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2023 Pinot Blanc “Vieilles Vignes”
Meyer-FonnéThere comes a time every day—generally around 6 o’clock—when a hankering for something cold and crisp emanates from within. We crave a refreshing glass of white to alleviate thirst and cleanse the day’s lingering cocktail of doubts and worries, its bright flavors signaling a new chapter to the day in which pleasure and relaxation reign.
Félix Meyer’s old-vine Pinot Blanc from the slopes of Katzenthal, in Alsace, has long overdelivered in the role of the proverbial “crisp white” for which we long. It has obvious thirst-quenching properties, expressed in the form of perky acidity and a mouth-watering, almost smoky mineral note that grabs hold of the back of the palate. But it also carries generous flesh, like the succulent texture of farmers’ market stone fruits, enlivened by an exotic bolt of lime.
Perhaps due to the fifty-year-old vines, plus Félix’s liberal interpretation of “Pinot Blanc”—the blend also includes Pinot Gris and Pinot Auxerrois—this crisp blanc does far more than what its price point might suggest. The first glass may satisfy our craving for something cold quite swimmingly, but the second reveals a nuanced wine of real substance.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2023 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 65% Pinot Auxerrois, 20% Pinot Blanc, 15% Pinot Gris |
Appellation: | Alsace |
Country: | France |
Region: | Alsace |
Producer: | Meyer-Fonné |
Winemaker: | Félix Meyer |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1965 and 1978, 2.5 ha |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2018 Gewurztraminer “Dorfburg Vielles Vignes”
France | Alsace
Meyer-Fonné’s Dorfburg saturates the senses with heady aromas of rose petal, mouth-filling richness, and tantalizing sweetness
2022 Gentil d’Alsace
France | Alsace
A fragrant blend of mostly Riesling and Muscat, Félix Meyer’s organically grown Gentil is crisp and lean and works like a reset button for your palate.
2022 Riesling Réserve
France | Alsace
Meyer’s Riesling Réserve is a mélange of different terroirs around his domaine in Katzenthal, and is a precise, dry, minerally Riesling loaded with character.
2019 Pinot Gris “Dorfburg”
France | Alsace
That grapes can be cajoled and fashioned to make such a liquid is miraculous.
2022 Edelzwicker
France | Alsace
Meyer-Fonné’s 2022 has a floral, perfumed nose—perhaps from a splash of Muscat?—and a soft mid-palate with green apple and pear—surely a sign of Pinot Blanc in there.
2017 Pinot Noir “Altenbourg”
France | Alsace
This is a rich, ample, seductive Pinot with notes of tea leaves, strawberries, and blackberries.
2019 Pinot Gris “Réserve”
France | Alsace
This wine shows how understated, finessed, and downright glorious dry Pinot Gris can be in Alsace.
2020 Pinot Gris Grand Cru “Kaefferkopf”
France | Alsace
Meyer’s 2020 is lovely stuff—fermented dry, full-bodied in style, it shines at table in a multitude of gastronomic settings with kaleidoscopic range.
2022 Riesling Grand Cru “Wineck Schlossberg”
France | Alsace
You’ll detect a steely quality on the finish, and the slightest hint of the petrol often associated with Riesling. Delicious!
2018 Riesling Grand Cru “Wineck Schlossberg”
France | Alsace
If the Boxler Réserve is an imposing massif, Meyer-Fonné’s Wineck Schlossberg is a vertiginous peak.
About The Producer
Meyer-Fonné
About The Region
Alsace
Tragically, Alsace might be the most misunderstood wine region of France. In spite of its long history of viticulture and tremendous diversity of pedigreed terroirs, a past fraught with marketing mishaps has left consumers baffled as to what exactly to expect inside one of these mysterious tall, thin bottles.
The good news, on the other hand, is that a new wave of quality-oriented growers is working hard to put Alsace in its rightful place as one of the world’s most fascinating sources of fine white wine. By embracing tradition, respecting terroir, and making a concerted effort to better communicate the countless virtues their wines have to offer, they have succeeded in putting Alsace back on the map.
Crafted from a number of grape varieties and beautifully interpreting the region’s mosaic of soil types, our Alsace imports are by and large dry whites offering exceptional versatility at table. While each of these selections is ready to be uncorked tonight, the finest among them are also capable of maturing for many, many years in a cool cellar. Expect kaleidoscopic aromatics, lively acidities, and loads of terroir transparency in these skillfully crafted masterpieces. Enjoy a foray into the thrilling world of the world’s most underrated wine region, and certainly do not hesitate to contact our sales staff with any questions as you take off on this mouth-watering adventure.
More from Alsace or France
2020 Crémant d’Alsace Brut
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2020 Riesling “Fronholz”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2020 Pinot Gris “Zellberg”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2021 Riesling Grand Cru “Mandelberg Vieilles Vignes”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2018 Pinot Gris Réserve
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2020 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru “Wineck-Schlossberg”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2019 Pinot Gris Réserve
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2018 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Sommerberg “Wibtal”
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2022 Pinot Gris “Réserve”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2022 Edelzwicker
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2022 Riesling “Clos Mathis”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2021 Riesling Grand Cru “Muenchberg”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2020 Crémant d’Alsace Brut
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2020 Riesling “Fronholz”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2020 Pinot Gris “Zellberg”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2021 Riesling Grand Cru “Mandelberg Vieilles Vignes”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2018 Pinot Gris Réserve
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2020 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru “Wineck-Schlossberg”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2019 Pinot Gris Réserve
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2018 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Sommerberg “Wibtal”
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
2022 Pinot Gris “Réserve”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2022 Edelzwicker
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2022 Riesling “Clos Mathis”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2021 Riesling Grand Cru “Muenchberg”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch