PINOT GRIS (continued) MUSCAT GEWURZTRAMINER SYLVANER READ OUR ALSACE GUIDE THEWINESOCIETY.COM/HOWTOBUY

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1 PINOT GRIS (continued) Pinot Gris Grand Cru Eichberg, Kuentz-Bas Decadent, fabulously rich, fruity and multidimensional pinot gris from a house that has always made this grape a speciality. Outstanding. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 252 dozen Pinot Gris Jubilee, Hugel From the smallest crop since the war, this is a full-flavoured and weighty pinot gris that s rich and concentrated but finishes dry. The grapes come from Hugel s own vineyards including the grand cru Sporen. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 264 dozen Pinot Gris Sainte-Catherine, Domaine Weinbach An outstanding pinot gris from this top estate. Full-flavoured, rich and majestic. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 348 dozen Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal, Domaine Zind- Humbrecht Pinot gris in a more opulent style, which could have been declared a VT (vendage tardive). It is certainly in a late-harvest style, rich and multidimensional. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 348 dozen MUSCAT Encountering this quintessential Mediterranean variety in Alsace for the first time always comes as a surprise. Typically the wines are fragrant and delicate, lovely with fresh asparagus, shellfish and oriental cuisine. Here are two very contrasting examples. Muscat Réserve, Trimbach Delicate, dry Muscat is a rare speciality from Alsace, barely accounting for 2% of production. It makes a lovely fragrant aperitif and is a must with asparagus. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 150 dozen Muscat Grand Cru Saering, Dirler- Cadé Quite rich, full-flavoured and fat but with the delicacy of the muscat grape showing through. Serve it with asparagus in a hollandaise sauce or with steamed scallops and a sliver of ginger and coriander. A keeper % ref AS-AL bottle 234 dozen Chapel of St.Urban, Thann, Alsace 5 GEWURZTRAMINER There are just four gewurztraminers in this selection with Schlumberger the stand-out model for what the grape should be: spicy, creamy and succulent. Gewurztraminer Les Princes Abbés, Domaines Schlumberger Schlumberger are well known for their rich, creamy gewurz and the is quite delicious, full of fruit and aromatic spice. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 174 dozen Gewurztraminer Jubilee, Hugel Hugel have always enjoyed a reputation for their gewurztraminer from the exceptional plot of the grand cru Sporen vineyard. This gentle south-eastern slope seems unassuming but its heavy clays are ideal for producing gewurztraminers at their most splendid. The, with a touch of orange peel, is wonderful. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 252 dozen Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Hengst, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht There is great complexity of expression on the nose and the taste seems to linger for ages. The Hengst vineyard, which translates as stallion, is a real thoroughbred grand cru capable of making stunning wines and, with its rich, deep clays, especially good gewurz. There is sweetness but it s balanced by fine acidity. A great Alsace gewurztraminer to % ref AS-AL bottle 432 dozen Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Mambourg, Domaine Weinbach A quite extraordinary gewurztraminer of great power and concentration. Packed with rich Mirabelle-like fruit and finishing very long. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 474 dozen Hunawihr church, surrounded by vineyards SYLVANER This grape is in danger of dying out in Alsace yet it produces clean, refreshing and fullflavoured wines that go so well with food. The best site is the grand cru Zotzenberg vineyard in the north. Sylvaner Grand Cru Zotzenberg, Boeckel From the only grand cru sylvaner site, in the pretty village of Mittelbergheim in the north, this is a dry, characterful and full-flavoured white. Somewhat apple like in flavour. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 216 dozen READ OUR ALSACE GUIDE THEWINESOCIETY.COM/HOWTOBUY

