Geisberg is one of Kientzler’s Grand Cru vineyards. Cool winds from the nearby valley allow for slow, controlled maturation of fruit (which is 99% Riesling). Depth and minerality are at the core of this Grand Cru wine. Tropical aromas open on the nose. Saline and mineral on the palate. This will get even better with age.
For over five generations, the Kientzler family have been nurturing vines in Ribeauvillé. A heritage name of the region, their wines are prized expressions of Alsace. Today, the family look after close to 14ha of fruit in the region, encompassing substantial Grand Cru parcels.
A slight edge of kerosene flickers above the glass before gently floral citrus notes appear. The concentrated palate has a key note of crisp apple freshness, aligned to zesty ripe lemon and makes for a very vivid wired refreshing wine with a very fine filigree structure. The finish is dry and utterly lip smacking.
94 points, Wine Enthusiast (November 2018)
Very fresh, cool and appley with a hint of smoke. This is still just beginning to open up. Some serious depth in this medium- to full-bodied dry riesling, but it is also quite an austere style. The finish is long and very clean. With a little more polish, this would have been rated even higher.
92 points, jamessuckling.com (May 2018)
Vivid pale golden-tinged straw-yellow. Spicy anise, botanical herbs and menthol on the nose. Then more refined and dense than the nose suggested, featuring saline apricot and peach flavors that linger nicely. Boasts a lovely aromatic juiciness and a tactile quality but lots of refinement (6 g/L total acidity and 4 g/L residual sugar). I always find a strong spicy note of licorice in the wines of the Geisberg and it’s the same this year; also, as Geisberg wines age, they tend to pick up a hint of sweetness - something that wines from the Osterberg, for example, do not do.
92 points, Vinous (April 2018)
