An expressive, beautifully poised Alsace Grand Cru Gewurztraminer from Turckheim's historic granite slopes, balancing exotic lychee and ginger spice with refreshing mineral cut.

Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Pours a brilliant, deep golden straw with bright amber glints. The nose is immediately captivating without being heavy-handed, opening with heady aromas of fresh lychee, rosewater, and Turkish delight, followed by notes of candied citrus peel, yellow peach, and warm ginger spice.

On the palate, it delivers the sumptuous texture and generous weight you expect from top-tier Alsace Gewurztraminer, yet remains remarkably upright and nimble. Rich mouthfuls of ripe apricot, pink grapefruit marmalade, and honeyed mango coat the tongue, tempered by a fine, flinty acidity derived from the granitic soils of the Brand slope. The finish is persistent, clean, and gently off-dry, leaving a lingering warmth of white pepper, cardamom, and subtle mineral freshness.

Food Pairings:

This wine has the depth and aromatic presence to handle big flavours that would swamp lighter whites. It is superb alongside:

1. Aromatic, warming curries: Think a Thai red duck curry, a fragrant Malaysian chicken rendang, or crispy pork belly served with ginger and plum glaze.

2. Pungent, washed-rind cheeses: An absolute classic with a ripe, creamy Munster, a wedge of Époisses, or a tangy Scottish blue like Lanark Blue served with plain oatcakes.

About the Producer

Established in 1955 in the walled medieval village of Turckheim, just west of Colmar, Cave de Turckheim is widely considered one of the finest and most respected wine cooperatives in France. Rather than churning out generic bulk wine, Turckheim operates on a collective model that treats its members' smallholdings with the care of an artisan family estate.

Harvesting across approximately 400 hectares tucked against the foothills of the Vosges Mountains, their team works closely with individual growers, enforcing strict grape sorting, parcel-by-parcel vinification, and progressive environmental stewardship. Their straightforward philosophy has never wavered: let Alsace's varied geological terroirs speak honestly in the glass while keeping the wines authentic, food-friendly, and accessible.

Vineyard & Winery

Viticulture & Terroir:

Fruit for this wine comes entirely from the fabled Grand Cru Brand, an amphitheatre-like hillside overlooking the town of Turckheim with south and south-east exposure. The name 'Brand' translates locally to 'burnt' or 'fire'—a nod both to an ancient Alsatian legend of a battle between the sun and a dragon, and to the site's uniquely baking, sunny microclimate.

The hill is composed of weathered Turckheim Two-Mica granite, a coarse, sandy, mica-rich rock that absorbs solar heat during the afternoon and radiates it gently back into the canopy at night. These poor, fast-draining granite soils naturally curb vine vigour and force root systems deep into the bedrock, providing the trademark Brand tension, balance, and crystalline mineral freshness that stops this opulent grape from becoming overly sweet or flabby.

Winemaking & Maturation:

The Gewurztraminer grapes were harvested by hand at peak aromatic maturity. The whole bunches underwent gentle, slow pneumatic pressing to extract clear, pristine juice without harsh phenolic bitterness. Fermentation took place at controlled cool temperatures in stainless steel vats to safeguard delicate floral aromatics and fruit purity.

The wine was subsequently aged on its fine lees in temperature-controlled tanks for several months, lending subtle textural depth and mouthfeel before being gently filtered and bottled under cork.