In the Grand Cru of Goldert, Alsace has its own "golden slope." If Burgundy's Côte d'Or is famous for extraordinary Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Goldert is famous for its Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris, though all four 'noble' varieties (and some Pinot Noir) are planted in Goldert.

Brief Summary of a Long History
Goldert has quite a history, as its reknown stretches back to the 8th Century. Fast-forward to the French Revolution, and its great repute continued: one apocryphal source of oral history holds that Goldert was one of Thomas Jefferson's favorite sources of wine (he had so many...). Goldert is located to the north of Gueberschwihr, its slopes facing east. Its location, which is about 15 minutes southwest of Colmar, is in the center of the extraordinary stretch of land that is the Haut-Rhin. The foundation of the vineyard is a limestone subsoil covered by a calcareous topsoil in which clay and sandstone are mingled.

Grape Varieties in Use in Goldert
It has long been particularly esteemed for its Gewürztraminer and Muscat, but Pinot Gris from Goldert can be as extraordinary as from any other great source. Riesling fares least well, but when conditions are right, Goldert Riesling can be up to Grand Cru quality.

Top Growers in Goldert
My experience with wines from this Grand Cru rest mostly with the wines of Ernest Burn (all four noble varieties), and the Gewürztraminer and Muscat from Zind-Humbrecht. The wines from Zind-Humbrecht have been consistently available to me, so I have had a better chance to follow their qualitative stature, and they do not fail to inspire. Zind-Humbrecht also pulled off that rarest of feats when they produced a Muscat Vendange Tardive from Goldert in 1995. Ernest Burn and Goldert are practically synonymous--Burn's Clos St.-Imer is one of the great Clos in Alsace, and the wines are astonishing. I have not had the opportunity to have them since the 2004 vintage, but if history is any indication, Burn is still the greatest exponent of this terroir. I have also found Maurice Schueller's Gewürztraminer and Muscat to be excellent, but I have not had the opportunity to follow them on a regular basis.

Popularity: 9% [?]

The signature dish of Alsatian cuisine, Choucroute is a sensational vehicle for one of the most important culinary contributions the region has to offer--Charcuterie. Charcuterie is elevated to an art form in Alsace, where meat, mostly pork, is preserved in a variety of ways: as smoked parts of the pig (usually the belly); as sausages of widely varying types; and terrines, including mousse and head cheese.

In Choucroute, pieces of preserved pork are usually combined with one piece of freshly-cooked pork (I've usually used pork loin and even pork belly, but there is no limit--I know a couple of Alsaciennes who only use pig's foot and shank--a shank is in the photo--which is delicious), potatoes, and sometimes apples. The dish itself presents a kaleidoscope of textures, especially among the meats--some of which are large-grind sausages while some have the texture of a wiener. I prefer the sauerkraut to remain fairly crisp after cooking, but many recipes call for the fresh pork to be braised in the sauerkraut. This does yield tasty kraut, but it interrupts the textural contrast because the kraut becomes soft as cooked beans. I have solved this in many different ways, but one need not take this to such an extreme--it's perfectly good with soft kraut!

Here's my recipe:

Choucroute Garnie

Turn on the oven to 350º.

1. Using several changes of cold water, rinse 4 lbs. of sauerkraut in a large bowl. Drain and then squeeze it out well.
2. Cut enough yellow onions (usually 2 medium ones) into ¼-inch dice so that you have, more or less, 2 cups. Mince three or four cloves of garlic (so that you have at least 1 tablespoon). Grind 4 pieces of thick-cut bacon in a food processor for 8-10 seconds (or chop them finely with a knife). Transfer bacon to a large dutch oven (6-quarts or bigger) over medium-high heat and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp (about 6 minutes). Add onions and ½ teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and light brown around the edges (about 8 minutes). Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds or until fragrant (no longer than 1 minute). Add ¾ of the sauerkraut and cook, stirring frequently, until it wilts and is steaming (about 10 minutes).
3. Stir in 2½ cups of dry Riesling, ½ cup of water, 2 bay leaves, 12 juniper berries, 16 coriander seeds, a pinch of ground cloves, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Bring to a boil.
4. Place 1½ lbs. of fresh pork loin or 2 lbs. of fresh pork belly into the sauerkraut, cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. If using a pork loin, cook until it registers 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. If using pork belly, cover with sauerkraut, reduce oven heat to 300°F and cook for 2 hours.
5. While the pork and sauerkraut is in the oven, prepare the sausages: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil when hot, and brown 6 fresh pork sausages (bratwurst or knockwurst) on all sides, about 8 minutes (but do not cook them all the way through). Remove to a plate, tent with aluminum foil. Brown three smoked sausages (kielbasa is excellent) and three wieners or frankfurters (something akin to, but aspiring to be more than, a hot dog) in the same skillet, browning on all sides, also for about 8 minutes. Transfer to another plate and set aside.
6. Meanwhile, prepare 4 pounds of medium red potatoes by washing them and bringing them to a boil in a large pot with ¾ teaspoon of salt and sufficient water to cover by an inch. When they reach a boil, reduce heat and simmer until a knife can penetrate the center of the potato with little to no resistance (about 20 minutes). Drain the potatoes, leave in pot, covered, off heat.
7. When the pork and sauerkraut has about 15 minutes of cooking remaining, remove it from the oven, stir in the last pound of sauerkraut and nestle the fresh pork sausages in to finish cooking. 10 minutes after this, bury the remaining sausages in the sauerkraut as well.
8. When the pork has finished cooking, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

