsace’s great Grand Cru vineyards: a steep, south-facing 35-hectare site with shallow, stony red marl-limestone soils that has produced celebrated wines for centuries. Lorentz works old Gewurztraminer vines here, generally 30–50 years of age, and the warm, dry 2019 season produced beautifully ripe fruit with excellent balance and concentration. This is a richer, more serious style of Gewurztraminer, with great breadth and texture, but enough freshness, fine bitterness, and structure to keep the wine from feeling heavy. At this level, the quality is absolutely in the same conversation as top examples from Trimbach or Zind-Humbrecht. However, Gustave Lorentz remains far less recognized in the market and comes at a noticeably more approachable price. With several years of perfect domaine aging behind it, it drinks beautifully now, with plenty of life ahead, and is a terrific opportunity to revisit one of Alsace’s most dependable historic addresses at an excellent price!
Wine Advocate (Stephan Reinhardt) 94 points! "The 2019 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim opens herbal and floral on the bright and elegant nose that also reveals delicate spicy and stony notes thanks to the reddish limestone marl soils. Dense and rich on the palate, this is a full-bodied, concentrated, saline and wonderfully bitter Gewürztraminer with a stunning austerity and tannin structure. Passion fruit and mango aromas with kumquat notes define the fruit texture of this slowly developing Altenberg. 14% stated alcohol and 27 grams per liter of residual sugar. Tasted at the domaine in April 2024."
2019 Gustave Lorentz Gewurztraminer Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Cru
2019 Gustave Lorentz Gewurztraminer Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Cru
It's been a while since we have offered wines from Gustave Lorentz, but this historic Bergheim estate has long been a key source of classic Alsace, and today we have an excellent late release from the domaine. The 2019 Gewurztraminer comes from Altenberg de Bergheim, one of Alsace’s great Grand Cru vineyards: a steep, south-facing 35-hectare site with shallow, stony red marl-limestone soils that has produced celebrated wines for centuries. Lorentz works old Gewurztraminer vines here, generally 30–50 years of age, and the warm, dry 2019 season produced beautifully ripe fruit with excellent balance and concentration. This is a richer, more serious style of Gewurztraminer, with great breadth and texture, but enough freshness, fine bitterness, and structure to keep the wine from feeling heavy. At this level, the quality is absolutely in the same conversation as top examples from Trimbach or Zind-Humbrecht. However, Gustave Lorentz remains far less recognized in the market and comes at a noticeably more approachable price. With several years of perfect domaine aging behind it, it drinks beautifully now, with plenty of life ahead, and is a terrific opportunity to revisit one of Alsace’s most dependable historic addresses at an excellent price!
Wine Advocate (Stephan Reinhardt) 94 points! "The 2019 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim opens herbal and floral on the bright and elegant nose that also reveals delicate spicy and stony notes thanks to the reddish limestone marl soils. Dense and rich on the palate, this is a full-bodied, concentrated, saline and wonderfully bitter Gewürztraminer with a stunning austerity and tannin structure. Passion fruit and mango aromas with kumquat notes define the fruit texture of this slowly developing Altenberg. 14% stated alcohol and 27 grams per liter of residual sugar. Tasted at the domaine in April 2024."
