Albert Boxler Pinot Gris Sommerberg, Alsace Grand Cru, France

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Peach, quince preserves, and marzipan dominate the nose and creamy, faintly lactic, caramel-tinged palate of Boxler’s 2008 Pinot Gris Sommerberg. Tasting this on the heels – or should I say, “the very long coattails”? – of the corresponding Brand is almost unfair, as it comes off as more predictably Pinot Gris than Sommerberg in character and its sweetness as more obvious. Still, taken on its own terms, this is a succulent, sumptuous, if slightly confectionary expression of its cepage that ought to last long enough for one to enjoy a slight diminution of its subjective sweetness and probably the emergence of more complexity, perhaps in 12-15 years. Jean Boxler relates that in 2009 he picked some parcels of young wines early due to stress, then sold off the juice; and any under 15 years’ age he didn’t even bother to pick. Eventually, when he harvested his older vines and best sites, the sugar levels were the same – but not the flavors. He deftly charted a course with most of the resulting wines between alcohol and residual sugar, but to the extent it was unavoidable, sinned on the side of sweetness. From 2008, almost predictably given the track record at this address, Boxler rendered sharply focused, minerally complex, yet seductively fruit-filled wines that should prove excellent both as keepers and as partners with cuisine. Boxler compares these wines with his 2002s and finds then “definitely more interesting than the 2001s.” While most of the 2008s finished fermenting already by Christmas – which is par for the course chez Boxler – he points out that several of the extraordinary wines from the Brand lingered into spring. (For some detail on among other things Boxler’s different Riesling parcels, see my report in issue 188.)Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 757-8185