Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc d'Alsace Reserve 2005

The 2005 Gustave Lorentz Reserve Pinot Blanc is quite possibly the finest Pinot Blanc we have tasted in years. It is a bright, cheerful wine that offers up a smorgasbord of scents and savors. It possesses an intriguing nose of ripe apple, pear, and fresh, soft cheeses. In the mouth the 2005 Lorentz Pinot Blanc Reserve exudes soft, succulent fruit flavors, a gorgeous texture, and a hint of almond and spice. What makes this Pinot Blanc so intriguing is the same quality that makes all of Lorentz's wines so appealing: it is the ability to be a chameleon, ever-changing in the glass so as to present new facets and flavors with each sip. Although some may prefer this wine icy cold, we suggest you try it at varying temperatures. As the wine breathes and reaches towards a more ambient temperature, it takes on broader, more seductive tones and reveals wonderful subtlety and nuance of flavor. Consequently, we suggest serving the 2005 Gustave Lorentz Reserve Pinot Blanc well chilled but then allowing it to warm slowly in the glass, over at least a thirty-minute period, which will allow the wine to unfold completely in the glass.

The 2005 Gustave Lorentz Reserve Pinot Blanc is one good drinking wine, with or without food. However, its chameleon like nature makes it a versatile wine to pair with wide variety of cuisines and individualized dishes. Not surprisingly, traditional Alsatian favorites such as Quiche Lorraine and leek tarts provide excellent accompaniments to this very flavorful, beautifully balanced Pinot Blanc. Baked or lightly grilled white fish such as flounder, tilapia, or tile fish offer good company to the 2005 Lorentz Reserve Pinot Blanc as well. Hors d'oeuvres, shellfish, and fish chowders supply additional first-rate accompaniments. Eclectic or traditionally hard to pair dishes such as Orzo Salad with garbanzo beans, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, or even Asian stir-fry, work especially well with this supreme Pinot Blanc, too, so experiment and enjoy!

Gustave Lorentz is a family owned and operated winery that dates to 1836. Today, the very capable 40-year old Georges Lorentz is the Lorentz in charge, with some assistance from his "retired" father, Charles. The Lorentz winery is one of the largest family owned facilities in Alsace. It encompasses sixty-six acres of premium vineyards in Bergheim, including nearly half of the great Grand Cru vineyard of Altenberg de Bergheim and all of Kanzlerberg, the smallest Grand Cru vineyard in Alsace. Bergheim is located in the very finest section of Alsace, a mere 3 kilometers from Ribeauville and just 5 kilometers from Riquwihr. This is the "real" Alsace wine country, the very heart of the famous Route de Vin. All of the Lorentz wines come from this premier area known as the Haut Rhin and express the unique Bergheim terroir. Like most Alsace producers, Gustave Lorentz features several levels of wine from a wide variety of traditional Alsace grapes. The ubiquitous Pinot Blanc provides a steady income and a solid foundation upon which Lorentz, like the majority of Alsace growers, has built his empire. Yet, Gustave Lorentz's Pinot Blanc stands above the rest. As one would expect, Riesling, Tokay Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer constitute the remaining stars in the estate's tiara, as they do throughout Alsace. In addition, Lorentz's wines are featured in many of the Michelin-starred restaurants in Alsace and some of the finest restaurants around the world. From simple vintage cuvees to Reserve and Grand Cru bottlings as well as the rare late harvest wines known as Vendanges Tardives, Lorentz is dedicated to the fashioning of the highest quality Alsace wines. Vive la différence! Alsace Alsace is quite possibly the most picturesque wine region in all France. It is an enchanted land of beautifully restored half-timbered houses, flower bedecked balconies and window boxes, and of course vineyards. Alsace is bounded by the Vosges Mountains to the west, which block out the dreary maritime weather that plagues so much of the rest of northern France, and the Rhine River and Germany to the east. On account of its favored position and corresponding climate, Alsace is the sunniest province in northern France. This extra sunshine makes Alsace an ideal spot for the cultivation of the vine and the production of premium wines. In Alsace, white wine reigns supreme. This is a matter of local preference and tradition, in spite of the province's production of some very noteworthy Pinot Noir wines and the contemporary clamor for red wine. Pinot Blanc is the staple of Alsace, where it makes a fresh, flavorful wine of considerable merit. Nonetheless, the ultimate expression of wine in Alsace lies more typically in the crafting of some of the world's finest wines from Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris – the vast majority of which are made dry rather than sweet. The relative dryness of most Alsatian wines may come as a surprise to many, especially those for whom German sounding names and tall thin green bottles are synonymous with sweetness. However, Alsatian wines are unique unto themselves and rarely do they resemble their German counterparts in style, flavor, or level of residual sugar. Robert Parker Jr. has called the wines of Alsace "some of the greatest white wines produced on the planet," and some of the most pleasurable and hedonistic, too, we might add.