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Origin: Alsace, France
Grape: Pinot Gris
ABV: 13.5%
Producer Profile
Two brothers, Maurice and Jacky Barthelmé in the village of Wettolsheim, near Colmar, run this well regarded Alsace Domaine. Maurice, who took over here in 1984, is married to the granddaughter of the late Albert Mann who gave his name to the Domaine. It’s not a huge operation: they have 19 hectares in all, but five of these are in five different Grand Cru vineyards and a further two are in lieux-dits.
Grape Profile
Pinot gris, pinot grigio or Grauburgunder is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the pinot noir variety, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grapes can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance. The wines produced from this grape also vary in color from a deep golden yellow to copper and even a light shade of pink, and it is one of the more popular grapes for skin-contact wine. Pinot gris is grown around the globe with the "spicy" full-bodied Alsatian and lighter-bodied, more acidic Italian styles being most widely recognized. The Alsatian style, often duplicated in New World wine regions such as Marlborough, Tasmania, South Australia, Washington, Oregon and South Africa tend to have moderate to low acidity, higher alcohol levels and an almost "oily" texture that contributes to the full-bodied nature of the wine.
Region Profile
The Alsace region lies between the Vosges Mountains and the French border with Germany, The Vosges play a vital role in defining the region's climate; they not only provide protection from the prevailing westerly winds, but also cast a rain shadow over the area, contributing to the low rainfall of its continental climate.
Viticulture
Organic & Biodynamic Replanting using ""sélection massale"" to maintain diversity. This consists of selecting the highest quality vines.
• Spreading ""homemade"" compost to stimulate the microbial life of the soil which is essential for the formation of humus and the assimilation of sub-soil minerals.
• Having rows of naturals grass every two rows, as the presence of rows, as the presence of other plants forces the vines to descend deeper into the soil.
• Ploughing is executed in order to contribute to creating a deep root system. Some plots are planted on horse- ploughed terraces.
Vinification
Manual harvested
• Fermented in stainless steel
• Indigenous yeast
• Controlled ferment
• Matured on the lees
• Lightly filtered"