'Gewürztraminer Macération' 2022

Gewürztraminer, Alsace, France

A supremely spiced, textural and tenacious, zero-zero Alsatian skin contact. Twelfth generation winemaker Jean-Pierre and Chantal Frick are world renowned EXPERTS in their field of natural wine. Since taking over the Frick family’s 12-hectare, Pfaffenheim, Alsace estate in 1981, they have become certified biodynamic and given up any inputs or removals from their wines (except when they feel it is absolutely necessary, think a little sulphur on a wine with residual sugars). The diverse, limestone-rich terroirs include the prestigious Grand Cru sites Steinert, Vorbourg, and Eichberg, with this gorgeous gew coming from two parcels – the first a limestone, marl-sandstone, high on a slope above grand Cru Vorbourg, the second from a limestone plot below Grand Cru Steinert. The grapes see ten days of whole-cluster maceration before pressing, and then the wine is matured on lees for six months in hundred (!) year-old foudres to pick up tactility. FUN FACT #2! After a persuasive prompt from their son, Thomas, Jean-Pierre and Chantal stopped pruning in favour of palissage (or vine-training the growing shoots), meaning they tuck the tendrils into the trellising wires rather than snipping them (a common practice which some vine-growers have insisted disrupts the vine’s natural growing cycle), and today, seven years on, they have seen the results as their vines become more resilient – even when faced with the most trying of vintages, like the most recent and extremely challenging 2024! Guava skin texture, mountain water slip n’ slide, lychee meets mandarin, ginger root, shale, rosewater, cinnamon, cardamom pod, pepper, citrus salad & salt. Pour alongside peking duck with plum sauce.