2022 Domaine Durrmann Grand Cru Kastelberg Cuvée Nature

WINEMAKER: André Durrmann
REGION: Alsace, FR
VARIETY: Riesling
VITICULTURE: Certified Organic/Biodynamic

From the Grand Cru Kastelberg vineyard, that rises over the village of Andlau, facing south, a rocky parcel with heightened sun exposure. Vines are planted on the terraced hills, over its unique compressed Schist - a hard, dense & very mineral base. Most of the vines from this parcel are those Yann's dad, André, planted averaging at 40 years old, alongside their almond trees (pictured on the label). This parcel is just 0.8 hectares, subsequently with tiny yields. Dry farmed & certified organic. Hand harvested early in the morning for freshness. A slow & gentle 6 hour press with wild fermentation & 12 month maturation in 3000L neutral foudre on gross lees. Bottled unfined & unfiltered.

The 2022 Kastelberg shows great balance, a parcel that can risk over-ripeness, picked early to retain its freshness. Chiseled, mineral & persistently salty, with great length & an abundance of complexity.

Tucked away among the picturesque vistas of the storied Alsace region, lies the charming winemaking village of Andlau. A beautiful village nestled on the first slopes of the Vosges Mountains south-west of Strasbourg by 30 minutes, which is renowned for its rich viticultural heritage. Settled in the year 880AD by a monastery of nuns, a place where grapes have been cultivated for more than a thousand years! Andlau stands as a testament to centuries of winemaking tradition & innovation - and here lies Domaine Durrmann.

Domaine Durrmann was established in 1979 with a mere 1.5Ht undervine, inherited from André Durrmann's grandfather who worked as a shoemaker, to supplement his vinous & mixed farming pursuits. The absence of entrenched winemaking customs may have posed initial challenges to Anna & André Durrmann, but it also gifted them the freedom to forge a path unbound by convention. 

Enter Yann Durrmann, heir to this rich legacy, who has trodden the vineyard rows since childhood & now steers the Domaine's helm with great conviction. Concerned with the preservation of their surrounds, Domaine Durrmann has been certified organic since 1998. They consider their farm as a single organism, an ecosystem in which they maintain a balance between their various flora of vines, fruit trees for juice & Eau de Vie, and grass for grazing sheep. Durrmann's vineyards are dry grown, rooted in steep & rocky slopes where their soils are left covered with grass to prevent soil erosion & to help maintain a balanced soil microbiome - maintaining their natural fertility & encouraging biodiversity.