When I first started this wine journey more than a decade ago, I was drawn almost immediately to wine from Alsace.
In this cross-cultural region of eastern France, where political boundaries have changed hands repeatedly in modern history, wine producers tend to prefer a drier Riesling than the sweet styles made by their neighbors across the border in Germany. Their Pinot Gris in Alsace is generally more rounded and aromatic than the light-style, Italian Pinot Grigio – the result, in large part, of aging on the lees (spent yeast cells) and in neutral oak barrels rather than steel tanks.
In reality, Alsace wines are a mix of influences and a range of styles. But like wine regions around the world, Alsace is coping with global warming and a growing consumer preference for freshness and simplicity. Will this region be able to continue producing age-worthy Riesling from 51 Grand Cru? What will happen to Pinot Gris and the region’s other cool-climate whites and Pinot Noir, the only sanctioned red?
Hundreds of wine writers and bloggers spent three days, Feb. 27-March 1, exploring these and other questions with Alsace winemakers at the Millésimes Alsace DigiTasting® online conference. Those lucky enough to receive boxes were able to taste 2-oz. samples from four of each producer’s handpicked wines. Apparently, U.S. Customs caused havoc for some intended recipients.
For detailed background on this wine region, check out my “Alsace in a nutshell” paragraph in last year’s conference post. Please note that while samples were provided, opinions are my own.
To worry or not to worry
“We’re thinking of planting Syrah in 2025,” declares Pierre Mittnacht, noting the trend toward warmer vintages (with the exception of 2021) since he’s become a winemaker in 2017. “Some plots are too warm for the Riesling. In 20 years, the red will be not just Pinot Noir.”
Mittnacht and his parents work a small farm, about 27 acres of vines, in Hunawihr and Ribeauvillé in the southern Alsace. They practice organic and biodynamic agriculture. When the weather is warm, they pick 10 days after grapes ripen to retain acidity. In addition to producing AOC and Grand Cru wines, Mittnacht has some natural wines in his portfolio. When possible, he bottles without sulfur or other interventions.
I talked with others who are less concerned about the fickle weather that climate change can bring. When the earth dries ups, these Alsace winemakers rely on deep-rooted, well-draining vines to find water.
“We have a cold vintage. We have a hot vintage,” says Laure Adam, the 15th generation to continue her family’s winemaking legacy. Jean-Baptiste Adam is located in Ammerschwihr, a small village in southern Alsace consisting of 2,000 residents and “lots of vines.” Their vineyard has been certified biodynamic for the last 20 years.
“We don’t work the same every year,” Adam explains. “We adapt the applications to the vintage.”
Whether relying on deeply rooted vines to find water or an easterly exposure to shield vines from mid-day heat or a cooling wind coming down from the Vosges Mountains to the west – Alsace wine producers cite the region’s many advantages that help to mitigate the worst effects of a warming planet.
It’s 5 pm somewhere
As you might expect, I tasted a lot of Riesling during this conference. All the tastings were mornings on Pacific time, some as early as 8 am. Yikes! I did have coffee and a light breakfast beforehand. Because this was my second year attending this event, I knew the “hardships” I would have to endure.
I tasted racy Riesling with mineral notes, herbal and savory Riesling worthy of aging, and drier styles of Pinot Gris than I remember in the past.
Joseph Cattin is one of the largest producers in Alsace with over 150 acres of vineyards. I opened a tiny bottle of his 2020 Pinot Noir grown in southern Alsace in soil rich in iron. Aged 1 ½ years in 500-liter French barrels for “just a touch of wood,” this Pinot was light-bodied yet complex. His 2017 late-harvest, Botrytis-affected Gewürztraminer was sweet and savory at once. This wine can age 30 to 40 years. The 110 grams per liter of residual sugar (11%) protect the wine.
I was also blown away by the dry side of Gewürztraminer in Jean-Baptiste Adam’s 2020 Kaefferkopf Grand Cru blend (60% Gewurtz, 20% Riesling, 20% Pinot Gris). Macerated 10 days on the skins, this “orange” wine is fresh, smoky and spicy with a pleasant bitter note on the finish.
I’d be sad to see Pinot Noir disappear entirely from the Alsatian landscape. Véronique & Thomas Muré are sister and brother, 12th generation owners of a 70-acre, certified biodynamic vineyard in Rouffach in southern Alsace. They make an elegant 2020 Pinot Noir that accounts for more than 20% of their production. This fruity Pinot has a nose of ripe cherry and black cherry. The palate is herbal and not too tannic.
Domaine Barmés-Buecher’s 2020 Steingrubler Grand Cru Riesling is grown on clay, limestone and granite on east and south-facing slopes of their 45-acre biodynamic vineyard in Wettolsheim, a town of about 1,700 residents in southern Alsace. Aged on the lees for 16 months in old, 600-liter barrels, this wine is dry, savory and fresh with a note of salinity. It’s delicious!
In a couple of weeks, I’ll be writing more about some of the Alsace biodynamic wineries where women play key roles. Stay tuned!