Luxembourg tasting notes

text and photographs © 2008 Tom Cannavan

These notes accompany our in-depth feature on Luxembourg.

Vinsmoselle

Poll-Fabaire Crémant 2003
Lovely golden colour and very small bubbles. Nice bready and buttery notes, with plenty of peachy fruit and little toasty richness. On the palate lovely breadth, with a fairly high dosage for a brut, but just adding depth and roundness to a full, creamy mid palate. Lovely acidity, with lemon adding plenty of zest and keeping the creamy mousse nice and crisp and racy. 89/100

Crémant Cuvee Brut
The basic wine of this top range Crémant label, one of Luxembourg's biggest sellers with 600000 bottles. Off-dry, but very nice quality, with a great purity of pear fruit cut by a pithy grapefruit acidity, and with a zesty, refreshing and racy character. 87/100

Art et Vin 20 Auxerrois 2005
Lovely limpid, soft peach down quality with succulent, apricot and gently mealy notes. The palate is delightful, with crisply defined character of stone fruits riven with a gentle orange and lemon zest acidity. Nice length and a long, pure, well-balanced finish. 88/100

Blanc de Pinot Noir 2006
Some soft, quite yeasty aromas with a touch of apple and a background suggestion of herbs. The palate is just off dry, with no distinct Pinot Noir character, but pleasant, easy fruit and very good balance of its easy-drinking style. 85/100

Art et Vin No 20 Pinot Gris Wellenstein 2005
Very sophisticated, alluring nose with honey and crushed almond notes and a fine, juicy, succulent quality with some fig and some notes of clove and spice. Mouth-filling fruit, with a pure, limpid quality that's just off dry with refined acidity and lovely balance that is tantalisingly pitched between fruit, sweetness and acidity. 88/100

Vendange Tardive Pinot Gris 2006
Luscious honey, fig and spice nose with nectarine fruit and lovely sense of richness. Concentrated, silky and beautiful fruit quality with terrific fruit and gorgeously long, spicy, orange marmalade fruit. Excellent quality. 91/100

Riesling Vin de Glace 2004
2004 was the most recent vintage when an icewine was possible. Laden with honey, and thick, juicy apricot. Lovely notes of tea and fig, with fine, thick juicy fruit on the palate reminiscent of apricot and Seville orange, but all lightened by shimmering lemon acidity. Delightful. 91/100

Caves Vinsmoselle
13 rue des Caves
L-5471 Wellenstein

return to profile of Vinsmoselle