On our first day in Alsace, we visited 2 winemakers: Domaine Pfister and Domaine Rémy Gresser.
As for the former, see here: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
The visit of Domaine Rémy Gresser was a tasting led by Rémy Gresser and focussing on the 3 grand cru vineyards of Domaine Rémy Gresser: Wiebelsberg is the largest grand cru, and its sandstone gives very floral, lively Rieslings. Moenchberg, on granite and fossil limestone, produces succulent wines. And Kastelberg, a unique terroir on Steige schist, produces some of Alsace’s most exciting wines, loaded with minerality.
Martine’s Wines is the exclusive importer for Rémy Gresser in all of the United States.
Two weeks after the visit with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, we met Rémy Gresser again in St. Martin/ Pfalz. See: Véritable - a very Special Wine Trade Fair - 2019 in St. Martin, Pfalz, Germany
Domaine Rémy Gresser/ Martine's Wines
Rémy Gresser’s imposing appearance and deep voice belie his gentle demeanor, which is wholly evident in his delicate wines. Representing a long line of winemakers in the village of Andlau in the Bas-Rhin, Domaine Rémy Gresser dates back to 1520, beginning with Thibault Gresser, a viticulturist and appointed provost of Andlau.Today, Rémy oversees 35.5 acres with extremely complex geology. He produces exciting wines of great purity and expression due to the soil from which they come. His three Grands Crus, for example, are very different in style. Wiebelsberg is the largest Grand Cru, and its sandstone gives very floral, lively Rieslings. Moenchberg, on granite and fossil limestone, produces succulent wines. And Kastelberg, a unique terroir on Steige schist, produces some of Alsace’s most exciting wines, loaded with minerality. His other crus are Brandhof (limestone), Duttenberg (clay-marne) and Kritt (gravelly soil).
A biodynamic grower with a wealth of knowledge about Alsatian wines, Rémy creates his wines in a dry style, making them very versatile and perfect companions to both spicy recipes and meatier fares.
Domaine Rémy Gresser
www.alsace-wine.net
A tasting at Rémy Gresser begins with that you get a map of Andlau with the domaines' vineyards and their geology. Because Andlau is perhaps the village with the most complex and varied geology of all 119 wine villages of Alsace, and Rémy Gresser allows the terroir to be expressed in an exemplary manner in all his wines.
What makes Andlau unique is the presence of schist. Schist is a rock that is has flakes and therefore it is normally brittle. In Andlau are two types of schist, both of which are very old, actually the oldest rocks in the entire Alsace, next to the granite of the Vosges. The Grand Cru Kastelberg's "Shiste the Steige" from the Silurian period is about 460 million years old. A little south, at Saint-André, where Gresser makes fantastic Pinot Blanc, we have "Schist de Villé" that dates from the Ordovician 500 million years ago. Schist is fractured, warm and well drained. Therefore, finding its roots and vines down to very great depths, and the grapes ripen with amazing finesse and aromatic richness.
It's very exciting to taste Gressers three Grands Crus next to each other. According to my - far too limited - experience, Weibelsberg gives Riesling with particularly subtle elegance, Moenchberg are classic and solid, while Kastelberg gives a distinctive complexity in an almost smoky style. Gressers different Lieux-dits also have great personality, where Brandhof give very fresh Muscat and different Pinot wines, while Kritt gives an airy and elegant Gewurztraminer.
Rémy Gresser has long experience as president of the organization CIVA, the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d'Alsace, and has thus made huge efforts for Alsace. The members of CIVA are either individual producers, Negociants or cooperatives, and the presidency rotates between these groups of stakeholders. Rémy Gresser thus has much to tell about the business, including the structural and commercial aspects. By the way, CIVA also has counterparts in Champagne (CIVC), Burgundy (CIVB) and Roussillon (CIVR).
Rémy Gresser works organically and biodynamically, has great technical skill and makes wines in a style that combines elegance and aromatic richness. Each wine has personality and feels very natural, never heavy or over-the-top. Furthermore, nothing about the domaine is snobby or pretentious. And although Rémy Gresser puts his wines in the center his efforts are also much about history, culture and a great respect for the earth.
Domaine Rémy Gresser
winesofalsace.com
Located in Andlau, partway between Strasbourg and Colmar — the heartland of Alsace winemaking — is Domaine Rémy Gresser. The winery's viticultural roots were established in 1520, when ancestor Thiébaut Gresser farmed the vines on slopes at the foot of the Mont Sainte Odile—a terroir rich in schist, which is said to be the most complex and varied geology of all of Alsace’s wine villages.
For the 26-acre biodynamic estate, Gresser uses biological methods for pest and disease control, and crop cover to create biodiversity in the vineyard and encourage microbiological activity. The domaine’s parcels include holdings in three Grands Crus—Kastelberg, Wiebelsberg and Moenchberg—all of which exhibit distinct and different styles based on their terroirs. The Brandhof, Duttenberg and Kritt lieux-dits also produce terroir-driven wines.
Gresser produces dry wines from all white varieties approved for Alsace, including Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewuztraminer, Muscat and Sylvaner, as well as Pinot Noir, the only variety planted in the region for red wines.The styles range from still to Crémant and the two special late-harvest designations: Vendanges Tardives and Selection de Grains Noble.
Tasting
We tasted 9 wines, of which 7 were from gand cru vineyards.
Domaine Gresser Andlau Riesling 2016 Euro 8.00
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Moenchberg Riesling 2014 Euro 20.50
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling 2013 Euro 20.50
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Kastelberg Riesling 2017 Euro 29.50
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling 2002 Vieilles Vignes Euro 30.00
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Pinot Gris 2012 Euro 20.50
Domaine Gresser Kritt Gewurtztraminer 2017 Euro 9.50
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Moenchberg Gewurtztraminer 2016 Euro 20.50
Domaine Gresser Grand Cru Kastelberg Riesling 2001 Vendages Tardives Euro 38.00
Bye-bye
Thanks Rémy for an outstanding tasting.
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The World Class Wines of Alsace
In the world class white wine region Alsace