18% of total French still white AC wine production comes from Alsace, with Riesling being the most widely planted variety. There are 3 appellations: Alsace AC, Crémant d/Alsace and Alsace Grand Cru. Of these, the Grand Crus count for only 4% of total production and it is in this category that one finds the gems of Alsace and the most amazing VFM wines.

TWT’s latest tasting was of Alsace wines for a thriving local wine club. The centrepiece was 4 Riesling Grand Crus from the sites at Osterberg, Rosacker, Mambourg and Schlossberg. There are 51 Grand Cru sites and some producers believe there is not enough point of differentiation between many of the sites but our 4 examples scored very highly for complexity, depth and focus and enough variation to make each wine distinctive.