Alsace Grand Cru OSTERBERG 2013 - Gewurztraminer

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Spicy, ample, racy with good length.

Appellation:

Alsace Grand Cru OSTERBERG

Locality:

Osterberg, exclusively areas on the edge of Ribeauvillé. Hillsides facing East South-East at an altitude of 250 to 350 meters, and on average to steep slopes which benefit from excellent levels of sun. Osterberg is a well-known wine-growing area, mentioned in documents from the Middle Ages. The Lords of Ribeaupierre cultivated their vines there.

Type of soil:

The soils are rich in clay and small stones. The substratum is essentially composed of Muschelkalk with a moderate quantity of marl, and in the East of Lettenkohle with dolomitic chalks and multicoloured marls. The presence of dolomitic chalk and thus of dolomie induces some water storage capacity in the soil. This water can be released progressively in case of dry and warm conditions and thus prevent the vines from suffering from lack of water. Furthermore, these vineyards oriented East South-East with high amount of clay are cooler than the Grand Cru Kirchberg. The expression of the wines is “harder” and more “austere” compared with the Kirchberg. Our vines are present in the deep and marly soils of the east as well as in the stony part in the west on the Grand Cru.

Certified organic grapes for an enhanced terroir expression:

Started in 2005, our conversion to organic production took a concrete form three years later in 2008 with the ECOCERT certification. Since 2012, all the cellar operations are also covered by the European specification so that we can now speak about organic wines.

Wine character:

A wine precise and pure on the nose on spices and minerality. The sweetness at the beginning of the palate is immediately balanced by the typical freshness of the vintage 2013 giving this Grand Cru finesse and length. This texture on the palate is a key point of the Grand Cru Osterberg, a location where Gewurztraminer are very successful. A great elegant wine!

Tips for consuming:

This wine is well suited for rich dishes of character: goose lever, smoked fish, fish in sauce…Perfect pairing with spicy food (Asiatic dishes). Also perfect with strong cheese (Roquefort, Stilton, Munster, Maroilles...)  and deserts (especially chocolate desserts).

The 2013 vintage : back in the « old » days !

Why this tittle? Simply because this vintage, from a climatic point of view, is a good expression of what we had to cope with about 30 years ago. The cycle of the vines started mid-April. A humid and fresh Spring did not allow a fast development of the vines. The flowering did not happen under the best conditions either due cold nights and lack of sunshine. Thus, the fructification was quite poor. June was considered as the real end of Winter! In July the weather conditions were quite normal. In some locations some vines did even show some hydric stress signs. The harvest started under relative poor weather conditions at a relative unusual date according current years, but normal a couple of decades ago !