Gustave Lorentz, Alsace AOC (France) Riesling 2016

 I opened this wine and tasted it alongside this house’s 2017 Grand Cru Kanzlerberg (as well as three other Lorentz Rieslings) for a long and very pleasant evening, and then again over several subsequent days while they were refrigerated but unsealed.  Although I did not admire the overtly sweet Burg” 2017 bottling, all of the others were exceptionally fine in their individuated ways.  The Battle of the Grands Crus ended up in a dead heat, though the wines are utterly different.  This release from the beautiful and formidable Altenberg de Bergheim vineyard is very rich and quite dramatic, with lots of palate weight as well as very expressive aromatics with a pleasant undertone of botrytis that fits nicely with the ripe profile of the fruit.  This is certainly the fleshpot of the two, with the 2017 Kanzlerberg showing a much more cool, reserved, mineral character.  The fact that this house could turn out two beauties with such different profiles is impressive.