2009 Willm Gentil

Posted on August 5, 2011 by jason

I’ve long professed my love for the Alsace [Ahl-zass]. And for those reading along regularly you might remember as part of my 2010 ABC’s A was indeed for Alsace as I committed to exploring the region further. Tucked in eastern corner of France bordering Germany and Switzerland this is one the smaller French regions and has a pronounced German influence (it has changed hands four times between France and Germany).

This is no more prevalent than in the wines of the region (though it also happens to be the main beer-producing area of France) which are mostly white and display a strong Germanic influence. Most are made from the noble grapes of the Alsace (Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer or Muscat) and blends from the area are usually known as Edelzwicker (Edel=noble and Zwicker=mixture) meaning a mixture of noble grapes. Navarro Vineyards happens to make one of my favorite versions but that said I’m pretty sure I’ve never had one I didn’t like from abroad. Would this be the wine to change that?

Price: $8.99 @ Wine Library imported by Monsieur Touton Selection

What They Said:

2009 Willm Gentil Per snooth.com “The Gentil Willm is a traditionnal blend going back to the 19th century from selected grapes grown in the best hillside vineyards. Gentil Willm is an alliance of Riesling (used for its finesse and acidity), Pinot Gris (used for its structure), Muscat (used for its powerfull fruit aromas) and Pinot Blanc (used for its fruit and suppleness). We generally use in our blend 70 – 80% of the noble grapevarieties. The Willm Gentil offers a dry and clean mouthfeel with an elegant and harmonious balance. Serve with cold meats; seafood; fowl; salads; soft cheeses.”

What I Think:

(12%) Riesling 30%, Pinot Gris 30%, Pinot Blanc 30%, Muscat 10% – Floral blossom nose with big white apple and pear flavors on the palate leading to a nice mineral driven acidity on a lasting, ever so slightly sweet, finish that is both refreshing and lengthy. Reminds of the Now & Zen I enjoyed for so many years…

Rating: Buy It

2008 Now & Zen Alsace White

Posted on June 28, 2010 by jason

Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Underdog Wine

What They Said:

2008 Now & Zen Alsace White Per the bottle “Every Now & Zen you’ll find your tastebuds capsizing from the spicy surge of Asian cuisine. Now & Zen’s bright tropical fruit of pineapple, mango and lemon twist awaken the delicious flavors of spicy food and bring peace to the palate.

Now & Zen is a blend of Alsatian varietals that will help you relax, chill and enjoy plates like spicy Szechuan shrimp, chicken or pork stir fry. Bring peace to your dinner.”

What I Think:

This wine, one of my favorites, has been a bit of a chameleon. The 2007 started off as the “Wasabi White” before becoming the “Alsace White” that we know it by today. For the 2008 vintage they decided to add the “Helfrich” name prominently to the label. Guess the ’07 was a bigger success then hoped and they decided they would like some recognition. In fairness it seems it should be shared with the importer, Underdog Wine Merchants, who collaborated with them on this project. Either way label changes make me nervous and I was really hoping this effort would be a worthy successor to the ’07 I so much enjoyed.

In a word it was. This vintage was a blend of 29% Pinot Blanc, 25% Sylvaner, 16% Riesling, 15% Muscat, 15% Gewurztraminer and is classically referred to as Edelzwicker. The Muscat was an addition but the remainder of the blend percentage was fairly consistent from the previous year. This wine starts with citrus and floral notes on the nose which translate nicely to the palate where a bit of mango adds a pleasant sweetness to the texture. The tart, crisp finish delivers lemon and mineral flavors that leave you refreshed and ready for your next sip. An easy drinker that is nicely balanced throughout. As you’ll see above they are strong proponents of pairing this one with spicy Asian cuisine and I wholeheartedly agree this is ideal. Factor in my Alsace bias (see the ’07 post) as you see fit but this is a wine I will be buying again.