Serving: Pile sauerkraut onto a large serving platter or a wide, shallow pasta serving bowl. Arrange the potatoes around the edge of the sauerkraut and arrange the sausages on top, leaving a bare mound of kraut in the center. Slice the pork loin (or pork belly) and fan it across the center of the sauerkraut. Serve at the table with whole-grain mustard as an accompaniment.

Wine Choices
I would really stick with Riesling here, obviously it would be better if it were from Alsace. Not a $12 one, though. Seek something with more muscularity along with its verve. There is a lot in this meal, and it's not exactly lightweight, so a stronger Riesling is more likely to go well.

Popularity: 6% [?]

A couple of Kiwi winemakers on an international assignment to Hugel, punching down the cap (of skins and grape solids) which forms on the top of the fermenting wine.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Chasselas is not a principle feature of the Alsatian winescape. In fact, it is hardly available in Alsace, and its population there is decreasing. Chasselas gets the most attention in France as table grapes, but in Switzerland and in the Crépy region of the Savoie in the French Alps it is grown with care for vinous purposes. In Alsace it is generally destined for blending into Edelzwicker, which is as close to 'tap wine' from Alsace as you can get.

Common Characteristics of Chasselas
Chasselas, when well-made, is a delightful, fresh, and vividly zippy wine that often has a lemon and lemon blossom fragrance, and is usually fairly delicate. These are wines intended to be happy and carefree, which is in part the reason they are included in Edelzwicker. Those who choose to make a varietally labeled Chasselas tend to be committed to the variety itself, despite its stagnance in the marketplace. Wine made from old vine Chasselas usually has a distinctly richer character than is typical, with a denser texture and creamy sense of fruit concentration. It is from old vines that Domaine Schoffit, without question, makes the most consistent Chasselas available in the United States. Pierre Sparr also makes a tasty Chasselas, and I had a very good one from Paul Blanck a few years ago, but I do not know if they still make one.

Late Harvest and Dessert Chasselas
The only way I have ever heard of Chasselas used in this sort of specialized form is when it is a component of Vin de Paille, which is a densely sweet wine made from grapes that have been dried on straw mats (paille=straw), or more commonly hung from the rafters to dry, and vinified. I suspect that Chasselas is used in this role because it doesn't cost much. Vin de Paille is horrendously expensive to make, considering if you started with two tons of fruit, you could end up with only ten gallons of liquid, and where's the economy in that? Blending Chasselas and Sylvaner in with the Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Gris would certainly make the cost easier to stomach, but that still does little to ensure that you'll ever see one on your wine store's shelves.

Chasselas and Food
Oysters are a great combination with Chasselas, and I find herring to be a good companion as well. Old vine Chasselas can have enough richness to be a good wine with scallops, but the preparation shouldn't be overly flavored--add something grander than a white wine sauce and you should search for something else. Other good pairings would be chicken (especially Chicken Salad), clams, crab, skate, and Port Salut cheese.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Last month I spent a few hours tasting through the 2008s (plus a few other vintages) with Laurence Faller at Domaine Weinbach. This was a marvelous experience, and Laurence was extraordinarily tolerant of my incessant questioning (and the length of my stay!). She shared many thoughts on the 2008 vintage, especially vis-à-vis the 2007 vintage. During this interview, Laurence also told me about some changes in the biodynamic certification requirements (specifically those for Demeter, which will be fodder for a future post) and how they are likely to affect Weinbach. As for the wines? They were absolutely radiant. Read on:

2008 Sylvaner Réserve (*)
Beautiful fruit-draped acids that power the wine--a long sensibility...i.e., not spritzy but not fat (as some are lately)

2008 Pinot Blanc Réserve (*)
Fascinating and vivid--aroma is actually well-delineated (uncommon in Pinot Blanc but the high Auxerrois content--70%--gives the fragrance clarity), lemon curd and graham. A dynamite wine, would be very useful thanks to its relatively prominent zing.

