Description

Information:

The Domaine Weinbach has been one of the most renowned estates in Alsace for many years, alongside Trimbach, Zind-Humbrecht, Albert Boxler, and Marcel Deiss...

Located at the foot of the magnificent Schlossberg hill (grand cru), the Weinbach estate was established in 1612 by the Capuchin monks. They named the surrounding 5 hectares the "Clos des Capucins." In 1898, the Faller family acquired the estate and over the years turned it into a jewel of the Alsatian wine landscape. Today, thanks to Colette Faller and her daughters Catherine and Laurence, the estate continues to shine.

The 30-hectare vineyards are spread across 4 Grand Cru parcels: Schlossberg, Furstentum, Mambourg, and Marckrain. The wines are vinified and aged following the noble Alsatian traditions, showcasing a wonderful purity of aromas, depth, structure, and incredible aging potential.

Les Vignes du Prêcheur (loosely translated the priest's vineyard) is a vineyard located just below the Grand Cru Kaefferkopf vineyard and has a sandy and clay terroir. It is a so-called "compklantation", meaning that several grape varieties grow on the same vineyard, which was very common also in Alsace in the old days and it is thus a tradition that Domaine Weinbach also pays tribute to. The 5 grapes in this wine are Riesling 40%, Auxerrois 30%, Pinot Gris 20%, Mucat 5% and Sylvaner 5%. The grapes are hand-harvested and the whole clusters are fermented with wild yeast in large, old "foudres", large 1200 litre oak barrels. It gives a very charming wine with a floral bouquet with hints of peach and apricot, a crisp and elegant wine with a good body that finishes with a touch of salt. All the grapes are hand-harvested, there is a 3-week period where the must and grape skins ferment together with wild yeast, then the wine is aged for 8 months in steel tanks without the addition of sulphites. This makes for an exciting wine with a bouquet hinting at grapefruit and rose petals, an elegant, medium-bodied wine with a fine structure of acidity and soft tannins. Finishes well with a touch of minerality.

Wine making:

In organic and biodynamic conversion
Short pruning to preserve low yields. Manual harvest at optimum maturity to intensify the aromatic expression and structure of the wines. Gentle and slow pressing of whole bunches, in pneumatic presses, fermentation by indigenous yeasts in old oak tuns.


Description:

Nose: Reveals seductive aromas of white flowers, with notes of peach and apricot. 

Taste: Offers a sensation that is both ample and light in the mouth, a generous width on an elegant and lively acid frame. A persistent and slightly saline finish.