Alsace
NOVEMBER 2023
Located on the French border to Germany, this region has flip-flopped between these two countries throughout history as is evident through its culture – language, food, wine production & more.
The grapes grown in Alsace mirror German vineyards on the other side of the border (kilometers away), primarily cold weather white varietals: Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer & about 10% Pinot Noir. The cuisine is similar, too. Famous for Flammkuchen (tarte flambée in French), Alsatians also enjoy choucroute (sausages with sauerkraut & potatoes), spaetzle, and other rich, pork-driven dishes. Their aromatic, fuller-bodied white wines known for their terrific acidity pair perfectly with these traditional foods.
They are also wonderful wines for Thanksgiving which is why we have selected them for the month of November. Two-bottle club members will get a Pinot Blanc and a Pinot Noir. Three-bottle club members add in a Pinot Gris. We hope they knock your socks off!
AOC Alsace
The wine region of Alsace is a long narrow strip of land with the Vosges Mountains bordering on the west and the Rhine River on the right. It has rolling hills covered in vineyards that run alongside the 100+ medieval villages that line the curvy road from north to south. There are lots of walking and bike paths and frankly a lot of tourists, too. Understandably so as the villages are breathtaking with their colors and heritage on display.
The region produces AOC varietal wines (as opposed to blends) with a few AOC Alsace Grand Cru vineyards sprinkled throughout. Alsace also produces a wonderful AOC Crémant d'Alsace, both white & rosé.
Fun fact: The tall, slim bottles that the Alsatian wines come in are traditional in Germany but in Alsace, they are mandated by the AOC rules, so tall and skinny is here to stay!
2-BOTTLE CLUB
Château d'Orschwihr
The first recorded mention of Château d’Orschwihr is in 1049. Winemaking is first recorded on the estate in the 1500's, but it most likely goes back to Roman times. The Hartmann family purchased the property (a moat-surrounded residence) in 1854 and turned it into a functioning farm. The Hartmanns still run the 25 hectare estate, with Gautier Hartmann (pictured below left) at the helm since 2011.
Château d'Orschwihr 2018 Bollenberg Pinot Blanc
Alsace, France // Reg $18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
100% Pinot Blanc grown on Bollenberg, a limestone hill just east of Orschwihr. White flowers, green apple, mineral notes on the soft nose. Palate changes: white peach, dried apricot, lemon zest, apple orchards, pears. Long finish. Minerally & a little nutty almond note. Terrific Thanksgiving wine! Enjoy with charcuterie, soft white cheeses, pork sausages with sauerkraut, flammkuchen... and of course roasted turkey. Drink now to 3 years.
Domain Rolly Gassmann
With historical winemaking notes going back to 742 AD, the Gassmann family has been making wine in the village of Rorschwihr since 1661. The current name of the 50 hectare domain comes from the 1967 marriage of Marie-Therese Rolly and Louis Gassmann (pictured above helping during this year's harvest).
Their son, Pierre Gassmann, manages the estate today. He converted to organic farming in 1997. All wines are made using wild natural yeasts. The property is famous for its many plots (in Rorschwihr, Bergheim and Rodern) with different soils – "a geological mosaic" – including marine sandstones and limestones and clay-limestone-bluegray marly-sandstone which contributes to the complextity of these wines. Fruit, though, is in the foreground of their winemaking philosophy.
Rolly Gassman 2019 Pinot Noir
Alsace, France // Reg $39.99 | Mixed Case $31.99
100% Pinot Noir. Light, translucent, red color. Cherries, dark raspberries, earth on the nose. Flavors add in plums, spice. Really good acidity. Light to medium-bodied. A little pepper on the finish. Enjoy with baked ham, roasted turkey, grilled salmon. Drink now to 5 years.
3-BOTTLE CLUB
Château d'Orschwihr 2018 Bollenberg Pinot Gris
Alsace, France // Reg $29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
100% Pinot Gris (also from the limestone soils of Bollenberg). Golden yellow in color & a little more viscous. Dried apricots, peaches, honeysuckle on the nose. Flavors of stone fruits and cooked apples. Fuller-bodied. Great acidity. Very long finish with a tiny note of pine resin – classic for this style wine from Alsace! Drink now to 5 years.
Hope you enjoy these amazing Alsatian wines as much as we did… maybe even at your Thanksgiving table!
Cheers!
Jens Strecker, Owner
Portalis Wine Shop