Weekly Faves

Rietsch Out and Touch Faith

(Your own.. personal... collection of JP Rietsch wines)
 

This week's picks are to highlight this iconic winemaker from Mittelbergheim in Alsace.

The Rietsch estate has been in the family for seven generations. The vineyard is naturally cultivated, with terroir at the heart of the operation and no use of chemicals. Very little sulphur is used, and only when necessary. Wines are made with a low-pressure pneumatic press to extract gently, with a slow fermentation and indigenous yeasts. They are also one of the few wineries in the area to experiment with skin contact wines.

Overall though his wines highlight the incredible mix of terroirs in the region with great finesse and drinkability. Included is his signature Cremant, a skin contact white and a litre sized glugger of red.

SPARKLING

Cremant d'Alsace Brut 2016/17
This sparkling wine is made similarly to a Champagne method using Auxerrois, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris grapes. It is a blend of juices from the 2016 and 2017 harvests, to which juices from 2018 have added sugars needed to create the secondary fermentation. The nose is buttery, lemony, fine and elegant. The mouth is invigorating, full of energy, tense and very dynamic.

SKIN-CONTACT

Demoiselle 2018
This is a skin contact wine made with the Gewurztraminer grape variety. The maceration of the stalks and skins gives the gewurztraminer a beautiful golden color, which develops complex aromas of geranium rosa, lemon, lychee and licorice. The palate is lively, saline, very fresh, very far from the standards of the grape variety. This atypical gewurztraminer will suit all kinds of foods including risottos, sweet and savory dishes, Asian or oriental cuisine etc. It can also be served with a cheese platter.

RED

Tout Rouge 2019 (1000ml) NEW
Finally a perfect sharing sized bottle of red made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. The Pinot Noir is from clay-limestone soil and the Pinot Gris is from clay-sandstone soil from Stierkopf in Mutzig. Semi-carbonic fermentation of whole bunches macerated for 22 days. Aged on the lees in tanks for 8 months.  A wine of immediate pleasure with fluidity and a good length.

Have a great week,

Tom 

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