2019 Paul Blanck Riesling

Paul Blanck

France / Alsace / Paul Blanck

The fruit comes from vineyards with sand and gravel soils around the village of Kientzheim.
The juice is extracted with infinite care in an air-bag press. The slow, gentle pressing avoids crushing the stalks and pips. The must starts fermenting of its own accord thanks to the natural yeast present in the juice, and the fermentation generally lasts from four to 10 weeks. It is carried out in stainless-steel vats equipped with temperature control, a medium which maximises the expression of this variety's aromas.

The nose shows intense floral aromas of citrus and peach blossom with lime, pineapple and a peppery note. It has impresssive intensity on the palate - almost opulently juicy with freshness and pulse to balance it. The finish goes on and on, with a nice touch of grip. 2019 is a particularly good rendition of this wine. - Ed Merrison, CellarHand

February, 2021

Gary Walsh

The Wine Front

91 points.

Pushing towards mango and pineapple, but not overt, also some honey and flowers. Offers a gently chalky texture in with citrus and tropical flavours – the taste is very pleasant – and there’s a slippery glide adding appeal. Good finish. A strong release in 2019, I think.

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About Paul Blanck

Blanck may be a new name for CellarHand but that’s certainly not the case in Alsace. It’s getting on for 200 years since the family established a wine business in Kientzheim. For the past 30 years, cousins Frédéric and Philippe Blanck have been in control, placing a sharp focus on the vines and the soil they grow in. The domaine has increased its holdings from 24 to 36 hectares, with five grands crus accounting for more than a third. Sometimes the brilliance of Alsace – its terroir and the spice, minerals, freshness and sweet fruit it delivers – gets overlooked by the wine-drinking world. There’s little chance of that happening with the Blancks around, and we’re very happy to be the ones to help them share it.

About

Along with his cousin, Philippe Blanck, Freddie took over the estate operation in 1985, with a mission to create wines of pure pleasure for winelovers the world over. From the word go they have worked tirelessly to respect the vines and soil upon which they are planted. As they put it, “We wish to share with everyone the force and diversity of the Alsace ; the richness of the grape varieties and the joie de vivre of its people.”