The Domaine Rolly-Gassmann came into existence in 1967 with the marriage of Marie-Thérèse Rolly and Louis Gassmann. But Domaine Rolly-Gassmann is by no means a newcomer in Alsatian viticulture. The Gassmanns can trace back their viticultural roots to 1611 and the Rolly family to 1676. Today the Domaine is managed by son Pierre Gassmann.
Domaine Rolly-Gassmann has 150 acres of vineyards which is quite big for an Alsatian family domaine. There are no Grand Cru sites in and around Rorschwihr but several excellent ”lieu-dit”. The style of the Rolly-Gassmann wines is opulent, lush, ripe, and very often with a fair bit of residual sugar. The Domaine’s philosophy is to wait for physiological and phenolic maturity in the fruit even with some botrytis. 10% of their production is Pinot Noir, and their Pinot Noir belongs to the best what Alsace has to offer.
Pierre Gassmann was our host.
We started with a tour of the winemaking facilities, followed by an exceptional portfolio tasting comprising 36 wines. Pierre Gassmann spent a lot of time explaining to us his biodynamic approach. A major extension project is underway and we had a chance to take a look at the construction side.
Barry Bros and Rudd on Domaine Rolly Gassmann
Barry Bros and Rudd: Located in Alsace’s Haut-Rhin village of Rorschwihr, near Ribeauvillé, lies the family domaine of Rolly-Gassmann, whose roots date back to 1661. The 51 hectare estate (40ha in Rorschwihr, 10ha in Bergheim) is owned and run by Marie-Therese (pictured right), Louis & their son Pierre Gassmann, along with a team of 17 workers.
They work to the principles of biodynamic viticulture yet curiously also apply weed killers. They produce on average 300,000 bottles per annum and they are notable for having more than four years’ stock (1 million bottles) in stock at any one time, which would account for the regular visits by French customers; they only export 20% of their annual production.
The 250ha commune of Rorschwihr, first noted for its wine in 742AD, lies on one of Alsace’s many faultlines (ala Burgundy), giving rise to a complex tapestry of 21 different soil types, particularly limestone, sandstone, granite and silt. So complex in fact that when the authorities sought to lump together vineyards to form large plots as part of the new Grand Cru system (1970s/80s), the villagers rose up and declared that either there would be 12 Rorschwihr Grand Crus or none at all. Hence today there are no Grand Crus in Rorschwihr.
That said there are some standout Crus/lieux-dits that would surely qualify as Premier Cru sites if ever this classification was tabled. Limestone rich vineyards Silberberg, Kappelweg & Pflaenzerreben are rated for their Rieslings , Rotleibel’s darker brown clay and silt soils are meant for Pinot Gris, while the oolithic white lime stone of Oberer Weingarten & Stegreben are perfect for the Gassmann’s Gewurztraminer.
Vinification takes place in large oak barrels and stainless-steel, giving wines of great elegance, gentleness and drinkability.
Tim Lembke of Cheap Wine Ratings: Rolly Gassmann - Amazing wines from Alsace
Tim Lembke of the Cheap Wine Ratings Blog and his wife participated in part of the tour, including the visit of Domaine Rolly-Gassmann. He wrote about it on his blog: Rolly Gassmann – Amazing wines from Alsace
Tim Lembke: It has been a few weeks since I’ve posted anything here, the reason being that I’ve been off traveling. Some of that travel has been for my day job, but some has been wine-related travel to Germany and Alsace, France. One of the producers I visited on that trip was Rolly Gassmann, in Rorschwihr, France, where we spent a couple hours tasting wines and talking with Pierre Gassmann, going through 39 of the wines they produce. Yes, 39 wines! They have a huge portfolio.
They produce some pinot noir, but most of their wines are whites like riesling, pinot blanc, muscat, pinot gris and gewurztraminer. And those whites were absolutely amazing. I would even say one of the wines, the Riesling de Rorschwihr, Selection de Grains Nobles, was hands down the best riesling I’ve ever tasted in my life. Although that one was 100 Euros per bottle, so a bit out of my price range. That said, they offer many other wines at very reasonable and affordable prices.
I found Pierre Gassmann to be an interesting producer as well. He applies biodynamic practices in his vineyards, although Rolly Gassmann isn’t certified as biodynamic. However, he is a founding member of Vignes Vivantes, an association of producers in Alsace who share knowledge of vineyard practices that preserve and strengthen the terroir.
Pierre Gassmann explained his biodynamic practices better than anyone I’ve heard before. The explanation of biodynamics often sounds like a blend of organic production, marketing and hocus pocus. But as Gassmann explained it, he’s trying to do things that make the vines strong, healthy and able to naturally defend themselves from pests and disease.
In one of his buildings he had skids covered with herbs drying that he uses to make “teas” for the vines. He also explained the technique of placing a cow horn filled with manure in the vineyards. I’ve heard about this before and it’s one of the practices that makes biodynamics sound like superstition, but Gassmann explained that the intent of this technique is to attract certain fungi to the horn in order to keep them off the vines.
He also talked extensively about the soil types in his vineyards and explained that there are over 20 different soil types in the region. Gassmann chooses which vines to plant in which parts of his vineyards based on the soil type. And then uses his experience and knowledge of those soils to guide his vineyard practices as well as the wine production. He knows that grapes from different soil types will require different time to ferment — for example, grapes from a limestone soil type will require longer to ferment than grapes from a granite soil type.
Another part of Gassmann’s approach that was interesting is he doesn’t try to make each vintage of his wines the same. Rather, he works with what the vines give him and make the wine as he thinks will be best each vintage. So a riesling from the same plot may result in wine that is sweeter one year and drier wine the next year.
Across the board, his wines were great — ranging from really, really good to absolutely mind blowing!
In terms of the bargains to be found, there wasn’t a single riesling, sylvaner, auxerrois, pinot gris or gewurztraminer I didn’t like. And several of them were under $20.
I struggled with their pinot noir, although to be fair I don’t know if that was due to the pinot noir or if my palate wasn’t ready for them. We started those right after an extensive riesling tasting and I felt as though my palate never adjusted to the pinot noir.
A few highlights from my tasting notes are:
2014 Moenchreben de Rorschwihr, Auxerrois
The nose is bright with herbal and lemon characteristics. The palate is quite bright from the acidity and delicious, offering rich citrus flavors. ~$17.00
2011 Silberberg de Rorschwihr, Riesling
Intensely floral on the nose with some passion fruit and slight petrol aromas. The texture is really rich, with a slight tingling feeling. Concentrated citrus and melon flavors. ~$19
2010 Pflaenzerreben de Rorschwihr, Riesling
Very aromatic, offering floral, citrus and mineral aromatics. Quite complex on the palate, with rich flint and citrus flavors. ~$25
If you’re ever traveling to Alsace I’d suggest arranging a visit to Rolly Gassmann — and stock up on their wines. They are in the process of building a new winery building, including a new tasting room.
They are imported to the US, so you may be able to find some of their wines here at boutique wine shops.
The Wines we Tasted
Sylvaner
Auxerois
Riesling
Pinot Noir
Muscat
Pinot Gris
Gewurtztraminer
Lunch at Restaurant L’Auberge Alsacienne in Châtenois
Following the massive tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann, we had a light Alsatian lunch at Restaurant L’Auberge Alsacienne in Châtenois.
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