Rating: Buy It

2007 Now & Zen Wasabi White

Posted on June 4, 2009 by jason

2007 Now & Zen Wasabi Wine Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Underdog Wine

What They Said:

Per the bottle “Every Now & Zen you’ll find your tastebuds about to capsize from the spicy surge of Asian cuisine enticing you to enjoy a calming sip of our Wasabi White. The bright tropical fruit of pineapple, mango and lemon twist awaken the delicious flavors of spicy food and bring peace to your palate.

Grown in the Alsace region of France, the climate develops well-structured, food-friendly wines. Relax, chill and enjoy a splash of Now & Zen with spicy Szechuan shrimp, chicken or pork stir fry. Now & Zen will bring your dinner peace.”

What I Think:

This one had a lot going for it on sight being from the Alsace. You see I’ve been a big fan ever since my wife to be took me out for my first fine dining experience at Hubert Keller’s Fleur de Lys here in San Francisco. You see he hails from the Alsace and delectably paired the wines of the region with an incredible meal. To even spark those memories is worth the fiver I dropped on this bottle. How’s that for full disclosure.

On getting it home I did a quick search and found that this one has wider distribution than you usually see from a TJ’s offering. Given that I would generally think this is a bad or “marked” lot that someone needed to liquidate. Around the net the best price on this one is $8, $10 appears to be the average. For locals with a BevMo in the area they are asking $11. I also took note of the importer on this one, Underdog Wine Merchants, a new one to the Trader Joe’s wine aisle. On checking their site I was pleased to see another of my favorites; A Mano. Hope to see some more offerings from this importer at Trader Joe’s soon… Too bad the site didn’t have any information on this bottle itself.

This one was a blend, my first from the region, of 40% Sylvaner, 30% Pinot Blanc, 15% Riesling, 15% Gewurztraminer. Thin pineapple notes on a pretty nose, just a hint of sweetness I could do without. On the palate I find lemon notes and perhaps a hint of lychee. The mouth feel is mellow and refreshing without being overly sweet. The mineral structure makes this a nice balanced effort throughout turning pleasantly tart on the finish. For $8 I might be on the fence but at $5, factor my Alsace bias in as you see fit, I already bought another bottle. Next time maybe I’ll even have it with spicy Szechuan shrimp as they recommend.

Rating: Buy It

2006 Michel Leon Gewurztraminer

Posted on March 30, 2008 by jason

Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Plume Ridge Wine Negotiants

What They Said:

Per Hawks Head Wines “The Laugel family have been producing wine here since 1889 when Alsace was part of Germany. With classic rose petal and lychee aromas this elegant white has good varietal character and lovely complexity. Grapefruit and citrus notes keep it refreshing and the finish is long and balanced with good integrated acidity. This is a lovely example of this Alsace speciality, drinking well now but will keep to 2009. (Drink now to 2011)”

What I Think:

Another Gewurztraminer from the Alsace. As you can see from my write up on the Marcel Hugg. This was even before my recent return visit to Fleur de Lys where I had the Trimbach once again. Amazingly enough, they have this same Trimbach at Trader Joe’s. If you feel like dropping a $20 spot on that one stop reading here.

Now back to this wine. Hard to find a write up here, awfully common for wines for Trader Joe’s wines I find. I was able to track down something from a UK retailer selling this at £8 (about $16) which makes this one at $7 seem quite the steal already. On the nose you get light floral and citrus notes. On the palate the profile is almost custard like and at first I thought it was sweet. Later I realized it was more from a texture perspective than on the palate. The fruit, mostly lemon, faded quickly and led to a nice tight mineral finish. We had this as an aperitif before dinner with cheese and it worked perfectly. Not as good as the Marcel Hugg but good enough to buy until I find something better.

Rating: Buy It

2005 Marcel Hugg Gewurztraminer

Posted on July 26, 2007 by jason

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Americal Beverage Group

What They Said:

Per the winery …well their website has yet to be updated with any details and google wasn’t showing me anything new, so it appears you still have to trust me on this one…

What I Think:

I have been enjoying these wines from Marcel Hugg over the last month or two. As I mentioned sometime back all things Alsace bring back fond memories and these wines have done nothing to alter that notion.

