2012 Domaine Barmes-Buecher Gewürztraminer Rosenberg 750 ml

2016: What’s Hot? What’s Not? (92pt Delicacy and Elegance in Alsace)

What’s Hot? The 2014 Pinot Noir vintage on the coast, from Willamette Valley to the Sta. Rita Hills may well be the finest of the new millennium. These are wines of tremendous concentration, exquisite fruit purity, and surprising length, given all the opulence. Particularly in Oregon, where the harvest was bountiful and, as a result, prices are sensible, there will be bargains galore.

The 2014 Bordeaux are irregular based on our April barrel tastings. While some château turned out masterpieces that could well eclipse 2010, there are plenty of under-performers as well. Buyer beware.

Crisp whites are on fire, and almost all of the most mineral examples are grown in northern France. The winegrowers of Chablis, Sancerre, and the Côte de Beaune are coasting right through Europe’s economic meltdown. We expect this trend to continue in 2016, fueled by the American market and the continued strength of the USD.

What’s NOT? As much as mineral whites are in short supply, sweeter whites are struggling to find a home. To best understand the dilemma facing some of the greatest wine routes in France — Sauternes, Barsac, and Alsace — one need only pull up a chair at the dinner table in Wettolsheim at Domaine Barmès-Buecher.

“C’est fou (it’s crazy),” Sophie Barmès told us at the family’s kitchen table. “Maxime made 35 different wines in 2012. Six varieties. All got great reviews. The Rieslings, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner sold out before release. But the Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris? IMPOSSIBLE DE VENDRE — even when both taste like they’re DRY!”

In September 2011, Sophie’s father and one of our closest and oldest French friends, François Barmès, was killed instantly in a cycling accident. Maxime, François’ son, who had been working with his dad in the cellar and the vines since the age of 12, returned to Wettolsheim to join his sister and his mother. François was one of the most revered winegrowers in France. Hundreds came from far and wide to attend what we had expected to be a small funeral in Wettolsheim to rejoice in the life of a man who in many ways changed the face of the wines of Alsace.

We had visited Barmès-Buecher every summer since we first met in 1988. We enjoyed countless meals and marathon tastings. We exchanged ideas about the marketplace. We laughed. But as much as anything, we debated the merit of pushing the envelope on maturity. François believed that a vigneron’s work was to farm for high sugar and high acidity. While we appreciated François’s passion, we argued that the American market — and eventually, the world market — would turn its back on residual sugar. “As the reds get richer and more concentrated,” we suggested, “the whites must become drier and more mineral.”

François shook his head, but as it turned out, quietly and pensively, Maxime took it all in. Though he never said as much to his Dad, he shared our perspective.

In the superb 2012 vintage in Alsace, where the whites are wonderfully pure and juicy, Maxime Barmès crafted a Gewürztraminer “Rosenberg” that should serve as a torchbearer for the future the variety in Alsace. Picked a week before François would have likely harvested, the color is straw-gold. Pungent aromas of apple, pink grapefruit, orchard fruits, and fresh apricot. Rich, full, and broad on entry. Despite its weight, this is Gewürztraminer of uncommon delicacy and elegance, infused with spicy flavors, a dash of white pepper, tightly wound tropical fruits, and aromatic oils. The finish is electrifying — clean, pure, and long — with Riesling-like crispness and length. Drink now-2030.

How tough is it to sell one of the finest Alsatian Gewürztraminers of the fabulous 2012 vintage? $42 on release, and well worth every penny. Offered today in the U.S. ONLY on WineAccess for $20 — and YES, this is a MUST-CASE-BUY. Shipping included on 4.