Sparr’s 2005 Pinot Gris Reserve smells of apple jelly, peach, and honey, suggesting sweetness as well as high ripeness in a way confirmed on the palate. There is more than enough fresh fruitedness here to keep a plush, honeyed, slightly sweet wine from becoming at all ponderous, although its otherwise satisfying finish betrays a hint of heat. (The corresponding Gewurztraminer stuck me as far too dominated by its residual sugar.)The enormous acreage controlled by the Sparr family – supplemented by purchased grapes, and since 2005 by the acquisition of Riquewihr’s Domaine Baumann as well – makes them among the commercially most important wineries in Alsace. Qualitatively, the extended selection of recent releases that I tasted here were a mixed bag, but only the best of them rose to the level of wholehearted recommendation. That number, incidentally, included several of the sparkling cuvees for which they are well known. The characteristic still wine here is soft, rich, slightly sweet, and often a bit loose and diffuse. Vintages 2004 and 2005 – with their frequent botryits component – are no doubt not the easiest for working in such a style.Importer: William Deutsch & Son Ltd., White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-9463
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