Phillippe Kubler Makes the Pinot Blanc (and Riesling) of My Dreams

by Cynthia Hurley

The Alsatian vineyards and villages

**The wine will arrive Jan 9th**

Wine Spectator rates the Alsace harvest in 2007 a straight A!

"After earning his oenology degree from Bordeaux, and a stage at Cloudy Bay, young Philippe Kubler - whom I did not have occasion to visit - took over at his family's domaine beginning with the 2004 vintage. Based on the several samples that reached me while in Alsace from his second harvest, this is a vigneron to watch." - David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate

Bob and I drove all over Alsace looking for a Pinot Blanc and a Riesling which were not too high in residual sugar. I don't know what's going on, but lots of growers are sweetening up their wines and I don't like it.

We finally sat down with Philippe Blanck of Domaine Blanck who makes legendary wines of the highest caliber in Alsace (unfortunately these are already spoken for in this country) and asked him to give us a recommendation for a great Alsatian winemaker who is not heavy with the sugar.

"Philippe Kubler is your man", Philippe Blanck says, and gets on the phone and says Bob and I will be there to taste the following morning. Of course, we fell absolutely head over heels with Kubler's wines. They were the best stuff we'd ever tasted in this part of France and we were rabid for an allocation.

Finally a Pinot Blanc with purity and a mouthful of flavor, we gushed! And a gorgeous Riesling, too! And don't forget, Alsatians are low in alcohol - no more of that 15-16% stuff. You can cheat more into your glass and still end up feeling on your game the next morning.

It took us six months to get our hands on Kubler's wines because he had an importing conflict. Needless to say, it was a great morning some months ago when we received an email saying he had severed his ties and was ready to work with us. Yes! We voyaged to Alsace as fast as we could and tasted again. We were even more smitten.

It goes without saying that I am enthusiastic about all of my wines. Why shouldn't I be? I hand-pick all of them, rejecting gallons of inferior juice, and serve them at my table just as you do, but, these Kubler Alsatian wines are so very special that I'm feeling even more ardent than usual.

The container has just docked and you have to try these wines! They are pure heaven. You will be "seduced by their freshness" (to borrow a phrase about Kubler's wine from La Revue du Vin de France). They have that pert acidity and floral dryness that sets these great Alsatian wines apart from their peers.

Let me tell you a little bit about Philippe Kubler. Estates can be very old in Alsace. The Kublers have been making wine since 1620. Amazing! The Domaine is made up of only 9 hectares (about 22 acres). The vineyards are spread around Soultzmatt - another of the pin neat, geraniumed villages of Alsace where you imagine while you slept someone must have been out cleaning and polishing.

Philippe, himself, is very accomplished. After getting his Masters in oenology from Bordeaux University, Philippe snagged a job making wine at Doisy Daene (one of my favorite Sauternes) with Denis Dubourdieu (one of Bordeaux's most famous winemakers). He then went on to Burgundy and worked with Colin Deleger making one of Burgundy's finest Chassagne Montrachets. In case he missed something about white winemaking, he finished up at Cloudy Bay in New Zealand. The man has credentials.

The Kubler terroir is very special. Each grape variety is planted according to the soil type which can be sandstone or limestone, limestone and sandstone combined or alluvium deposit. The vines are an average of 30 years old. The grapes are hand-picked. The wines are aged in Alsatian oak foudre (big oak casks) for 8 to ten months.

I am so glad I met Philippe Kubler. I had been looking for a great Pinot Blanc for a long time. The problem is they can be watery and insipid, just not flavorful enough. This Pinot Blanc is loaded with lemons and other fruits with some minerals and even some hints of spice on the finish.

Kubler's Riesling Breitenberg 2007 is a bit more structured than the Pinot Blanc with its peaches and citrus and spices. It is unctuous and deserves a wonderful fish dinner with perhaps even a creamy sauce. But, you know the great thing about Riesling is its perfect marriage with sushi.

If you love Alsatian wine, then this is your moment and if you don't know much about Alsatian wines, this could be the start of a beautiful partnership. Cynthia Hurley

Paul Kubler Pinot Blanc 2006 BN#257351 Not currently available.

Paul Kubler Breitenberg Riesling 2007 BN#257352 $27.99 On Sale $23.99 SKU02805