Clear Libations

Until the closure of Distillerie Gilbert Holl at the beginning of 2020, Metté was one of three prominent eaux-de-vie producers in Ribeauvillé, the other now remaining being Windholtz. This one is bottled at the minimum required strength for the bottle to claim "appellation réglementée" (now AOC, as mentioned). On their website, they state the eau de vie is aged for at least a year in stainless steel.

Nose Fairly fragrant with freshly peeled lychees, bergamot and a little marzipan, a nose that is on the softer and rounder side of things. Orange wine gums, cut flowers, a touch of lemon scented cleaning product. A little water doesn't change much.

Palate Arrives quite gently before gripping on a strongly bitter, grassy note which develops into citrus cleaner, lychee, bergamot peel, becoming even more bitter as it develops. Finish is long with orange boiled sweets and bitter herbs. Water isn't very beneficial.

Comments A very pleasant nose, the palate presents a challenging bitterness but lots of pleasant floral and fruit notes.

Price around €48 per 50cl.

Score^?6/10

A prominent wine producer in the region. Even top wine producers don't always turn out the best distillate. Here, the label notes wood fired stills and ten years of aging (in steel or glass), which is a good sign, along with the healthy ABV.

Nose Very aromatic, bursting with lychee, battenburg, lemon juice, some bright green herbaceous notes. There is a distinctly savoury, saline note here, prominent next to the Metté: anchovies, soy sauce and celery, cherry tomatoes.

Palate Arrives with a punch - big, floral and fruity. Bags of lychee, some earth, old books, lemon zest. Develops on earl grey tea and cut flowers. Long finish, slightly citric, tea tannins, orange boiled sweets but also lychee continuing, nice balance. It takes a little water without much change.

Comments A less friendly nose than the Metté but the complexity is welcome, and the palate presents more balance. That combined with the edge on pricing mean this deserves a plus in the score.

Price around €49 per 70cl.

Score^?6+/10

A lauded winery whose 1976 vintage MdG caused a stir recently amongst spirits enthusiasts. Here we have a couple of much younger offerings that have been aged somewhat unusually in ash, a relatively "neutral" wood. First up the 2000 vintage. Colour is white wine vinegar.

Nose Big but closed at strength: panettone, slightly vegetal (cabbage), potpourri, lemon peel. With water it opens up, adding lychee, raisins, a touch of burning rubber. Later, lemon bonbons are out in force, sour cherries, gingerbread, lemongrass. Again, a savoury, saline side here – celery and one anchovy.

Palate Very big at strength, leading with a intoxicatingly bitter, citric, herbal, floral assault. With substantial water it remains very big: concentrated, earthy, citric, it develops very perfumed (rose water), lychee, potpourri. Rather astringent overall. The finish is very long, remaining very floral, distant burning rubber but without much development.

Comments Extreme, almost rebarbatively rustic. Impressive, but hard to love. Revisit in 2080.

Price Unknown

Score^?7/10

This one is actually over the 68.5% threshold for the AOC. This spirit at this strength is not for the faint-hearted. A touch darker colour than the 2000.

Nose Again – intense, concentrated but rather closed at strength: varnish, raisins, lemons, gingerbread. With water, lychees are out in force, that touch of rubber again, lemongrass, potpourri. Just a hair richer and rounder than the 2000, but broadly very similar.

Palate At strength, it's overwhelmingly intense. With a good measure of water, remains like a wall. Very perfumed, rose water, lychee, rowanberries, foliage, perfumed woods. Again rather astringent, earthy, citrus sour. Finish is endless: floral, bitter lychee. Again, very similar to the 2000, probably indistinguishable blind.

Comments As above, very impressive, but a bit monolithic. Should round off in glass over the next century?

Price Unknown

Score^?7/10