Mambourg Grand Cru 2014 - Marcel Deiss

Mambourg 2014

Alsace - Grand Cru - Marcel Deiss

96+/100 Parker : Millésime d'exception

Maturity : 2020 - 2034

Reviewed by  Stephan Reinhardt; the 30th Jun 2017 :

"The 2014 Grand Cru Mambourg is deep, intense and concentrated on the smoky nose that gives more ripe and even tropical fruit aromas compared to the 2013. There are crushed-stone and concentrated-lemon aromas, along with herbal and crushed-stone flavors. The attack on the palate is quite racy and fresh, before the creaminess and richness take over. However, after minutes in the glass, the wine gains purity and complexity and develops a remarkable finesse. It is fresh and stony, but bigger than 2013, with broader shoulders and fine tannins that remind me almost of fine Pinot Noir. The finish is concentrated, firmly structured and very long. This is a big, really full-bodied and powerful Mambourg that needs some years to develop. It has great potential and is already tastable in the finish, leaner and fresher than the richness and density of the first sip let you think. The 2014 was picked on the first day of the harvest and not affected by drosophila."

A great early terroir

Dominating Sigolsheim, the Mambourg is the earliest slope of the vineyard. Stretching over nearly 1.3 km and covering 61.85 ha, facing due south on the hillside, the Mambourg dominates Sigolsheim. As early as 783, history reveals that the wines of Sigoltesberg (today's Mambourg) were renowned for their elegance, harmony and capacity for long cellaring. Numerous convents and lords owned it and gave it its letters of nobility.

Its particular geology, derived from the Oligocene limestones of the Quaternary period, gives the Mambourg a very rare characteristic, an ever-present tannic power, a smooth roundness of shape. The wines, always perfectly dry, are of course sometimes exaggeratedly powerful and extremely complex.

Mental Landscape": deep, clear wine without being luminous. Charged colours: brown, havana, milk chocolate. Evolves towards yellows, more fruit.

 Mouthfeel: Extremely concentrated wine, causing an impressive salivation, horizontal, tingling, very tanned, exalted by carbon dioxide. Then appears the acidity; major, powerful, very broad and tartaric, underlined by a chiselled, compact tannin. Very important vinosity: the attack is consistent, the vivacity important, the energy without limit, rasterized, built like a checkerboard.

Port or energy: A great table wine, tight, sovereign, calling great tables and noble poultry; fearing no one and especially not a Montrachet! An example of what should be the level of the Alsatian Grands Crus.

Idea of agreement

Fabulous agreements are possible with, among others, beautiful farm poultry (capon, chicken) in cream sauce, accompanied by mushrooms, sweetbreads and cheeses such as old comté cheese.

Grape varieties

Complex vineyard composed of the whole Pinot family: grey, butter, white and black.

Type

Great white wine for gastronomy: dry, spherical and full-bodied.

Guard

In service now and a potential 15 to 20 years.

Terroir

Rolled Oligocene limestone galés.

Service

Temperature between 10 and 12 degrees.

Serve in a Grand Cru glass