Domaine Albert Boxler is a small and hugely revered Alsace domaine in the picturesque village of Niedermorschwihr, just west of Colmar, expertly run by the talented Jean Boxler. Since taking over from his father in 1996, the wines have become even more precise and showcase some of the best wines in Alsace, from old and steep vineyards planted on complex soils. Tasting at the estate is breathtaking, overlooked by the granitic hillside slopes of the Grand Cru Sommerberg.
Order by midday on Wednesday 30th April 
The 2023 vintage was a challenging one as there was very little rain – a meagre 200mm from January to mid-October – nearly half what is typically expected. Old vines (with their deep roots) weren’t impacted to the same extent as the young vines which really struggled, leading to less canopy growth on the vine, resulting in small berries and an incredibly small yield of 20 hectolitres per hectare on average. 2023 ended up being the smallest harvest ever on the vineyard slopes as a result of the lack of water.
Jean made the decision to harvest the young vines separately and excluded them from his premium, single-vineyard and Grand Cru cuvées to make sure that they had the concentration and balance that you would expect from top, ageworthy wines. Jean Boxler said that despite these challenges, the wines show plenty of balance and finesse and with lots of salinity on the palate. Although it was a warm year, there were not the big heatwaves that some vintages have been affected by.
I have selected a mix of some of Jean’s most drinkable and exciting wines in this First Release. For the first time, we are offering his delicious Crémant that is a blend of pinot blanc, auxerrois and pinot noir as well as his pinot gris, pinot noir and Grand Cru Sommerberg riesling.
