Rietsch Cremant d'Alsace Extra Brut - Non Dose 2022/2023
Rietsch Cremant d'Alsace Extra Brut - Non Dose 2022/2023
Penguin season is upon us.
Rietsch's cult crémant returns, this time a blend of the wines from 2022, into which the juices from 2023 were added. The bubbles are fine and frothy. The nose is buttery, zesty, and elegant. The mouth is full, energetic, and rich. Perfect from Christmastime or anytime. One of our all-time favourites.
The Rietsch estate has been in the family for seven generations. It was Jean-Pierre's parents who started cultivating vines in 1970s and handed them over to JP in 1987. Vines are raised naturally, without the use of chemicals. Sulphur is very rarely used in the cellar, only when absolutely necessary.
Style: Sparkling
Producer: Jean-Pierre Rietsch
Country: France
Region: Mittelbergheim, Alsace
Grapes: Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris
ABV: 12.5%
Sulphur: less than 20mg/l added
Cuvée: Cremant d'Alsace Extra Brut - Non Dose
Vintage: 2016/17
Producer: Jean Pierre Rietsch
Region: France, Alsace, Mittelbergheim
Style + Colour: Sparkling, White
Grapes/Blend: Auxerrois, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris
ABV: 12.5%
This crémant comes from a blend of grapes from Auxerrois, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, from the clay and limestone soils of Mittelbergheim. These grapes were sorted by plot, harvested at maturity, around 12.5 degrees of potential. After a year of aging in the tank, the bottling was done at the beginning of the harvest in 2017, with an addition of fresh grape juice from the new crop, and a leaven for foam in bottles.
Food pairing: It will be particularly suitable for raw fish dishes, seafood or cold meats.
Initially a mixed farm with crops including tobacco, the land has been in the family for seven generations. Jean-Pierre’s parents started cultivating vines in the 1970s, and passed it to Jean-Pierre in 1987. Organic farming with no use of chemicals. In the cellar, very little sulphur is used, and only when necessary. There is a precision and clarity to all the wines. Having become bored with making late-harvest wines with aromatic varieties; Jean-Pierre is one of few in his area to experiment with skin-contact wines and has gained a reputation for these.