Alsace Grand Cru KIRCHBERG de RIBEAUVILLE 2012 - Riesling

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Mineral, dense and well balanced

16.5/20 in the Revue du Vin de France 2015 guide
16.5/20 in the Guide Bettane & Desseauve guide
15/20 in the Gault&Millau guide
92/100 in the Revue du Vin de France 2022 guide

Appellation :

Alsace Grand Cru Kirchberg de Ribeauvillé

Locality:

The Kirchberg hill at Ribeauvillé. Classified as Grand Cru by a ruling of 1975, the wines of these vineyards have been recognized as exceptional for many years. According to Médard Barth, the famous historian of the Alsace vineyards, the wine land was first mentioned in 1328. Today, the specialists confirm that the Kirchberg Grand Cru belongs to the elite of the Alsatian Grands Crus.

Type of soil:

This hill benefits from a South and South East facing positioning which, in conjunction with a very steep slope, confers it an excellent level of sunlight during the fruit's maturing period. The substratum at the foot of the hill is composed of dolomitic marl from the triassic period and dolomite from the lower Muschelkalk. Higher up it is composed of brightly colored sandstone and gypsum marl from the middle Muschelkalk. At an altitude of 270 to 350 meters, the vineyard's soil is rich in clay and often very stony. Our plots of Riesling are in the historical heart of the Grand Cru on the steep Southern slope. The stony core of the soil lies fifty centimeters below the surface. This forces the roots of the old vines (average age of 30 years) to penetrate deeply.

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:

This wine is almost reaching its maturity. It presents a complex nose on ripe fruits with traces of minerality. On the palate this Kirchberg is dense, full bodied, with a delicate structure and nice salinity. A complete and coherent wine.

Tips for consuming:

Will be a perfect pairing with all the dishes calling for a dry aromatic white wine: Sea food, crustaceans, river fishes, fishes with sauce, scallops, with meat but also mild cheese and gat cheese. It can go with a whole meal.
Can be enjoyed today on its secondary flavors. A couple of years more of bottle ageing will allow it to develop the full complexity of the Kirchberg. Knowing the structure of the Kirchberg wines, this wine will easily face the years.

The 2012 - vintage:

2012 will stay in our memories as a chaotic vintage when considering the weather conditions. After a very warm month of March, the temperatures got cold for the next weeks. The flowering took a long time in fresh and humid conditions. Summertime started with rain and cold temperatures, but fortunately August got warmer. September was nice and not too warm so that the final maturing process took place under ideal conditions. The harvest started on September 24th with the grapes for the Cremant d’Alsace and went one with the other varietals afterwards. Thanks to the stable conditions at the end the cycle we could harvest fresh and mature grapes in sound condition. They did not carry at all the stigmas on the season...

The press :

16.5/20 in the Revue du Vin de France 2015 guide
16.5/20 in the Guide Bettane & Desseauve guide
15/20 in the Gault&Millau guide
92/100 in the Revue du Vin de France 2022 guide