2006 Wolfberger Edelzwicker

2006 Wolfberger Edelzwicker
Alsace, France
60 % Pinot Blanc + Sylvaner + Chasselas, 15% Gewurztraminer, 10% Riesling, 10 % Pinot Gris and 5 % Muscat
2006

Okay. I admit, this rather interesting little Alsatian white might take a bit of explanation. Let's start with the term Edelzwicker. Zwicker means "blend", something that this wine clearly is. "Edel" means noble. Edelweiss, the Alpine flower of Sound of Music fame means the Noble White. Sticking to winemaking, botrytis cinerea, the "noble rot" that infects white grapes throughout the world making ethereal dessert wines is called Edel faule in German. So Edelzwicker is literally "the noble blend". Clearly further explanation is required.

Alsace is in many ways the easiest French wine region for the grape-variety driven American consumer to understand. Alsatian wines are generally labelled by grape variety, so we have popular wines such as Etienne Hugel Pinot Blanc, another wine that is currently on our list. Hugel is the producer and Pinot Blanc is the grape. Easy enough. This hasn't always been the case.

In fact, it was relatively recently in terms of French wine history (the 1920's in fact) that saw Alsatian wine producers affixing the grape varieties to their labels. It was more common in the past for them to have a whole slew of different grapes planted among each other in the vineyards. The wines were called Zwicker - blended wines. Seven grape varieties became recognized for the superior quality: Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Chasselas, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer, Riesling and Muscat. Blends containing only these "noble grape varieties" became known as Edelzwicker, "noble blends". (For those who actually care, other grapes deemed to be inferior, but still cultivated in the past were, for example, Knipperle, Trollinger and Pinot Meunier, all of which are outlawed for classified Alsatian wines today.)

While most every Alsatian wine now lists the grape variety (it must be 100% of the given grape) some producers still hold on to the tradition of blending the seven noble grapes together in the form of Edelzwicker. This practice is particularly advantageous for a producer such as Wolfberger since it is quite large. But even this part of the story is asteresked as well!

Wolfberger is what is called a Cave Cooperative, a collection of many small growers whose combined efforts are marketed as one, allowing for a pooled, unified marketing opportunity. There are over 800 members.

In the end, that which is in the bottle is most important, and I found the Wolfberger Edelzwicker to be a perfect introduction to the scented whites of Alsace. The nose has the expected complexity of a wine from such varied parentage, although in my opinion the lychee nut aromas that give Gewurtztraminer its signature shine through most prominently. The palate is light-bodied, ripe but not sweet and vibrant, highlighting the subtle petrol and fruit of Riesling.