These last few years I have tasted very few Alsatian wines at professional tastings. So, I jumped at the chance to taste these wines presented in New York in late spring. All of the wines showed well, but one domaine in particular stood out. 

The Domaine Kirrenbourg wines are riveting. It doesn't hurt that the wines come from Grand Cru and premier lieu-dit parcels. In 2015, Marc Rinaldi - having previously spent his career in the aluminum and automobile industries - purchased the Martin Schaetzel winery founded in 1930 - and built a new winery soon thereafter. The Pinot Noirs, in particular, were eye-opening. I cannot wait to keep up with where this producer! 

Crémant
90*
Domaine Karcher NV Crémant d'Alsace Brut 12% 
This is an elegant, vaguely pink bubbly with an intriguing spicy tone and a textured, papery and drying finish. While the finish is a bit distracting, the rest of the wine is captivating. The aromas deliver a lovely yeastiness along with exotic spice, white raspberry and white peach. The acidity was finely integrated and the bubbles were creamy and gentle. This wine was lovely from the start, and it remained impressed three hours later at room temperature. The moderated, layered finish suggests this might stay well in bottle, but why wait when it is so compelling now? This 100% Pinot Auxerrois is made in the oldest cellars in Colmar, dating back to 1602.
Drink: 2021-23 

88
Wunsch et Mann NV Crémant d'Alsace Brut 12%
A decidedly aromatic crémant composed of Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Riesling, this is a layered and rather complex crémant that even seems to have a hint of botrytis. The profound mid-palate weight is noticeable, and it contrasts nicely with the tingly acidity and smooth bubbles. Tasting of ripe apricot and freshly-picked apple peel with a hint of phyllo dough, this is compelling and distinct. I love the label with gold, raised dots that resemble bubbles!
Drink: 2021-22   

87
Domaine Philippe Sohler NV Crémant d'Alsace Brut 12%
This blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris is fresh and fruity. The big, boisterous and crunchy bubbles place this in the approachable category. Alas, the slightly tart acidity lends to the short, dry finish. Still, there is plentiful apple fruit and ample minerality with an underlying baguette crust tone. This is a pleasant wine for casual consumption.
Drink: 2021-22 

Whites
94
Domaine Kirrenbourg 2018 Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg K 13%
This Demeter- & Ecocert-certified wine exudes charisma on the nose: white peach, apricot, cantaloupe and a wee dollop of honey. Very well-balanced with a medium body, integrated acidity and no hint of tannin leading into layered, minerally and dry finish, this concentrated wine offers delightful refreshment, too.
Drink: 2021-25 

92
Domaine Kirrenbourg 2018 Pinot Gris Roche Granitique 14%
Hailing from granite soils in the Schlossberg vineyard that are being converted to biodynamic farming, this is a firmly framed, yet full-bodied Pinot Gris. (Pinot Gris usually becomes more lax in structure at higher alcohol levels - not so here.) Most compellingly, there is a lightly tugging texture that seems to ricochet off the palate, providing almost delicate nudges of tannin in a flashing way. The flavors lean a touch exotic, not surprising for a Pinot Gris at 14%, but they are not cloyingly lush. Papaya, kumquat, mirabelle plum and a more restrained Poire Williams share center stage along with tree blossoms. This is delightful now but it has solid concentration to last and evolved well for several more years.
Drink: 2021-24 

91
Domaine Kirrenbourg 2018 Pinot Blanc 13%
High-toned on the nose, this wine has notes of honeysuckle, nectarine skin and peach pit. The attack offers a moderately mouthcoating glycerol that helps give this Pinot Blanc good weight and breadth. Lightly spicy, I have to wonder if this has Auxerrois? Bright acidity tightens up the back palate and gives the wine a lovely, mouthwatering quality. Pinot Blanc rarely manages this much vinosity, palate presence and refreshment all at once. This is Demeter-certified.
Drink: 2021-23 

91*
Domaine Philippe Sohler 2018 Riesling Heissenberg 13.5%
Shy at first, this wine develops nicely with aeration. Petrol and apricot skin fill the glass. On the palate, a persimmon-like flavor and its characteristic pithiness come through. Medium in body with bright acidic relief and a lingering, minerally finish with a hint of spice, this drinks well now. Its generous concentration suggests it will hold well through the mid-term and possibly longer.
Drink: 2021-25 

89
Domaine Karcher 2018 Pinot Gris 13%
Moderately aromatic but immediately explosively flavorful on the palate, this wine is a tour de force. Sappy and vinous with baking spice and some honey that suggests a touch of noble rot, this wine is layered with a complexity that lingers on the minerally, apricot- and nectarine-laden finish. Toothsome and moreish with discreet but well-placed acidic relief, this is a delightful glass on its own. Still, it will truly sparkle with triple cream cheeses.
Drink: 2021-24 

