This is not your average Crémant d’Alsace. Albert Boxler’s 2016 “Kirchtal” is made from 100% Pinot Blanc planted in 1969 in the Kirchberg lieu-dit, within the Brand Grand Cru vineyard. Because it is bottled as Crémant it cannot officially carry the Grand Cru designation, but the fruit comes from one of Boxler’s most important granitic terroirs. The wine is made in the traditional method, aged an extraordinary 112 months on the lees, riddled by hand and finished with an extremely low 2 g/L dosage. The result is much closer in ambition and complexity to serious grower Champagne than everyday Crémant. The extended lees aging gives the wine a beautifully refined, softened mousse while still retaining impressive freshness and energy. Expect ripe apple and pear, lemon zest, toasted brioche and almond, followed by Boxler’s signature smoky, crushed-granite minerality. There is real richness from the old-vine Pinot Blanc, but the 2 g/L dosage keeps everything dry, precise and focused, finishing long, saline and mineral. Dixon Burke of Kermit Lynch specifically highlights the combination of richness, freshness and the intense smoky mineral character of the Brand terroir.