Being a German influenced wine region, Alsace is more known for its white wines like in Germany. However, they also make some interesting reds too.
Alsace is known for its whites like Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois (often used in place of Pinot Blanc), Muscat and Sylvaner. I already compared its most planted grape, Riesling, to German Riesling in a previous post.
Less common are its reds, which are only about 10% of its production. Again, like in Germany, the most common red is Spätburgunder, or Pinot Noir. Both German and Alsace Pinot Noirs are known to be on the lighter side, but with climate change, more producers are capable of making more powerful, Cru Burgundian-like Pinot.
I found an Alsace Pinot Noir from one of its top producers, Albert Mann. They use organic and some Biodynamic practices. Along with some Grand Cru Riesling and Pinot Gris, they have some “Cru” level Pinot Noir options too.
Tasting Notes
2021 Albert Mann Pinot Noir Grand H Alsace
40 year old vines. Grand H is the abbreviation for Grand Cru Hengst in Wintzenheim since Pinot Noir is not an approved Grand Cru grape in Alsace. Marl, limestone and sandstone soil. ~20% whole cluster. ~20% new oak barriques. Earthiest of all the Pinot Noirs tasted next to it, even with a Beaune-Village and Premier Cru Gevrey-Chambertin in the lineup. This was my favorite of the night. Soil. Mushroom. Dark red fruit. Medium-Plus acidity. Step up in intensity and vibrancy. Very classic Burgundy-like for me with the earthiness and acidity. If more Pinot Noir like this are coming out of Alsace, I could see its popularity rising. However, this was not cheap. It was close to $100. Given the quality though, that’s slightly less than you’d pay for an equivalent Burgundy if you shop wisely while other similar Pinot from more famous vineyards could be 2-10 times as much. 94