The first thing to say about this wine is that it is far too young to be drunk, perhaps I should have known that, being a Grand Cru with only a few years under is belt but by ‘too young’ that I don’t mean that it’s not yet pleasant to drink. On the contrary I very much enjoyed drinking it, I do however feel a little guilty, as though I’ve stolen its glory by not allowing it to reach its full potential. Would it have tasted better if I’d left it a few years? That I don’t know, but what is certain is it’s a wine that had more to say and wasn’t yet ready to share all its secrets.

The wine is produced by Andre Scherer and is from the Grand Cru slopes of Pfersigberg. A stoney terroir of limestone pebbles which may explain some of its mineralistic qualities. Located on the Wine Route of Alsace, Husseren Castles, his winery produces many wines, spirits and liqueurs from the region, including Grand Crus from Eichberg, Pfersigberg and Goldert.

As you might be able to tell from my introduction to this post, I found this wine very difficult to read and profile. Even now as I write this finishing the last glass the day after I started tasting, my senses are confused and not quite sure how to describe this wine. That said this wine is complex and well-balanced, with many wonderful qualities showing modestly with the faintest discretion, just teasing you as to its true inner soul.

Visually it’s a very light and pale wine, perfectly clear and transparent but with almost greenish hue to it. Even in the glass it looks crisp and refreshing. The nose while very secretive and tight offers the faintest whiff of apple blossom and a confusing scent that brings to mind memories of fizzy sherbert. On drinking the first impression is of green apples and a minerality not unlike the style of a crisp Loire valley white, but as you drink more and allow the flavour profile to build in your mouth a sweetness begins to develop. Not a sickly cloying sweetness of peaches or  honey, but a gentle and subtle hint of pineapple. Finally after swallowing the wine lingers on the palate giving way to a slightly sour grapefruit taste, not unpleasant but reminding you that you’re drinking a dry Alsatian Riesling rather than its sweeter German cousins.

I cannot emphasise enough the subtlety of all of the above flavours and how much I deliberated and pondered as I tried to describe this wine. In time I’m sure these flavours will develop or become more prominent (for better or worse) but for now I feel privileged as though this wine has shared some intimate secret or insight into what lies ahead.

Summary

• Price: €20 a bottle (£15).
• Producer: Andre Scherer
• Origin: France, Alsace, Pfersigberg.
• Style: Crisp, mineral and light with interesting fruit undertones.
• Food Pairing: At current tasting; soft and tart cheeses (such as goat’s cheese), light summer salads (particularly containing fruit), simple fish or chicken dishes without heavy sauces, marinade or spices. 
  In the future this wine will likely hold its own against much stronger flavours, but not for a few years yet.