I have known the wines of Domaine Albert Mann for a long time, as they were a staple of the Oddbins range (well, the Oddbins 'Fine Wine' range at any rate). My over-riding memory was that theirs was the best dry Muscat wine I had ever encountered, and it certainly was, and very probably still is - despite my having tried a great many other examples since.
But the real thing, and I suspect that this is a more recent development, or perfection of the situation, is their red wines.
Alsace Pinot Noir has always been something of a novelty. For 'novelty' read - often - 'waste of grapes'. I have had examples that tasted like the water in which cabbage had been boiled, and sometimes without a great deal more colour either. But this tasting changed all that...
Pinot Noir Grand H 2013
This vineyard is located on the Wintzenheim parcel of the Grand Cru of Hengst. Pinot Noir cannot be Grand Cru in Alsace, hence the designation Grand H. Perhaps this would not compete with Grand Cru red Burgundy (although I have tasted several less inspiring wines from Clos de Vougeot, and even the odd Echezeaux), but in every other way it is the equal of Burgundy, except price. At around €40, it's a complete steal - if you can get any. Deeply coloured (for Pinot Noir certainly) with lively berry and cinnamon spice aromas and flavours, a silky texture and multi-layered finish. 18
Pinot Noir Les Saintes Claires 2013
From a small parcel at Sigolsheim, near an old monastery. The vines are just over 25 years old, and the wine spends sixteen months in oak, of which a fifth is new. It is as a result a more spiky and tannic wine with lots of spice and some woody characters to accompany its bright raspberry fruit. This would repay further keeping - which is not something that can often be said of red wine from Alsace. Around €50. 17.5
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Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg 2014
Pure granite soils at Kientzheim in this famous Grand Cru. Exquisite presentation of the mineral, salty edge that Riesling can convey. Crystalline acidity and depth of citrus and floral flavour. I seriously think that dry Alsace Riesling would be one of my desert island wines, and this is part of the reason why. Around €40. 18.5
Riesling Grand Cru Furstentum 2014
This is from very nearby the Schlossberg vineyard, also in Kientzheim, but the soils are calcareous and the wine is in consequence fully, richer and more candied in its fruit profile - crystallised grapefruit and even straw and fig like flavours abound. There is a hint of citrus salinity - like the edge of a margarita glass - which completes the complexity on the finish. About €35. 18
Riesling Rosenberg 2014
On limestone and clay soils, near the winery in Wettolsheim, the Rosenberg is richer still, and shows some definitive lees character as well as the slightly earthy nature of the wild yeasts used in its fermentation. There is a core of nectarine and lime fruit with a pith-like bitterness underscoring everything, and a fresh acidity to balance the richness. This is definitely a seafood-worthy Riesling and would go well with scallops or lobster. About €50. 17.5