Gewürztraminer Steingrubler Grand Cru 2020

This Alsatian Gewürztraminer grows at the top of a stony, southeast-facing slope near Wettolsheim and shows the variety in its most lavish form, without ever letting it run away with itself. The old vines yield ripe, dense fruit with a creamy feel. On the nose, the wine stays true to the variety while remaining clear and precise: pear, mirabelle plum and poached peach, mango and a touch of lychee, along with orange and lemon zest, quince, candied orange peel, nutmeg, light tobacco, and a hint of turmeric and pepper.

Steingrubler is one of six grand cru sites where Maurice and Jacky Barthelmé farm vines. The plot sits at the top of the slope, faces southeast, and is stony, with a soil of marl, limestone, and sandstone. The vines are 30 years old.

Pure Gewürztraminer, 13.5% ABV, with off-dry residual sweetness. The estate spans 25 hectares across nearly a hundred plots and has been farmed biodynamically since 1997, with Demeter certification. On the steepest sites, the Barthelmés work with horses instead of tractors, so as not to compact the soil and to let the roots reach deeper.

Creamy, juicy, and ripe, yet lively and full of tension. The acidity almost makes you forget the residual sugar, and the alcohol, too, feels moderate and barely noticeable. A wine of power and body that nonetheless stays light on its feet: tobacco-and-pepper spice and a cool mineral edge run through the deep yellow fruit.

Maurice oversees the cellar, Jacky the vineyards; for the past few years, Antoine, the son, has joined them. In 2012, the two brothers-in-law were named "Winemaker of the Year".