Ambre Jaune Riesling Macere 2021

The Ambre Jaune 2021 is a dry orange wine made from Riesling with a touch of Pinot Blanc, macerated on its skins for around two weeks. In the glass it shows an intense, clear golden yellow, and despite this depth of colour the nose remains subtle: vanilla, lemon and lemon zest, apple with its skin, plus ivy and saffron. With air and warmth, black tea and wax emerge.

The grapes grow in Riquewihr and Beblenheim in Alsace. Andrée Trapet took over the family estate in 2002 and runs it with Jean-Louis Trapet according to biodynamic principles; since 2018, day-to-day work has been in the hands of their sons Pierre and Louis. In the vineyards, échalas, traditional wooden stakes, support each vine individually, the soils are covered with cover crops, and copper and sulphur are kept to a minimum.

Riesling, complemented with a touch of Pinot Blanc. After around two weeks of skin contact, the wine matured in used demi-muid and pièce barrels. 13.0 % vol., vinified dry.

The wine fills the mouth with a certain opulence, while remaining slender in body. The phenolics give it a pronounced yet fine texture, and the ripe acidity keeps it lively and fresh. Fruit, spice, texture and acidity strike a balance that carries the whole glass.

John Dory with pepper artichokes, pink radish and broad beans in sauce maltaise, pea ravioli with wild garlic and mint, or swede fagottini with miso-marinated aubergine and galangal broth.

The macerated Ambre wines are the signature of Pierre and Louis Trapet: alongside the Riesling-based Ambre Jaune, there is the Ambre Blanc made from Muscat and the Ambre Rouge from Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.