Tales from the Wine Trail
Tasting Notes - Rolly Gassmann, Rorschwihr - June 2008
We began this year’s wine tour June 30 with a visit to Domaine Rolly Gassmann in the tiny village of Rorschwihr. Pierre Gassmann took us through a tasting of their current au cave list with a few additional bottles for export consideration. As always, this tasting was remarkably deep and interesting, featuring as many as ten bottlings of each of the important Alcasian varietals from the various sectionos (lieu dits) of their vineyards and in the vintages that they deem ready for market.
The Gassmanns recently completed purchase of about 12 hectares of vineyards adjacent to their holdings from a cousin who was retiring. This reunites family holdings in Rorshwhir and Rodern and brings their total estate to 45 hectares. One consequence of this is that they are now more interested in export and we hope to be able to make more of their wines available over the next little while – possibly through LCBO Vintages and/or Classics catalogue – we shall see.
Sylvaner Wiengarten 05 - nose of fruits and agrum, sweetish in the mouth, excellent finish** (currently in stock).
Sylvaner Wiengarten 06 - more fruit, less sweet in the mouth, more concentration, excellent length**.
Sylvaner Wiengarten 03 – complex white flowers (muguet/acacias) on nose with exotic fruit, rather wet and delicious, rich and long (reflects the vintage) very good length **** (will cost more).
Pinot Blanc 06 – 100% P.B from clay/chalky soil – delightful nose, light clean body, very good length.
Auxerrois 04 – agrum on nose, clean, well balanced with delightful fruit, very good length ***.
Auxerrois Rotliebel 04 – (high yields in this vintage so a touch less powerful than some, excellent acidity) – generous nose, lovely fruit in mouth, pure finish, very good length *
Auxerrois Moenchereben 02 – complex fruits on nose, lovely in the mouth, soft finish.
Auxerrois Moenchereben 00 - delightful nose, smooth fruit, excellent length, hint of rum on finish?
Riesling Réserve 04 - light petrol nose, bit tight and slightly bitter in the mouth, very good length. (a different cuve than what we have in stock in TO).
Riesling Pflarenzereben 99 - gorgeous nose, nervous complexity, excellent length***.
3Riesling Kappelweg 03 - rich nose/yellow flowers, follows in mouth, rich finish.
Riesling Kappelweg 02 – complex w/citrus and mineral, more structure, refined.
Riesling Kappelweg 99 – wax & yellow flowers on nose, excellent balance, bit of incense, rich, very good length.
Riesling Pflarenzereben 02 – stone/delicate flower nose, clean mineral structure, slightly bitter, excellent length**.
Riesling Silverberg VT 97 – petrol/limestone/acacia/wax on nose, dry clean in mouth, subtle, very very long.
Riesling Pflarenzereben VT 97 – flintstone & yellow flowers on nose, complex, very refreshing very, very long ***.
Riesling Rorschwihr Cuvée Yves VT 00 – delicate fruit/white flowers, seamless, candied without being sweet**.
Pinot Noir 06 - brunt nose, clean, still young but drinks very well.
Pinot Noir Rorschwihr 04 - smokey nose, burnt throughout, slightly bitter tannins on finish.
Pinot Noir Rorschwihr 05 – welcoming nose of fruit & bacon, full and bright, nicely structured, very good length*
Pinot Noir Rodern 00 – fresh and warm in the Gassmann cave but seemless blending of flavours from the smoky end of Pinot, excellent balance of weight, flavour and structure, very good length
Pinot Noir Rodern 02 - similar profile, currently more acid over fruit, will travel well, very good length.(next shipment)
Pinot Noir Rodern 05 - still young but great concentration. (take after 02?)
Pinot Noir Rodern 04 - vegital nose , big concentration, needs time.
Pinot Noir Reserve 03 – big, ripe, plush – tobacco and black fruits, concentrated, almost new world style, very refined aftertaste of cherries in eau-de-vie.
Muscat 05 - beautiful floral (lilly of the valley) nose, follows well with white fruits & lilac, sweetish, clean, very good length.
Muscat Moenchrebern 05 - more fruit, more spice, complex and structured, very good length.
Muscat Moenchrebern VT 97 – beautiful nose with wax, flowers, yellow fruits, gorgeous throughout.
Muscat Moenchrebern SGN 03 – big, delicious nosegay of white flowers and tropical fruit, wonderful fruit and almond flowers, concentrated, structure, delicate complex, still young and sweetish*****.
Pinot Gris 04 - toast and mineral nose, lovely full mouth, excellent wet finish, very good length. (in stock)
Pinot Gris Rotleibel 04 - sweet nose, closed, fairly sweet mouth, wet, soft finish.
Pinot Gris Brandhurst 04 - discrete but aromatic nose, very clean, not too sweet, clean finish, very good length.
Pinot Gris Réserve RG 04 - vegital nose, mineral, sweetish, toasty, butter-hazelnut, very good length.
Pinot Gris RG 00 – flowers, dry fruit on nose, excellent balance complex, less sweet, very good length.
Pinot Gris VT 01 - lovely nose, complex, excellent finish.
Pinot Gris Rotliebel VT - 97 - rich, deep, exotic flavours, excellent length, ****.
Pinot Gris Rorschwihr VT 00 – yellow aromatic dried or candied fruits, elegant, complex, structured, refined****.
Pinot Gris Brand SGN 03 - closed nose, huge fat sweet rich in mouth, candied exotic fruits (quince/pineapple).
Pinot Gris Rorschwihr SGN 03 - more open nose, more mineral, less candied, honey/hazelnut, more finesse.
(all the 2003’s are too young – wait).
Gewurztraminer 04 – Lovely nose of yellow fruits and spice, very rich and full, bit hot and sweet still. (in stock)
Gewurztraminer Oberer Weingarten 98 – butter and quince, fat & concentrated, bit soft to travel?
Gewurztraminer Rorschwihr 03 – Floral nose of almonds, white lilac, follows onto palate with white violets as well, very good length.
Gewurztraminer Stregreben 01 – more vegetal on the nose, lovely fruits on the palate with minerality and very good length.
Gewurztraminer Stregreben 99 – still sweet and fat, with all of the usual dried fruit flavours, very good length.
Gewurztraminer Kappelweg 01 – lovely fruits on the nose with spice and quince, long and full on the palate, honey and sweet fruits and the very, very long finish.
Gewurztraminer Rorschwihr VT 03 – lovely nose of anise/roses that follows onto the palate with plenty of fruit, excellent length showing spice and yellow/white flowers.
Gewurztraminer Haguenau 02 – shows very fruity (yellow and dried) flavours (quince) from nose to palate to finish.
Gewurztraminer Kappelweg VT 00 – fresh and fruity on nose and palate, less sweet than expectations (always the case with R-G VT & SGN).
Gewurztraminer Brandhurst SGN 01 – nose of yellow fruits with surprising freshness, very long and pleasant.
Gewurztraminer Brandhurst SGN 97 – waxy, yellow fruit nose with some petrol, exotic fruits with quince, big and fruity on the palate, good length.
Gewurztraminer Oberer Weingarten SGN 97 – simply lovely throughout featuring complex terroir with quince and yellow flowers, very good length.
Gewurztraminer Stregreben Cuvée Anne Marie SGN 94 – lovely nose of yellow fruits and flowers, huge fat fruits on the palate and finishes ver, very long with discrete spices and fruits.
Gewurztraminer SGN 89 – deep colour, complex nose of dried raisins, oranges and black truffles, sweet, complex fruits with spice and anise on the palate, excellent length.