Description
Biodynamic. Previously known as Pinot Gris “Ste. Catherine”, this Pinot Gris is now named after its vineyard’s ancient cadastral name, Les Caracoles, which lies in the Schnackator lieu-dit below Altenbourg.
Schnackator translates as the “snails gate”, a name perhaps linked to the snail-shaped fossils that run through the vineyard’s limestone soils. It is just underneath the Altenbourg on clay and limestone and the vines are 40-50 years old. The Fallers note that this terroir offers relatively cool, slow maturing conditions with consistently high acid levels in the juice. Add in 2021’s low pH and the limestone soils, and the result is a pristine and uniquely tension-fuelled Alsatian Gris. So much plays out in the review below.
| Type | White Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal(s) | Pinot Gris/Grigio |
| Country | France |
| Region | Alsace |
| Brand | Domaine Weinbach |
| Vintage | 2021 |
Alsatian wine
Alsace is a unique wine region in North Eastern France, bordering Germany and having also been under German control for much of its existence. Due to this influence, unlike other French regions, wines from Alsace are mostly single varietal bottlings and are also labelled with the variety. They also are legally required to use a tall slimmer bottle called flûtes d’Alsace, that is also commonly seen with German wines.
Almost all the wine produced in the region is white (90%) except for Pinot Noir which is used mainly for sparkling wine. Alsace is most known for its Riesling, which is dry, fresh and floral in its youth but develops complex mineral and flint character with age. Following behind is Gewurztraminer with signature spice and beautiful lychee aromatics. The smell of this wine is intoxicating, it is used to make dry but also late harvest dessert wines. Pinot Gris is also a prized variety of the region with its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavours.
In Autumn humidity builds up to facilitate the development of “noble rot” to produce late-picked sweet wines. In Alsace there are two classifications for late harvest wines: Vendange Tardive (VT) and Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN). VT for regular late harvest wines and SGN meaning grapes affected by noble rot.
Other varieties grown here include Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Auxerrois, Chasselas and Sylvaner.
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