2019 Catherine Riss De Grès ou de Force Riesling
WINEMAKER: Catherine Riss
REGION: Alsace, FR
VARIETY: Riesling
VITICULTURE: Organic
"If Catherine feels a wine needs longer elevage (in barrel, bottle or both) she will hold the wine. The 2019 De Gres ou de Force elevaged in barrel for 28 months, released February 2023. From east facing steep slopes, this plot of 45 year old Riesling vines is gravelly Sandstone soils (gréseux in French).
When tasting this at La Dive last year, the precision had me spell bound. Flinty, a little reduction upon opening, stone fruit. Layers and depth here. A softer palate, the result of extra time in barrel, pithy, tense, yellow fruits. The nose blossoms with oxygen. Focused, it keeps building, a tight structure, the minerality runs long and expressive. Balanced and poised." - Liz Carey
In 2012 Catherine Riss purchased 1.3 hectares and began her own domain following studies in Beaune, interning with Trepat and work for Chapoutier. She was assisted by Antoine Kreydenweiss and Lucas Rieffel in the early years, with advise and encouragement, as well as the use of the Rieffel cellar in which to make her wines. In 2015 she established her own cellar in Bernardville.
All farming is done in organics, her original hectares certified in 2015. Catherine seeks diversity in the vineyard, cover crops are planted with the intent of taking nitrogen in to feed the soil. She now has 4 hectares, all located around the village of Reichsfeld, approximately 40 minutes south west of Strasbourg.
Her vineyards are steep and sit high at the base of the Vosges mountain range, bordered by forest at 350-400 meters altitude. This micro climate ensures freshness and acidity, the mountains protecting the vineyards and allowing slow ripening. Across 10 plots, the vineyards are within a few kilometres of each other, the majority on sandstone (gréseux) soils which are fast draining. She also has plots in Schififferberg Cru, the soil a crumbly blue schist, a rarity in Alsace.
Catherine belongs to the Association des Vins Libres d’Alsace which promotes local organic wines without inputs. All work is manual. In the cellar, she does not own a de-stemmer and has a German Wilmes press which provides a gentle pressing of the grapes. Elevage is in old barriques on lees, the wines are unfined, without filtration and without sulphur unless a wine requires it.