89
Wunsch et Mann 2018 Gewurztraminer Cuvée Saint Rémy 12.5%
Incredibly pure with a ferociously fresh nose of tree blooms, white peach and succulent persimmon, this is an aromatically hedonistic wine. The palate is generous in body yet lifted by well-placed acidity that is rather buoyant for Gewurztraminer. While very fruit-driven from the nose to the palate to the long finish, this has a strong strain of smoky, minerality, too. Deeply satisfying now, this has the legs to go some distance.
Drink: 2021-24 

88
Domaine Karcher 2018 Gewürztraminer 13%
Popping with oodles of tree blossoms, this wine smells like peak spring. The first impression balances nicely between its wildly-scented flavors and gently sweet attack. The acidity is moderate and the vivid flavors of pluot, nectarine and quince paste make for a dynamic profile. A terrific wine for sumputous cheeses or mahi-mahi with mango salsa.
Drink: 2021-23 

88*
Wunsch et Mann 2019 Pinot Blanc 12.5%
This wine shows a very helpful sweetness scale on the back label, which indicates this is a very dry wine. It exudes a delightful spiciness that suggests there might be Auxerrois in it. Pinot Blanc as a solo rarely has this much character. This is dappled with persimmon and sweet spice as well as a hint of pepper. Definitively vinous and modestly viscous, this is complex, minerally and lightly fusel with a modest finish. 
Drink: 2021-23  

87
Domaine Karcher 2019 Pinot Auxerrois Excellence 13%
I'm fascinated by Auxerrois, the second-most planted white grape variety after Riesling in Alsace. Moreover, Alsace has most of the world's Auxerrois vines. It's not really a member of the Pinot family (it is often called Pinot Auxerrois, like on this bottle's back label), but rather it is a descendant of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. It's not often to find it vinified alone, so this bottling offers a great chance to check out the variety in its pure form as a still wine.

This is spicy and moderately aromatic - more so than Pinot Gris, with good body and a firm, even tight, mouthfeel. The absence of notable glycerol seems to do a good job balancing out the moderate acidity. Modest in finish, this crisply dry wine nonetheless has compelling interest in the immediate term. 
Drink: 2021-22 

87
Domaine Karcher 2018 Riesling 12.5%
Bright and light, this relatively fresh Riesling shows light petrol and green apple notes on the nose. While pleasant overall and resolutely dry, it's light in complexity despite a solid, moderate body palate. The white peach focus with crushed rock minerality makes for a pleasant palate, even if the finish is markedly short.
Drink: 2021-23 

87
Wunsch et Mann 2019 Pinot Gris 13.5%
Also declared dry on the back label sweetness scale (incredibly helpful for consumers), this wine is more creamy - even oatmeal-y - on the palate, and much more about lees management (rising bread dough) than fruit character. A wine for lovers of classic Alsace styles, this tastes of yeast, bruised peach and wheat. Also, it's surprisingly evolved for such a young wine.
Drink: 2021-22 

86
Domaine Philippe Sohler 2018 Pinot Gris
This wine's moderately aromatic nose starts with gently spicy undertones buoyed by peach and green pear. Medium in body with a palate-sweeping coat of glycerol, the medium acidity gives the wine just enough support. A hint of phenolics comes through mid-palate and lingers into the moderate finish. Pleasant and resolutely Pinot Gris in flavor and texture, this drinks well now.
Drink: 2021-22 

Reds
92*
Domaine Kirrenbourg 2018 Pinot Noir Roche Grantitique 
Impressively deeply colored with generous, ripe forest fruits, this Pinot Noir is ready to seduce. Almost flamboyant with mulberries and black cherries, there is a resolute concentration of diverse flavors. There is a light, gamey undertone that makes this interesting, and there is an inticing crunchy texture, too. This fruit comes from granite soils in the Brand Grand Cru (though this must be called an Alsace AOC), and the vines are being converted into biodynamic viticulture. This is a fascinating and delicious wine. As it opened up over two days, it just kept getting better.
Drink: 2021-25 

90
Domaine Kirrenbourg 2018 Pinot Noir Cuvée Mathieu
In direct contrast to the Pinot Noir Roche Granitique, this offers a paler ruby color as well as a more perfumed and rather "pretty" style of Pinot Noir with floral overtones. Hailing from a smattering of Grand Cru terroirs, this is Demeter- and Ecocert-certified. Medium in body with lightly dusty tannins, the tangy acidity grabs for attention and gives the wine excellent drinkability. With no obvious new oak, the Damson plum, pomegranate and succulent strawberry flavors really shine. The medium finish is dappled with earthiness.
Drink: 2021-26