2 MIXED CASES INTRODUCING ALSACE A six-bottle case containing a bottle of each of the following: ALSACE : PINOT GRIS A six-bottle case containing a bottle of each of the following: The Society s Vin d Alsace, Hugel Pinot Gris, Cave de Turckheim Riesling Tradition, Kuentz-Bas Pinot Blanc, Trimbach Pinot Blanc, Domaine Paul Ginglinger Gewürztraminer Princes Abbées, Schlumberger ref AS-MX15116 Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbés, Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Réserve, Trimbach Pinot Gris Tradition, Hugel Pinot Gris, Léon Beyer Pinot Gris Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Cuvée des Prélats, Domaine Ginglinger ref AS-MX15117 THE ALSACE MIXED DOZEN A 12-bottle case containing a bottle of each of the following: Sylvaner Grand Cru Zotzenberg, Boeckel The Society s Vin d Alsace, Hugel Muscat Réserve, Trimbach Gewurztraminer Les Princes Abbés, Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Blanc, Domaine Mochel Pinot Gris Tradition, Hugel Pinot Gris, Léon Beyer Riesling Tradition, Kuentz-Bas Pinot Blanc, Trimbach Auxerrois H Vieilles Vignes, Josmeyer Riesling Tradition, Hugel Pinot Noir Cuvée Les 7, Trimbach ref AS-MX15119 KEY See the April List for details on alcohol levels. - bone dry to intensely sweet Screwcap Synthetic closure 159 ALSACE : RIESLING A six-bottle case containing a bottle of each of the following: Riesling Les Ecaillers Leon Beyer Riesling Tradition, Hugel Riesling Thann, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Réserve, Trimbach Riesling Grand Cru Saering, Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Grand Cru Kirchberg, Domaine Louis Sipp ref AS-MX THE SOCIETY S PROMISE Uncork with confidence The Wine Society is a mutual organisation, so our members satisfaction is paramount. If, for any reason, you haven t enjoyed a wine we want to hear about it and will happily offer a credit, a replacement or a refund. thewinesociety.com/promise This offer is open until Sunday 19th July, 2015 while stocks last To order thewinesociety.com/alsace CHALLENGE 2014 WINE CLUB OF THE YEAR 6

3 ALSACE H I G H Q U A L I T Y, L O W Q U A N T I T Y DIAMOND-EDGED PRECISION, CONCENTRATION AND WONDERFUL RACY INTENSITY ALJUN14 thewinesociety.com/alsace

4 ALSACE SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED is an extraordinary Alsace vintage marked by wines with diamond-edged precision, great concentration of fruit and wonderful, racy intensity. This characterful fruit and attractive grip reminded me of the successful 2010 vintage. All varieties were successful. Rieslings, slower to ripen than most, took full advantage of the long growing season, building up concentration and flavour along the way. They were slow to ferment with one or two at Zind-Humbrecht still fermenting over a year later. Special mention must be made for all the members of the pinot family: is very much their vintage and this is reflected in the extensive offerings of both pinot blanc and pinot gris. The quality of the vineyard also played an important part in the vintage and the better sites, including the grands crus, where the grapes were able to ripen slowly and fully, were at an obvious advantage. THE WEATHER The vintage was characterised by periods of alternating dry and wet spells. Spring never really arrived as winter maintained its cold, wet grip well into May. As a result flowering was late, in some cases only finishing in July, and that meant a small crop, in some cases barely half of what it should have been. In fact, it was fortunate that the crop was so small because otherwise there was a danger that it wouldn t ripen. Good autumnal weather ensured it did. Eventually. Marcel Orford-Williams Society Buyer AN AWARD-WINNING RANGE We were delighted that in 2014 the IWC (International Wine Challenge) once again voted The Society s Alsace range the UK s finest, for the seventh consecutive year. We take great care each year to choose for members the cream of the crop and we hope that you take advantage of this selection of s. STOP PRESS: News in as we go to print is that Domaine Louis Sipp s Riesling Grand Cru Kirchberg has won the coveted Decanter World Wine Awards 2015 Regional Trophy for Alsace. Take advantage on page 4. Colette Faller (right) with her daughters Laurence (far left) and Catherine PEOPLE There was both sad and happy news to report this year. Sadly, we lost Colette Faller of Domaine Weinbach, and less than a year after her talented daughter Laurence was struck by heart failure. is Laurence s last vintage and wonderful it is too. In April of this year, three generations of the Hugel family came to Stevenage. For André Hugel, born in 1929 and still such an influence in Riquewihr, this was his