Kuentz-Bas Riesling 2023

This light, soft Riesling from Alcace is pale yellow, lemony and bright, with citrus, green apple and honey on the palate. Dry and refreshing, mineral and slightly floral. A wine for any season, any time of day.

Kuentz-Bas, a centuries-old, discreet, and unassuming estate, is capable of serious, grandiose wines. Yet what makes the domaine noteworthy is how they excel in the art of the “everyday wine.” Their starters’ range, including this Riesling, is always a terrific value, made from sustainably farmed fruit, with minimal-intervention cellar practices. This kind of classic, energetic, aromatic Riesling is the house specialty here.

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. 

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.