As usual I started this one off a bit over chilled. Even still it had the perfect Gewurzt nose with aromas of flowers, minerals and white fruit all commingling to form a pleasant bouquet. When cooled to room temperature, perfect smells of citrus rinds on the nose. A hearty texture coats the mouth. Floral flavors but can’t get more specific, at times I find myself thinking of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Having the Kono handy I do a comparison and those thoughts quickly disappear. Finishes with a touch of sweetness on the mid-palate before rounding into a nice, rich dry finish that seems familiar, nice… Not quite as minerally as I remember it but certainly a perfect match for the spice of the Thai meal that it was paired with.

If you only have budget for one get the Pinot Blanc. Better yet, skip lunch today and get both. You won’t be disappointed.

Rating: Buy It

2005 Marcel Hugg Pinot Blanc

Posted on June 18, 2007 by jason

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Americal Beverage Group

What They Said:

Per the winery Found their site but nothing about this or the gewurzt there. Since I couldn’t find anyone to speak on the experts behalf you’ll have to trust me :)

What I Think:

This is a repeat buy for me as I had another bottle of this Pinot Blanc a few weeks back. I don’t have much to add to that initial review except that this one did not disappoint. It was everything I remembered it to be. This wine would be great on its own, with some cheese or seafood or even some Asian cuisine. One thing to always remember with white is not to drink it too cold, it may taste okay but it won’t be able to fully express itself. I have one friend who goes to the opposite extreme and his whites at room temperature. I know that doesn’t work for me so my general plan is to try and put it in the fridge for a half hour and then take it out 5-10 minutes before planning to drink it. No need to take my advice; check out this site for some tips of your own. Back to the wine, I have upped this one to a Bulk Buy. Here’s to enjoying it while it lasts!

Rating: Bulk Buy

2005 Marcel Hugg Gewurztraminer

Posted on May 23, 2007 by jason

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Americal Beverage Group

What They Said:

Per the winery well nothing, but I did find their website. Think it may be new as I didn’t find this last time.

What I Think:

The second half of my Alsatian bargain pair and another winner. Flowers (I am terrible at identifying which ones) and some light fruit on the nose. In the mouth a nice dry style with a minerally backbone. A very nice wine and a perfect example of an Alsatian effort. Usually I try to pair this with Asian cuisine but this would go with nearly anything. This is a region I need to learn more about. Would love to do a side by side with this and the Santa Ynez I enjoyed so much. Maybe I will…

Rating: Buy it

2005 Marcel Hugg Pinot Blanc

Posted on May 5, 2007 by jason

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by American Beverage Group

What They Said:

Couldn’t find anyone to speak on the experts behalf so you’ll have to trust me…

What I Think:

An Alsatian wine at a bargain price, count me in for trying every time. Again, think this is three posts in a row, nostalgia reigns. My first birthday with my wife she took me to Fleur de Lys, Hubert Keller’s restaurant. He hails from this region and tailors some of the cuisine to pair with the wines. Ever since the Alsace makes me think of good things. This is a wine that did not disappoint that conceived notion. It had that nice soft, round fruit on top of that zippy mineral backbone that I have come to remember wines from this region for. This one will certainly be back in my cart. When I picked up this one I grabbed its sibling Gewurzt. Can’t wait to get to that one. Hope they don’t sell out before I get back…

Rating: Buy it

Jason's Wine Blog

adventures from the glass of a professional consumer…

Category Archives: Alsace

2009 Willm Gentil

2008 Now & Zen Alsace White

2007 Now & Zen Wasabi White

2006 Michel Leon Gewurztraminer

2005 Marcel Hugg Gewurztraminer

2005 Marcel Hugg Pinot Blanc

2005 Marcel Hugg Gewurztraminer

2005 Marcel Hugg Pinot Blanc