Kuentz-Bas Alsace Blanc 2022

Another gem from Kermit Lynch wines, the Kuentz-Bas Alsace Blanc 2021 is a blend of 65% Pinot Blanc, 15% Dry Muscat, 14% Riesling, 6% Gewurztraminer. Vinified just barely off-dry, it has a heady perfume with gorgeous flowers and spices and peaches. A very happy, day-brightening kind of white wine. We tasted and loved this with Asian fusion cuisine at RICE in Asbury Park. The estate owns 10 hectares of vineyards that are certified biodynamic and 6 hectares are organic, with vines ranging in age from 25 to 45 years. The total production comes from 30 hectares on the steep slopes in and around the village of Husseren-les-Châteaux. All grapes are hand-harvested. 

Maison Kuentz-Bas was first established by the Kuentz family in 1795, and the domaine as we know it today was forged through a marriage that joined the Kuentz and Bas families in 1895. Nestled in the town of Husseren-les-Châteaux, it sits at one of the highest points in Alsace, and the vineyards stretch out from the village over an area of ten hectares. More than two hundred years of tradition and vineyard pedigree have made these wines perennial favorites, with the grand crus of Eichberg and Pfersigberg earning the highest esteem. However, when the family sold the property to famed vigneron Jean-Baptiste Adam in 2004, many wondered what direction the new team would take. Adam, like the estate’s former owners, has a reputation for being an advocate of Alsatian terroir, and he is the fourteenth generation to continue a family winemaking tradition that began as early as 1614. Eager to restore Kuentz-Bas to its former glory, Adam lowered yields significantly and reverted to natural methods, following organic and biodynamic approaches to vineyard work. 

Meticulous attention to detail is the defining characteristic of both the viticulture and the vinification at Maison Kuentz-Bas. Winemaker Olivier Raffin, who took over direction of the cellar after Samuel Tottoli’s departure in 2017, puts a strong emphasis on both terroir and accessibility. The wines are divided into two tiers: Tradition, a fresher collection focusing on fruit character, fermented and aged on the lees in oak foudre for 6-8 months and Trois Châteaux, from the domaine’s finest vineyards. The Trois Châteaux wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel tank, then bottled and held for a year before release. Raffin embraces hard work in the vineyards and minimal work in the cellar. Reduced doses of sulfur allow for a greater expression of fruit, and a drier fermentation yields crisp, mineral-laden wines with less residual sugar. The wines are therefore more open than ever while still reflecting the unmistakable character of the vineyards that clients have come to expect from the Maison Kuentz-Bas. Alsace’s noble terroir shines through like never before in the domaine’s wines, making these among the greatest white wine values to be found.