first visit to The Wine Society. And, as if on purpose, just happens to be an outstanding Hugel vintage as well, the best since 2010! PINOT BLANC AND AUXERROIS 2 These are separate though related grape varieties which are mostly blended together and sold as pinot blanc. They blend well together with pinot blanc providing grip and auxerrois structure and body. A few producers like Josmeyer make a pure auxerrois with the best coming from very old vines. Pinot Blanc, Trimbach A great success in. Impeccable, crisp and elegant with a perfect sense of balance and made using approximately 70% auxerrois. Lovely on its own, with quiche or an onion tart. Now bottled under screw cap for added freshness. 12.5% ref AS-AL bottle 105 dozen Pinot Blanc, Domaine Paul Ginglinger This was new last year and the is even better than the delicious Lovely, fragrant, fruity pinot blanc, round and ripe tasting yet dry and refreshing. 12.5% ref AS-AL bottle 119 dozen Pinot Blanc, Domaine Mochel This is an absolute delight: light and fruity with perfect balance and at least as good as last year. Guillaume Mochel, whose estate is in the north near Strasbourg, is making some of the loveliest and most expressive wines in Alsace. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 131 dozen Auxerrois Rotliebel, Rolly-Gassmann Rolly-Gassmann, always so charming and passionate about everything they do, are unusual in Alsace because their wines are rarely dry; instead they prefer to counterbalance the sugar with fresh acidity. This auxerrois is fat and rich, and quite wonderful. It will keep well (to 2019) and with age will lose most of its sweetness. 12.5% ref AS-AL bottle 143 dozen Auxerrois H Vieilles Vignes, Josmeyer In style this falls somewhere between pinot blanc and pinot gris. A little understated at first, it gains in complexity with age becoming more pinot gris-like as it gets older. The H stands for Hengst, one of the greatest vineyards in Alsace. Try with belly of pork. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 240 dozen Magnum of Pinot Blanc, Domaine Weinbach Exquisite pinot blanc from one of Alsace s top estates. This has some richness, roundness and is perfectly balanced. Enjoy with quiche or Dover sole. Available only in magnums. 13% Low stock ref AS-AL magnum

5 BLENDS The Society s Vin d Alsace, Hugel This is dry Alsace white wine in a nutshell and the bestselling wine in our award-winning range. It is a clean, fruity white made not from one single grape variety, as is the case with most Alsace wines, but several. Sylvaner and pinot blanc provide the base with riesling, pinot gris and, in, a sizeable chunk of gewurztraminer. There is even a touch of muscat that brings a little more fragrance. This is a perfectly versatile wine loved by members and a perennial buyers favourite. 12.5% ref AS-AL bottle 102 dozen PINOT NOIR is a quite brilliant red wine vintage in Alsace. Pinot noir is an ancient grape variety, planted in Alsace even before riesling. Indeed, Alsace s early reputation was likely to have been based on the quality of the reds. Improved husbandry and lower yields have seen dramatic improvements in quality in recent years. Pinot Noir Cuvée Les 7, Trimbach Very ripe pinot, rich, full-flavoured, round and deeply attractive. This is made in the traditional Alsace way with ageing in large oak barrels and with no hint of oak. Delicious cherry fruit, ripe, soft with the sweetness one expects of good pinot. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 210 dozen Pinot Noir Côte de Rouffach, Muré Light, soft and fragrant pinot, ripe with a hint of cherries. Delicious. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 216 dozen Wine route near Riquewihr winding through vineyards Alsace landscape dominated by vineyards, hills and typical villages RIESLING Riesling is regarded as the top variety in Alsace and all the best slopes are reserved for it. It has a wonderful capacity to express its soil and terroir so is ideally suited to Alsace s complex geology. Wines from limestone soils, for instance, tend to be more reserved than those from granitic soil, which are more open. The s have wonderful precision and finesse. Riesling Tradition, Kuentz-Bas Lovely, dry and fruity riesling in an Alsace style, so perfect to go with food yet light enough to be enjoyed as an aperitif as well. 12.5% ref AS-AL bottle 114 dozen Riesling Réserve, Trimbach Trimbach recently expanded their vineyard holdings and as a result have much more to play with when constructing their blends. The Réserve is made from riesling grown close to the winery, some from Trimbach vines and some from family members and close associates. It is always a fine example of dry riesling and keeps well. The is long and mineral. