This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for Dry White Alsace over £15 went to Cave de Turckheim, Riesling, Grand Cru Brand 2010 (13%)
Tasted against:
- Cave de Ribeauvillé, Riesling Vieilles Vignes 2013
Profile:
Although this co-operative was formed in 1955, the members already had a deep understanding of the land – fully aware of the particular characteristics of their Alsatian vineyards and how to fine-tune them. Today, with winemaker and Turckheim-born Michel Lihrmann overseeing operations, the co-op turns out an impressive nine million bottles a year, although only 18,000 are this Trophy winner.
Cave de Turckheim has always been keen to respect and continue the traditional dry style of Alsace wine, and with its grand cru wines the aim is to truly reflect each cru’s soil and to be concentrated and wonderfully balanced – something it has clearly achieved here.
All of Cave de Turckheim’s grand cru wines are blind-tasted before bottling to confirm that the standard is what should be expected from this highest quality level. If it is, then the wine is duly bottled and aged before release; if not then it is declassified and blended with a ‘standard’ wine (as was the case for most of the co-op’s grand cru wines in the challenging 2006 vintage).
One of the more famous grand crus in Alsace, Brand is just behind the village of Turckheim. Its south/southeast-facing granite slopes receive an abundance of sunshine; indeed a local legend says that a battle once took place here between the sun and a dragon.
Written by Decanter
