Gewurztraminer Altenbourg, Domaine Weinbach 2022

The Faller family has been in residence here since the end of the 19th century. Domaine Weinbach is now run Catherine Faller, daughter of the late and sadly missed Colette and Théo Faller.

Catherine had been assisted by her sister Laurence until 2014, but sadly she died very suddenly, aged just 47. Laurence was a hugely talented winemaker and her input was clearly visible in the sheer brilliance of the wines. One of her first achievements was to have the estate certified biodynamic.

At the heart of the Weinbach domaine is the historic Clos des Capucins, a 5-hectare walled vineyard on the site of a 9th century monastery. Clos des Capucins is also a registered trade mark and the name confusingly appears on all their labels, even when the wines come from the family’s more prestigious holdings in the grands crus of Schlossberg, Mambourg and Furstentum.

Schlossberg is one of the oldest recorded vineyard sites in Alsace and its sandy, granitic soils are ideally suited to riesling. The Fallers own several plots here and each is vinified separately. Younger vines and riesling from the upper slopes go to make Cuvée Sainte-Catherine while the better middle slope is sold as grand cru, though confusingly it, also, is called Sainte-Catherine. Grapes from heavier soils on the Furstentum and their tiny plot on the Mambourg of Sigolsheim go to make their gewurztraminer while pinot gris comes from the unclassified but very good Altenbourg site.