Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives 2015

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Wine elaborated from late harvested grapes : riche, pure, open and well balanced by a nice freshness

16,5/20  in the 2018 Bettane &  Desseauve guide

Appellation:

Alsace with the mention "Vendanges Tardives"

Varietal:

100% Gewurztraminer

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.

Locality:

Vineyards on the hillsides around Ribeauvillé.

Type of soil:

The Louis SIPP parcels of land are situated in the geological fracture zone of Ribeauvillé. They constitute a territory which is highly geologically fragmented. The GEWURZTRAMINER which produced this wine classified as a "Vendanges Tardives", grow in a plot of land on a hillside, with deep soil rich in clay.
There are several reasons why Botrytis regularly takes hold on the grapes of this plot of land:
- the vines are old and not vigorous. Being less vigorous the yield is much lower, and so the vines are not very vulnerable to diseases. This allows the production of grapes which are healthy and very ripe. This is the type of environment which is ideal for the development of Botrytis in the form of "pourriture noble" ("noble rot").
- the soils are heavy, deep and rich in clay. The vines are supplied with water even in the driest years, which facilitates good maturation of the grapes.
- there is a very humid area at the foot of the hill, which causes morning dew. Humidity in the mornings is one of the conditions necessary for the development of Botrytis. The land's south-facing aspect ensures that the dew is rapidly dried out by the sun over the course of the morning. It is the alternation between periods of damp in the morning and dry in the afternoon which allows the fungus to develop in its "noble" form.
- as in all the soils around Ribeauvillé, this one contains traces of chalk. This chalk allows the wine to retain a good level of acidity, which in turn aids the ageing process, and the production of balance, whilst preventing the wine from becoming too gentle. All of these highly localised characteristics make this hillside a producer of excellent syrupy wines.

Wine character:

This wine boasts a beautiful deep golden-yellow colour. Its bouquet is fine, powerful, and floral, offering hints of violet, spices and litchis. It is liquorous on the palate and has a delicate freshness due to the chalky patches in the soil. There is much fullness and elegance in its aromas.

Tips for consuming:

This GEWURZTRAMINER may be consumed on a variety of occasions, such as at receptions or other social events. It will suffice even without food. Of course, foie gras does accompany it superbly, and sweet or chocolate desserts accompany it well too.
It may be consumed immediately, but it does benefit greatly from conservation for several extra years, so as to allow it to express its full richness and the complexity of its aromas.

The 2015 vintage:

This vintage follows a mild winter, with almost no frost days. The vines started their development mi-April, a normal date. Spring can be qualified as normal in term of rainfalls but also temperatures. The flowering took place mid-June under good conditions. Beginning of July was exceptionally warm. Some grapes suffered from the sun rays. These warm conditions accelerated the development of the vines. Mid-August some precipitations were welcome and helped the vines to finish their maturation cycle. We started harvesting mature and sound fruit on September 8th.

Vinification:

Manuel harvests of grapes presenting Noble Rot (Botrytis Cinerea), classical vinification.

Special note :

In order to be awarded the label "Vendanges Tardives", which was defined by the ministerial ruling of 01.03.1984, an Alsace wine must fulfil the following conditions:
- it must be the product of a single vine species, and must be sold with mention of the species on the label
- it must be sold with a mention of the vintage
- it must originate in a plot of growing land which has already been declared to the INAO
- it must be made from harvested grapes of one of the authorised species which are recognised to produce at least the minimum level of natural richness, as defined by the ruling (these species are the Gewurztraminer, Tokay Pinot Gris, Riesling and Muscat)
- it must not have undergone chaptalization
- it must have been accepted for the "appellation" of Alsace in the sector of bottled wines, after chemical and organoleptic analysis.

Vinification:

Manual harvest. Smooth and log pressing of the grapes. Traditional vinification process with temperature control.