2008 Riesling Réserve Personnelle (?)
Edgy...edgy...jumpy is perhaps a better descriptor. Boy do I recognize this kind of Riesling--but it's not in focus yet. This needs to settle down, the brittleness factor is quite high. In a year this will have calmed down (or it usually does), so I'll revisit it then.

2008 Riesling Cuvée Théo (**)
From the old vines in the Clos des Capucins--where the preceding wine was jumpy, this one is very tight and closed off. After ten minutes of swirling while Laurence was hunting for something, a marmalade aroma emerged--lime marmalade, with shortbread and shale. Flavors never really relaxed, but this has never, never been a wine for early consumption (except perhaps '03). Get six of this one for the cellar.

2008 Riesling Schlossberg (**)
Beautiful, tense, and yet very friendly. Not in a welcoming way...more like someone waving hello as they drive past. Great mysterious character, tactile yet tensile.

2007 Riesling Cuvée Ste.-Cathérine (**+)
Blooming and more giving--more inclusive and warmly receiving than the preceding wine. Such a grand expression--a principle character difference between 2008 and 2007.

2008 Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Ste.-Cathérine (**)
A glorious wine to experience, despite its current austerity. Rocky minerality and fruit tinged by orange pekoe. This is really lovely.

2007 Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Ste.-Cathérine (**)
This is a roomier wine than the '08. Again the feeling of greater personal warmth is the difference. Oddly, I don't prefer this to the other. I might prefer to use them differently, but the charms of each are unique enough that they don't merit much more than an academic comparison.

2008 Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Ste.-Cathérine «l'Inédit» (**+)
Yowza! Fatter, inspiring, mind-alerting flavors. This is really a serious wine. Its residual sugar is minimal this year, but it still maintains the richer style. All of this within the sleeve of the '08 vintage, so more lithe than the 2007s are.

2008 Pinot Gris Cuvée Ste.-Cathérine (**)
Extraordinary depth for this cuvée--I wonder if 2008 has favored Pinot Gris? We'll see.... Elegant wine, yet it is easy-to-get-into (i.e., not slutty). Wonderful golden fruit flavors and the color has the barest trace of pinkish-grey to the golden hue.

2008 Pinot Gris Altenbourg (**)
Amazing zing of acidity, long and lovely wine with exceptional extraction and depth, hinted at by the beautiful color. A great Altenbourg.

2008 Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo (*)
This wine is dry, without bitterness. Makes my mouth water--more of the rose petal than litchi nut aroma, as the aroma, while grand, comes off as rather delicate (for Gewurz). Wonderful rosemary-like savory notes dominate the floating finish.

2008 Gewurztraminer Altenbourg (**)
More opulent than the Théo, and is more oriented toward litchi nut spiciness. Has a lifted essence, a moving trait. It makes me happy.

2005 Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Vendanges Tardives (***)
Speaking of moving...this is more moody though. What a feisty wine--acidity is excellent, spicy...there is an orange zest element here, along with rosehips and raspberry leaf tea. Sugar is seamlessly part of this one. This fits in the why wait to drink category, though I'm sure another five years would be rewarding.

2007 Riesling Schlossberg Sélection de Grains Nobles (***)
Glorious resplendence, yet an introspective essence suffuses the experience. How can you beat Riesling in this form when it is made this well?

2007 Gewurztraminer Mambourg Sélection de Grains Nobles (***)
The Fallers recently acquired holding in this Grand Cru is used expressly (so far) for late harvest wines. What a sensuous wine. Hard to imagine Gewurztraminer being even more exotic than it usually is, but this wine smells like I should have it while walking through the spice section of a Moroccan souk. Fabulous flavor, maintains a luscious zip throughout. What an intense and yet amicable wine!

2005 Pinot Gris Altenbourg Quintessence de Grains Nobles Cuvée d'Or (***)
This certainly deserves the doubly specific designation (Quintessence being better than Sélection, and «Cuvée d'Or» being a sub-selection of the Quintessence!) on the label. I'm running out of energy to care about scribbling superlatives, this wine has so much of my attention. It might make you feel as though you are lying in the hay with a lover, after...well, you know what I mean. Now, back to the wine!

Popularity: 9% [?]

Olivier Humbrecht of Domaine Zind-Humbrecht on biodynamic farming, including his subtly refined perspective on the relationship between man and vineyard.

Popularity: 4% [?]