Andre Kientzler describes 2000 and 1999 as "two good vintages close in style, both with good concentration." He started picking in 2000 on September 14, the earliest start ever for this estate. But Kientzler is quick to point out that he always harvests on the early side, "to avoid having wines that are heavy. My wine will never be the winner among ten in a blind tasting, but it will be enjoyed at the dinner table." (Fruit of the Vine, New York, NY and Vin de Garde, Portland, OR)
2000 Andre Kientzler Muscat Kirchberg
Musky aromas of white flowers and lime. Offers a supple texture but only moderate flavor intensity. A bit blurry with alcohol.
2000 Andre Kientzler Pinot Blanc d'Alsace
Ripe aromas of peach, butter and spice. Soft and fairly rich but with slightly diffuse flavors and only modest complexity. Finishes dry and a bit lean.
2000 Andre Kientzler Auxerrois de Kirchberg
Honey, apricot and nuts on the nose; more complex and vibrant than the basic pinot. Sweet, fat and fairly full in the mouth; a real step up in flavor intensity. Lively suggestion of lime blossom. This will require a couple of years for its sweetness to be partly absorbed.
2000 Andre Kientzler Riesling
Pale green-tinged color. Reticent aromas of lime and white flowers. Juicy, leanish and quite dry; has brightness and some intensity but finishes a bit sour.
2000 Andre Kientzler Riesling Reserve Particuliere
Cool, brisk aromas of lime, mint and powdered stone. Distinctly denser and richer than the basic riesling, with a chewy, minerally texture missing in the earlier sample. Bright acids give this substantial wine lovely definition and cut. Finishes ripe and persistent.
2000 Andre Kientzler Riesling Osterberg
Green-tinged color. Lime, mandarin orange and powdered stone on the rather reserved nose. Densely packed and intensely flavored, with youthfully backward spice and mineral elements. Still quite closed in the mouth, and a bit aggressive on the aftertaste but there plenty of texture here. Currently holding about 6 g/l r.s.; Kientzler says this wine will be completely dry in three or four years. Fairly substantial riesling, with alcohol in the 13.5% range. In fact, this is unusually powerful, and a bit low in acid, for this bottling chez Kientzler.
2000 Andre Kientzler Riesling Geisberg
Aromatic nose of grapefruit, orange oil and white flowers. Dense but penetrating, with lively lime and mint flavors and lovely subtle persistence. This stylish wine seems distinctly less alcoholic than the Osterberg riesling today. Usually the Osterberg is higher in acidity, notes Kientzler, but not in 2000.
2000 Andre Kientzler Gewurztraminer
Cinnamon and rose petal aromas. Soft and easy in the mouth, with a supple texture and modest intensity. Slightly sweet gewurztraminer, finishing with modest grip and persistence.
2000 Andre Kientzler Gewurztraminer Reserve Particuliere
Subtle, complex aromas of citrus fruits and spices. Sweeter, fatter and denser than the basic bottling, with much more flavor intensity and palate presence. But then this is from fruit picked at VT weight. Quite convincing on the lingering back end.
2000 Andre Kientzler Gewurztraminer Selection de Grains Nobles
Pale yellow. Aromas of mirabelle, fresh pit fruits and grilled nuts. Moderately thick and chewy in the mouth, with the roughly 100 g/l r.s. buffered by sound acids and substantial alcohol. Strong flavor of yellow plum. Finishes long, sweet and spicy, with a distinct impression of tannins. This will be drinkable young but should certainly last a decade.
2000 Andre Kientzler Riesling Geisberg Selection de Grains Nobles
Pale yellow-gold color. Tangy marmalade, tangerine, apricot, honey and a hint of wood spice. Concentrated though not yet especially complex flavors of fruit cocktail and honey. Finishes with a slightly edgy quality.
2000 Andre Kientzler Tokay-Pinot Gris Kirchberg
Musky, herbal nose. Juicy, penetrating and slightly sweet; a shapely, fresh tokay with lovely fruit for early drinking. Not especially fat but offers a lovely balance of alcohol, acidity and sugar. Made with a nice light touch.
1999 Andre Kientzler Muscat Kirchberg
Penetrating aromas of lime, licorice and spice. Quite dry but with good density and palate presence; notes of lime, flowers and spices. Rather refined muscat, finishing dry and persistent. This could go well with food or be used as an aperitif.
1999 Andre Kientzler Riesling Osterberg
Complex aromas of lime, flowers, herbs and licorice. Dense but juicy; solid acids contribute to the impression of firm structure. Rather closed today, but Kientzler noted that in the early days this wine was more showy. Finishes with sneaky persistence. This and the Riesling Geisberg are carrying a modest four grams or so of residual sugar. Kientzler marginally prefers this wine to the 2000 version, but prefers the 2000 Geisberg to the earlier vintage "for its vivacity."
1999 Andre Kientzler Riesling Geisberg
Reticent charry, oily nose. Quite rich and powerful, but comes across as dryer today than the Osterberg and more dominated by its structure. Dense and chewy, with good punch and thrust. Finishes long, chewy and nearly bone-dry. This should ultimately merit a 90-plus rating, and should be an especially flexible riesling at the dinner table.
1999 Andre Kientzler Gewurztraminer Reserve Particuliere
Expressive aromas of yellow plum, smoked meat, clove and cinnamon. Fat, supple and spicy; plump in the middle. Finishes with a note of licorice and a tannic bite. But a bit less lively than the 2000 Reserve Particuliere.
1999 Andre Kientzler Tokay-Pinot Gris Reserve Particuliere
Honey, peach and butter aromas, complicated by floral and herbal nuances. Moderately sweet and plump, with sound acids and slightly elevated alcohol. In a rather easy style, but offers very attractive sweet fruit and avoids heaviness. Has backbone.
1999 Andre Kientzler Tokay-Pinot Gris Kirchberg
Reticent, complex aromas of peach syrup, yellow plum and honey, plus a suggestion of dried fruits. Smooth and suave but rather closed today; a rather understated, firmly structured tokay that comes across as less sweet today than the Reserve Particuliere. Builds nicely on the back end, which features subtle, sneaky fruit flavors.
1999 Andre Kientzler Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive
Exotic fruits, yellow plum and fresh fruit salad on the nose. Ripe and fat, with just enough acidity to frame the exotic fruit flavors. Lacks real nuance but finishes with good spicy persistence. The chalk element in this heavy clay soil gives this wine fresher acidity, as it does to the 2000 SGN, says Kientzler. I got a slight impression of heat.
