Pinot Noir AC 2024

A slender, dry-finished Pinot Noir from Alsace at 12.5% vol. The fruit is clearly defined, the frame fine, the tannins silky. A red wine that works through precision rather than weight.

Domaine Albert Mann is located in Wettolsheim. Maurice and Jacky Barthelmé, two brothers-in-law, have divided the work: Maurice the cellar, Jacky the vineyards. Since 1997 they have farmed their 25 hectares biodynamically, spread across nearly a hundred parcels, each with its own character. On the steepest sites, horses rather than tractors work the land, so the soil isn't compacted and the roots can reach deeper.

Pure Pinot Noir, known as Spätburgunder in German-speaking regions. Which variety belongs on which parcel is something the Barthelmés have learned through decades of observation rather than by formula. Antoine, the son, now works alongside them. The estate's approach runs through the entire cellar: force nothing, observe, respond.

Notes of red cherry and raspberry, overlaid with a floral note of violet, with undergrowth and fine spice in the background. The acidity keeps the wine fresh, the tannins stay silky, and the finish lingers on the fruit.

With roast duck breast, herb-crusted rack of lamb or game birds. Equally good with mushroom dishes and aged Comté.

The switch to biodynamic farming in 1997 struck many at the time as eccentric. In 2012, the Barthelmés were named "Winemakers of the Year". Red wine is the exception in Alsace; here it's treated with the same care as the estate's white site-specific wines.