We had 5 excellent tastings in Alsace on our Germany-South and Alsace Tour by ombiasy WineTours:
Domaine Marcel Deiss in Bergheim
Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Bergholtz, with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé
Domaine Schlumberger in Guebwiller
Domaine Hugel & Fils in Riquewhir, with Jean Frédéric Hugel
Maison Jülg in Seebach, with Peter Jülg
We started with Domaine Marcel Deiss in Bergheim. Sommelier Conseil Florian Mercandelli hosted us.
We had lunch at the famous Wistub du Sommelier in Bergheim.
Domaine Marcel Deiss
For old world standards this is a relatively new winery, founded after World War II, although the family Deiss has been involved in winemaking since they settled in Bergheim in 1744.
Today, they farm 26 vineyards in 9 different areas of Alsace, with around 10,000 cases of wine produced each vintage, according to biodynamic principles. The Marcel Deiss Domaine became certified by Ecocert and Demeter for making biodynamic and organic wines in 1998.
It is in recent years that the reputation of the estate has grown significantly under the direction of the husband and wife team Jean Michel and Clarisse Deiss. To them the grape varietal does not matter much, and logically most of their wines are field blends of different varietals – a highly unusual approach. While these blends are common in Alsace, Domaine Marcel Deiss is unusual in that it produces these wines from top vineyards, including Grand Cru designated sites. Jean Michel and Clarisse Deiss are assisted by their talented winemaker Marie-Hélène Cristofaro.
Using just one grape is like trying to write poetry with just one syllable. He believes that each grape in the field blend brings a different aspect of the terroir, different pieces to the puzzle. Each one a different color on the master’s canvas, though in many cases it is hard to tell who the master is- the vineyard or Marie-Hélène.
Starting with the vintage 2000, all premium wines of Domaine Marcel Deiss only show the vineyard name on the lable. Not putting the grape type on the label of Grand Crus was illegal until Deiss convinced the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine to change the law in 2005, against the wishes of many other prominent wine estates in Alsace.
Tasting
Appellation "Régionales"
2015 Domaine Marcel Deiss Alsace Blanc
Appellation "Village"
2015 Domaine Marcel Deiss Berckem
Appellation "Alsace"
2015 Domaine Marcel Deiss Riesling
Vins de Terroirs (Niveau 1er Cru - en cours de hierarchisation) issus de complantation
2014 Domaine Marcel Deiss Engelgarten
Domaine Marcel Deiss: Thus, the seal of Engelgarten is marked by the different grape varieties co-planted. A great dry, fat and mineral white wine, with a beautiful ample and bright bouquet where aromas of pear and cooked orange peel are wrapped in an intense minerality. Like all Gravel Terroir, Engelgarten present a warm feeling in the palate, the sweet notes of ripe white fruits and stringency at the end of palate evolving towards some mineral structure, tight and long-lasting. A wine can be easily paired with food just like all the other wines from the white gravel terroir.
2012 Domaine Marcel Deiss Rotenberg
2012 Domaine Marcel Deiss Schoffweg
2013 Domaine Marcel Deiss Schoffweg
2011 Domaine Marcel Deiss Gruenspiel
2012 Domaine Marcel Deiss Burg
Domaine Marcel Deiss: Our first vineyard in Bergheim, whose geological features (colorful Keuper marls with the rare intercalations of limestone) and climate (southern exposure, sheltered down by the valley) permits each year to obtain a powerful, complex and structured wine. A bottle can be long guarded, from “complantation” of all traditional cépages just like our ancient winemaking tradition during the past millennium.
Grands Crus issus de complantation, cépages traditionnels d'Alsace
2011 Domaine Marcel Deiss Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim
Jean-Michel Deiss: The production of this wine is a milestone in my life as a wine-grower and marks a break with the variety-over-terroir dominance under which the Alsace region has suffered so greatly for the past 100 years.
Domaine Marcel Deiss: The return to the ancient practice of vineyards co-planted with all traditional cepages and the return to the single vintage unsorted open the Pandora's box of "Grand Vin" from ALTENBERG: the Terroir becomes the conductor who inspires and controls all ranges of “performers” (rootstocks and cépages, along with all the conditions of the vintage and even the winemaker!). This approach is “The pure expression of Terroir, the balanced symphony of Grand Vin”.
2012 Domaine Marcel Deiss Grand Schoenenbourg
Domaine Marcel Deiss: The wines from Schoenenbourg express their undeniable ability of being aged to travel through time: rich, extraordinarily corpulent, far away from its norm: a peppery even smoky nose, a vertical structure hidden in the body, the mineral expression often hidden at a young age moves toward fossil flavor over time. Wines from Schoenenbourg have a great aging potential due to the high level residual sugar given by the always presented Noble Rot.
Schoenenbourg is one most the most veritable Grand Vin from Alsace.
Lunch at Wistub du Sommelier in Bergheim
After the tasting we walked over to the Wistub du Sommelier and had lunch there.
schiller-wine: All Postings (Published and Forthcoming): Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour (and Lunch) with Robert Schätzle, Owner/ Winemaker, Weingut Schloss Neuweier in Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
La Cucina della Passione and Weingut Schloss Neuweier Wines: Wine Pairing Lunch at Röttele’s Restaurant (1 Star Michelin) at Schloss Neuweier, with Owner and Winemaker Robert Schätzle, Weingut Schloss Neuweier - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
The Music of the A Cappella Ensemble "Männer und Tenöre" and the Wines of Weingut Aufricht, Lake Constance, Baden, with Manfred Aufricht - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
The Evolving Structure of the Wine Industry in Germany– The Case of the Lake Constance Region
Schloss Salem at Lake Constance in Germany: A Museum, a School and a Wine Estate
Visit of Schloss Salem, Kirche Birnau and Weingut Markgraf von Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
The Wines of the Markgräflerland (Baden): Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Löffler - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Stigler, Baden, with Andreas, Regina and Max Stigler - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at Restaurant Schwarzer Adler, 1 Star Michelin, Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Wine Taverns in Freiburg, Baden, Germany
The World Class Wines of Alsace
In the world class white wine region Alsace
Tasting at Domaine Marcel Deiss in Bergheim, Alsace
Lunch in Alsace: Wistub du Sommelier in Bergheim and Bistro L’Epicurien in Colmar
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Bergholtz, Alsace, with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Schlumberger in Guebwiller, Alsace
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Hugel & Fils in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Jean Frédéric Hugel
Dinner at the 1 Michelin Star Restaurant L’Achémille in Kaysersberg, with Owner/ Chef Jérome Jaegle
Wine Lunch at Weingut Jülg with Johannes Jülg– Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany
Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg
Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz in Siebeldingen, Pfalz – Germany-South by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz in Siebeldingen, Pfalz, with Valentin Rebholz and Stephanie Wagner
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Münzberg – Lothar Kesseler & Söhne in Landau-Godramstein, Pfalz, with Friedrich and Gunter Kesseler
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Rings in Freinsheim, Pfalz, with Andi Rings
Tasting at Weingut Krebs in Freinsheim, Pfalz, with Jürgen Krebs
Tasting at Sekthaus Raumland in Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen, with Heide-Rose and Volker Raumland
Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Philipp Wittmann and Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann at Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Cellar Tourvisit and Tasting at Weingut Gröbe in Westhofen, Rheinhessen, with Fritz Gröbe
Cellar Tour and Wine Pairing Lunch at Weingut Louis Guntrum in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, with Konstantin and Stephanie Guntrum