Riesling Furstentum Grand Cru 2022

A cool, disciplined Riesling whose fruit is inseparably bound to austere notes. That's what gives it its invigorating bite and long finish. In the glass, a deep straw yellow with bright highlights.

The Furstentum, in the commune of Kientzheim, lies just 400 metres as the crow flies from the Schlossberg, and yet it's the coolest of the Grand Cru sites: when the ice melts on the Schlossberg, it takes a good ten days longer in the Furstentum. That lag carries through the whole year. The vines, around 30 years old, grow on limestone soils.

Riesling, vinified dry, 14.0% ABV. Domaine Albert Mann in Wettolsheim brings together the Mann and Barthelmé families; Maurice and Jacky Barthelmé share the cellar and vineyards and converted to biodynamic farming in 1997. Each of the 25 hectares' parcels is worked individually, with horses rather than tractors on the steepest slopes. Over decades, the two have observed which grape variety belongs where.

The entry stays strict, with powdery fine phenolics providing a firm grip. The wine is carried by ripe, broad acidity; the subtly earthy minerality lends energy and freshness. On the nose, orange and linden blossom, green mandarin, quince, medlar and preserved ginger, alongside sourdough crust, grainy notes and a touch of green tea.

With Vietnamese soup with tomato and pineapple, Cantonese squid with spring onion and ginger, and tamarind chicken with tomatoes and jackfruit.

The domaine farms vines across six Grand Cru sites, spread over nearly a hundred parcels. Antoine Barthelmé, the son, now works alongside them.