Albert Boxler : Riesling Grand cru Sommerberg 2024

Tasting characteristics and advice for Albert Boxler’s Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg 2024

Tasting

Color

This Riesling displays a pale yellow hue with golden highlights, revealing brightness and clarity.

Nose

The nose reveals elegant, expressive aromas of lemon, grapefruit and white peach, accompanied by floral notes of white blossoms and honeysuckle. A pronounced minerality, characteristic of the granite terroir, completes this aromatic bouquet.

Palate

The attack is lively and taut, driven by precise, finely chiseled acidity that brings energy and vitality. The mid-palate shows lovely concentration with notes of ripe fruit, a saline edge and a piercing minerality reflecting the granite soils of Sommerberg. The finish lingers beautifully, remaining fresh and vibrant, with a subtle bitterness that extends the tasting experience.

Food and wine pairings

This Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg 2024 pairs perfectly with grilled fish, seafood, quality sushi and sashimi, as well as moules marinières. It also accompanies Asian dishes featuring seafood or vegetables with elegance, along with Alsatian specialties such as choucroute garnie, tarte flambée or coq au riesling. Aged goat cheeses and semi-aged Comté also make excellent pairings.

Serving and cellaring

The Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg 2024 can be enjoyed now and offers fine aging potential, allowing it to develop even greater complexity over the years.

A crystalline-precision Alsace Grand Cru Riesling by Albert Boxler

The estate

The Domaine Albert Boxler, whose winegrowing roots date back to 1672, was established in 1946 when Albert Boxler decided to market his wines in bottle. Located in Niedermorschwihr in Haut-Rhin, this family estate is now run by Jean Boxler, the founder’s grandson, who took the helm in 1996 alongside his wife, Sylvie. Recognized among France’s finest winemakers, Jean Boxler embraces a minimalist winemaking philosophy that favors the pure expression of terroir. The estate has practiced organic farming since 2003 and produces outstanding Rieslings primarily from the Grands Crus Sommerberg and Brand.

The vineyard

The Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg 2024 comes from plots on the steep slopes of the Grand Cru Sommerberg, at around a 45-degree incline, at altitudes between 300 and 400 meters. The vines, with an average age of 60 years, are rooted in extremely decomposed two-mica granite soils, creating sandy granitic arena rich in mineral elements. The south and southeast exposure of this terroir, literally translated as “hill of the sun,” promotes slow, extended ripening. The estate manages around four hectares within this Alsace Grand Cru, farmed by hand with deliberately limited yields between 30 and 35 hectoliters per hectare.

The vintage

The 2024 vintage in Alsace delivered excellent conditions, with grapes of great sanitary purity. The juices revealed fine balance, with beautiful aromatic intensity, freshness and well-present acidity, while showing remarkable elegance and finesse. The mineral imprint characteristic of Sommerberg’s granite soils expressed itself with particular clarity, giving the wines vibrancy and energy.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for the Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg 2024 are harvested exclusively by hand, then gently pressed for around six hours. Fermentation occurs naturally thanks to indigenous yeasts, in century-old foudres or stainless-steel tanks. The wine then rests on fine lees for an extended period, without stirring, in order to preserve its transparency and naturally develop aromatic complexity. Additional bottle aging of one to two years precedes release, allowing the components to integrate harmoniously.

Grape variety

100% Riesling