I read or heard somewhere that the million dollar nose Parker ignores Burgundy and rates Alsacian wines highly instead. A bit childish if you ask me. I don’t think he means the pinot noirs of this Rhineland region, but probably the whites. I have never tasted a particularly good Alsacian pinot noir; I find them thin and lacking the earthy complexity of Burgundian or even some Californian versions. Alas, this Lucien Freyermuth 2004 is no exception. A posh yellow label, nice long bottle, but no length in the finish. I am not being bitter either, it just doesn’t shape up. If anything, the wine itself has a bitter aftertaste.
A pretty flat D- rating for this, scraping a pass. I don’t remember if I had a hangover from it, it certainly didn’t fill me with that amorous feeling. Okay, I am willing to believe this was an off year, or not a great grower, so please if you know of a great Alsacian pinot noir, do tell us where and how.
