Website: www.vinsboxler.fr
We visited Domaine Justin Boxler with Charlotte Boxler, who now runs the domaine with her cousin Florent Wiss. They are based in Niedermorschwihr and have vines in Grand Cru Sommerberg (near the village) and also Pfoeller, Brand, and Wineck-Schlossberg.
Justin was the grandfather of Charlotte, and he was the first to bottle wines from the family vines in the late 1950s. He had 4 hectares of vineyard plus some animals. In the 1980s, her aunt and father decided to work together and bought some more vineyards. Her aunt’s son Florent now shares running the domaine with Charlotte, as Pierre, her father, has now retired. Florent likes being in the vines on a tractor, and they work together in the cellar.
We took a look around some of the vineyards close to Niedermorschwihr, which is yet another impossibly pretty Alsace village. They were looking good, even on a damp October afternoon.
The vineyard holdings are organically farmed, with 2022 marking their first certified vintage. The estate comprises 12 hectares of vines spread across various locations. These are very impressive wines. It’s challenging not being the famous Boxler (Albert Boxler, managed by Jean, is one of the region’s star names now: Justin and Albert were brothers), but these wines hold their own.
Justin Boxler Crémant d’Alsace Bulles de Pinots 2020 Alsace
Zero dosage, granitic soils. Includes Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and a touch of Pinot Gris. Disgorged in January 2023. Offers a linear and taut profile with cherry and lime fruit, showing considerable weight. Fruity and expressive with delightful flavor and a dry finish. Stylish. 91/100
Justin Boxler Pinot Auxerrois Empreintes 2022 Alsace
From granite soils. Fresh, supple, and lively with primary notes of pear, apple, and citrus fruit. Delicate and fine with nice weight. A subtle, delicate fruity wine with real appeal. 90/100
Justin Boxler Riesling Pfoeller 2022 Alsace
This Riesling comes from limestone soils. The vineyard spans different areas within the Pfoeller, totaling 1 ha, with the youngest vines planted 7 years ago. The wine is lively, bright, and mineral with pronounced citrus notes, complemented by stony detail and balanced lemon and pear fruit. Exhibits nice delicacy, freshness, and detailed purity with a hint of spice on the finish. Dry. 93/100
Justin Boxler Riesling Grand Cru Brand 2018 Alsace
Granitic soils, facing east, 30 Ares of Riesling. Stony, vivid, and mineral with nice pear and lemon fruit, with a savoury, stony edge to the fruit. Dry and expressive, showing a little development. 91/100
Justin Boxler Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg 2019 Alsace
Pink granitic soils. Stony, mineral, appley nose. Lively, bright, exotic but restrained palate. Shows apple, pear, and lime with a very stony mineral undercurrent and high acidity. Powerful but with lovely acidity and focus, showing mandarin, apple, and pear. Bold flavours here with a touch of waxiness on the finish. 93/100
They make two Pinot Noirs. In 2021 they lost 60% of their production because of the difficult vintage conditions.
Justin Boxler Pinot Noir Croisée des Chemins 2021 Alsace
From granite soils, just 12 hl/ha this year. All destemmed. Very fine, pure, mineral, and sappy with lovely detail. Shows red cherries and plums with nice texture and structure and good acidity, with a lovely mineral quality. Very expressive and pure, with subtle woody notes in the background. 93/100
Justin Boxler Pinot Gris Au Pied du Bari 2022 Alsace
From the foot of the Sommerberg, granitic soils. Bright and fruit-driven with mandarin, orange peel, and pear fruit, showing nice balance. It’s fruity and alert with some grapey richness hemmed in by nice acidity. 90/100
Justin Boxler Pinot Gris Grand Cru Sommerberg 2018 Alsace
This is rich and off-dry (40 g/l rs) with grapes, bacon, spice, apple, and pear, showing a hint of raisiny richness and a good balance between the richness and savoriness. Juicy and linear with nice depth. Old-school sweet Pinot Gris. Has balance and freshness along with sweetness. 91/100
Justin Boxler Gewurztraminer Pfoeller 2019 Alsace
Limestone soils. Some of this has since been grafted over to Riesling, because they had too much Gewurztraminer. Fresh and expressive but still clearly Gewurz with lychee, pear, and table grape, showing nice depth with fine spicy notes. Nice balance here with 32 g/l of residual sugar adding sweetness but the wine never gets flat or cloying. 92/100
Justin Boxler Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg 2018 Alsace
Granite soils. Powerful and intense with rich lychee and grape notes with a distinctive spiciness. Powerful, with a slight savory spiciness and rich bold fruit. This is a bold, intense, textured wine with lots of sweetness but good balance. Beautiful stuff. 94/100
Justin Boxler Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives 2020 Alsace
13% alcohol. 9th November during the second lockdown. 25 harvesters came and it was a beautiful day. Vines planted in 1965. Powerful, intense and pure with nice freshness as well as rich pear, apricot and lychee fruit. Concentrated and fine with amazing focus. Yellow plums, table grapes. This is so pure and fine, very sweet but brilliantly balanced. 95/100
Justin Boxler Selection de Grains Nobiles Pinot Gris 2017 Alsace
12.5% alcohol. 150 g/l residual sugar. Intense with high acidity countering the bold marmalade, spice and apricot fruit, as well as some table grape and raisin notes. Powerful and exotic with a savoury spicy edge. Sweet and sour, with some bitterness adding balance to the exotic fruit. Viscous and delicious. Immense, finishing long and sweet. 94/100