Senior editor James Molesworth joined Wine Spectator in 1997. He reviews the wines of Argentina, Chile, the Loire Valley, the Rhône Valley and South Africa.
An Unusual French White
Bott-Geyl Pinot d'Alsace Alsace 2005
James Molesworth
Posted: Friday, February 20, 2009
This is a really fun white from France. It's also a bit of an oddity for Alsace, as it's made from a blend of both white and red grapes: 35 percent Pinot Blanc, 35 percent Pinot d'Auxerrois, 20 percent Pinot Gris and 10 percent Pinot Noir.
I find Bott-Geyl's wines to be a bit inconsistent—sometimes they're really pure and fresh, but occasional bottles show overtly yeasty and beery notes and lack freshness. This was one of the better ones, showing a lightly sweet profile, with fresh, fine underlying acidity carrying the flavors of pear, fig, apricot, brioche and bitter orange. A lanolin feel checks in on the finish, which has nice length. 88 points, non-blind.
At $39 on the wine list at Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville, N.Y., (an Award of Excellence winner), it was the perfect starter wine for the table, considering the range of food we had ordered, from Cajun grilled tiger prawns to cumin pappadoms.
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