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 174 dozen To order thewinesociety.com/alsace smartphone app Riesling Tradition, Hugel Hugel are on top form in the vintage with outstanding wines throughout, none more so than this riesling mostly from familyowned vines including some from the grand cru Schoenenbourg vineyard in Riquewihr. This is has real charm and perfect balance. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 192 dozen Riesling Grand Cru Saering, Domaines Schlumberger A very classy riesling indeed. Dry with lovely citrus fruit, long and fine. This can be enjoyed now but would be better still with a little more age. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 210 dozen Riesling Thann, Domaine Zind- Humbrecht A bone-dry riesling with a distinctive smoky, slatey taste made from younger vines from the grand cru Rangen vineyard. The expression of terroir is unmistakable. Fine and very long. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 228 dozen TO ORDER

6 Riesling Les Ecaillers, Leon Beyer Though never indicated on the label, the origins of this superb riesling is the grand cru Pfersigberg in Eguisheim. Dry, full-bodied with plenty of character and a fine aptitude for food matching. The is outstanding. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 264 dozen Riesling Jubilee, Hugel Hugel s top riesling comes from the heart of the grand cru Schoenenbourg vineyard. Fabulous and long in with great depth of flavour to % ref AS-AL bottle 264 dozen Riesling Grand Cru Kirchberg, Domaine Louis Sipp Decanter Awards 2015 Regional Trophy winner. Bone-dry, mineral, richly flavoured and very long. This comes from a top grand cru vineyard overlooking Ribeauvillé. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 276 dozen Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg Cuvée Sainte Cathérine, Domaine Weinbach From old vines grown in the middle of the Schlossberg slope, this has great concentration and length of flavour. Outstanding. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 450 dozen PINOT GRIS So many shades of pinot gris in an outstanding vintage for the grape. Alsace pinot gris is a creature quite apart from its Italian cousin, pinot grigio. Yields for the best wines are invariably low and the grapes are picked at optimum ripeness. The wines are full-bodied, rich and sometimes creamy. The best are dry and perfectly suited for accompanying many great dishes. Pinot Gris, Cave de Turckheim A very good introduction to this popular grape. Full-flavoured and rich without being too sweet or heavy. Enjoy with or without food. 13% ref AS-AL bottle 95 dozen Pinot Gris Cuvée des Prélats, Domaine Ginglinger Rich, full-flavoured gris with a little sweetness and great length of flavour. Try with mushroom-based dishes. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 143 dozen Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbés, Domaines Schlumberger Brilliant pinot gris, full and fat, from a producer that excelled in. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 143 dozen Sunshine on the vines, Alsace Pinot Gris Tradition, Hugel With hints of butter and toffee, this is a banker for the Alsace dry pinot gris style. A good alternative to chardonnay. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 150 dozen Pinot Gris Réserve, Trimbach This is a lovely elegant pinot gris, on the dry side, full-flavoured with hints of butter and without austerity. A wine to match macaroni cheese. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 155 dozen Pinot Gris, Léon Beyer Fully dry pinot gris is rare in Alsace but at Léon Beyer it is almost a matter of principle, and they do it extremely well. The is rich yet bone dry with a certain austerity which will soften with food. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 162 dozen Pinot Gris Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht In its class, one of the best pinot gris I tasted. Opulent and rich yet only just off dry and not heavy. With age, it will go drier. The perfect wine for my dream risotto. Now to % ref AS-AL bottle 228 dozen To order thewinesociety.com/alsace smartphone app 4