2015 Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Blanc Kritt 750 ml

Robert Parker: “Conjures correspondingly distinctive and memorable sensations out of his vineyards and into the glass.”

If you’re searching the globe for precise and pure, rich and mineral white wines, you will find all roads lead to Alsace. One reason why: No other wine region boasts as many different soil types. From sandstone to schist, to granite, limestone, and volcanic — Alsace boasts 13 distinct soil types, more than any fine wine region on Earth.

There’s a bit of magic that takes place when the right grape finds the right soil in Alsace. Riesling thrives on granite, sandstone, and schist. Gewürztraminer is fantastic on limestone and volcanic soils. For Pinot Blanc — a grape with the flesh and weight of Chardonnay plus a stony, Riesling-like vibrance, the best of both worlds — you won’t find a better terroir than the village of Andlau, with its diverse soils. And you won’t find a better site than Marc Kreydenweiss’s Kritt Vineyard.

The soil at Kritt is gravelly limestone and clay with flecks of iron and quartz, which allows the Pinot Blanc to get fleshy and rich while retaining a solid balance with fresh acidity and mineral flavors. But even the greatest marriage of soil and grape would fall short in the hands of a run-of-the-mill winemaker.

Marc Kreydenweiss’s mastery in the vineyards has long been admired by peers and consumers alike. His family has been growing grapes in Alsace for three centuries, and Marc has been guiding the domaine since 1971. Marc introduced biodynamic cultivation at the domaine in 1989, and the soils have never been more alive. Biodynamics are the complex exchange between the biology of the soil and the vine that expresses the “terroirs” of the grapes. These vineyard practices produce exceptionally healthy grapes brimming with character. Marc’s wines are all essentially dry, with a high level of minerality due to their fantastic terroirs. The vinification is traditional in oak barrels that were new 80-100 years ago.

The 2015 Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Blanc Kritt has a clear, straw-green color, with deep aromas of yellow apple, Meyer lemon, and orange. Fleshy and energetic on the palate with a mouth-coating, creamy texture. The wine finishes on a salty lemon and mineral note that’s all freshness. Drink now to 2022.

For the first time ever, WineAccess is able to offer the greatest Pinot Blanc of Alsace to our members. We snatched 300 bottles away from the Michelin-starred sommeliers. Easily one of the most versatile chiseled whites we’ve had in some time — and only $21.99/bottle. We know there are more of our fellow lovers of the world’s great mineral whites among the WineAccess membership than we’ll be able to satisfy with just 300 bottles. Apologies in advance to the ones who miss out.