Kubler’s foudre-raised 2009 Pinot Gris K displays sweetly-esterous high toned aromas and a lush, polished palate of brown spice-tinged nut oils and ripe pear, falling away just a bit in the finish. The 14.3% alcohol fortunately supplies volume and gloss but no heat or roughness. Given how forward and soft this is – not to mention its abundance of volatile elements – plan on enjoying it over the next couple of years. Philippe Kubler is among the few Alsace growers I met to have elected – quite reasonably in my opinion – to market some of his 2009s ahead of (and others concurrent with) the corresponding 2008s. He notes that “the styles are dramatically different, and the 2008s deserve a year or longer in the bottle whereas the 2009s are ready to drink.” That said, I suspect that save for the V.T.s among them, Kubler’s 2008s aren’t really built for long aging.Importers include Chateau St. Martin, Bellevue, WA; tel. (425) 462 1717 and Wine Symphony, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 226-8283

Toasted almond, cinnamon, and nutmeg join ripe peach in the nose of Kubler’s 2008 Pinot Gris K and on a creamy palate significantly marked by its component of lactic acid. Hints of caramel and slight sweetness enhance the rather confectionary aura projected, though more vintage-typical saliva-inducing salinity and alkaline notes as well as Pinot Gris-typical pungency serve for counterpoint. Plan to enjoy this over the next 4-5 years. Philippe Kubler is among the few Alsace growers I met to have elected – quite reasonably in my opinion – to market some of his 2009s ahead of (and others concurrent with) the corresponding 2008s. He notes that “the styles are dramatically different, and the 2008s deserve a year or longer in the bottle whereas the 2009s are ready to drink.” That said, I suspect that save for the V.T.s among them, Kubler’s 2008s aren’t really built for long aging.Importers include Chateau St. Martin, Bellevue, WA; tel. (425) 462 1717 and Wine Symphony, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 226-8283

Peach and fig on the nose of Kubler’s 2007 Pinot Gris K carry onto a creamy palate accompanied by hints of lanolin and spice from a mixture of large cask and barrique, as well as by sufficient fresh fruit to stimulate thoughts of the next sip. Young Philippe Kubler returned to his family’s estate in 2004 after diverse and impressive international experience and is conscientiously working to pull this domaine into the vanguard of its region. It should be noted that the initial “K” in several Kubler bottlings is merely a way of designating his basic range of bottlings.Importers include Chateau St. Martin, Bellevue, WA; tel. (425) 462 1717 and Wine Symphony, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 226-8283

Kubler’s 2006 Pinot Gris K offers greater complexity than its 2007 counterpart, although its scents of mushroom, sweat, and meatiness will not be everyone’s idea of delight. Texturally, this is creamy and rich, and there is a suggestion of ripe peach as well. This genuinely dry Pinot Gris should prove useful over the next 12-18 months. Young Philippe Kubler returned to his family’s estate in 2004 after diverse and impressive international experience and is conscientiously working to pull this domaine into the vanguard of its region. It should be noted that the initial “K” in several Kubler bottlings is merely a way of designating his basic range of bottlings.Importers include Chateau St. Martin, Bellevue, WA; tel. (425) 462 1717 and Wine Symphony, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 226-8283

The 2005 Pinot Gris K (“K” merely standing for the family name, although a Sylvaner from the Zinnkoepfle – which I unfortunately did not taste – is labeled “Z”) is another Kubler wine uncompromisingly dry (at three grams residual sugar), truly ripe in flavor, and yet moderate (at 13.8%) in alcohol. Peach and quince preserves with overtones of litchi and wood smoke in the nose lead to a rich yet pungently mineral as well as smoky palate, and a satisfyingly saline and smoky length. After earning his oenology degree from Bordeaux, and a stage at Cloudy Bay, young Philippe Kluber – whom I did not have occasion to visit – took over at his family’s domaine beginning with the 2004 vintage. Based on the several samples that reached me while in Alsace from his second harvest, this is a vigneron to watch.Importer: Chateau St. Martin, Bellevue, WA; tel. (425) 462 1717