Elbling is unjustly – although historically founded – considered as a basis for sparkling wine. Nowadays, however, there are excellent wines which are considered to be very much in keeping with the times because of their low alcohol content. A modern Elbling from Luxembourg is a lively, crispy wine with aromas of citrus fruit, gooseberry, green apple and pomegranate.
Rivaner is used to produce popular consumer wines with a pleasant acid structure, which after maturation brings out fruit notes of apple, mirabelle plum, apricot, and peach as well as spicy overtones in the direction of nutmeg. These are wines for uncomplicated, day-to-day enjoyment, that are “simply good.”
Auxerrois is a rather rare cultivar, used to produce highly diverse, particularly gastronomic wines. Their style is rather mellow, the taste profile both fresh and fruity but also complex. The aromatic pallet ranges from melon, mirabelle, citrus fruit and floral notes, to exotic fruit, quince and notes of melting honey (particularly in top-level wines which are matured in oak barrels). They can evolve into long-keeping wine, reminiscent of a white Burgundy.
Pinot blanc is an important basic wine for Crémant, but also a racy, fruity still wine with a lively and playful acidity and fine minerality. It excels through fresh citrus aromas, white blossoms, notes of pineapple, pear and apple as well as a hint of almonds. If Pinot blanc is matured in oak barrels, the fruity notes shift to buttery, melting overtones.
Pinot gris is a very popular cultivar in Luxembourg, the cultivated acreage for which has doubled in the last 20 years. Because of their specific aromas, these wines are considered an ideal accompaniment for high-end gastronomy as well as hearty, traditional fair. They stand out for their fresh, pleasant acidity and nice minerality. Connoisseurs will discover notes of yellow flowers or pears, but also dried fruit as well as nutty, roasted aromas.
Riesling is probably the best known white wine cultivar. The Riesling from Luxembourg “breathes” the shell limestone soil on which the vines grow. They confer intense minerality, which seems less fruity than in wines that stem from slated soils, but are very complex and stimulating as a result. Riesling is ever so multi-facetted, whether as dry wine, late vintage or ice wine: The acidity is stimulating, the play of aromas complex (notes of citrus fruit, apple, apricot, quince, exotic fruit), plus an elegant minerality and spicy overtones. Riesling wines particularly reflect the terroir from which they stem.
Very sensitive to the qualities of its terroir, this wine presents a pleasant fruitiness. This rather sturdy Burgundian variety has only been introduced recently. Its medium-sized orbicular and jagged leaf is thick and slightly lobed. Its small sized cylindrical bunch is very compact and its grapes are small and spherical.
Gewürztraminer presents a multitude of aromas. Whether as a stimulating aperitif or exquisite accompaniment for a cheese platter: the intensive aromas of rose, lychee, peach, apricot, orange, grapefruit and honey, together with perfect harmony of sweetness and acidity, make for singularly delightful wines.
