Chateau d'Orschwihr Bollenberg Pinot Blanc 2015
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Winemaker and owner Hubert Hartmann feels that the quality of his materials is of paramount importance. Thus, all the grapes are hand harvested and collected in small wooden boxes to minimize any damage while being transported to the cellars. A new state of the art pneumatic press allows him to perform a very gentle and slow “pressurage” of five to eight hours. This provides for wines with concentration and structure, while retaining the elegance and finesse necessary to exhibit the complex aromatic and flavor characteristics of each vineyard site. Crop levels at Chateau d’Orschwihr are consistently 25-30% below the regional average in any given vintage.
Malolactic fermentation is prevented during vinification to ensure the aromatic purity of each varietal, and the wine is aged in inert containers so that the primary grape flavors can be emphasized. The Chateau uses a selection of large traditional wooden ovals that were made especially for Martin Hartmann at the turn of the century. The same cask is used every year for the same varietal.
Approachable, aromatic and pleasantly plush on the palate, Pinot Blanc is a white grape variety most associated with the Alsace region of France. Although its heritage is Burgundian, today it is rarely found there and instead thrives throughout central Europe, namely Germany and Austria, where it is known as Weissburgunder and Alto Adige where it is called Pinot Bianco. Interestingly, Pinot Blanc was born out of a mutation of the pink-skinned Pinot Gris. Somm Secret—Chardonnay fans looking to try something new would benefit from giving Pinot Blanc a try.
With its fairytale aesthetic, Germanic influence and strong emphasis on white wines, Alsace is one of France’s most unique viticultural regions. This hotly contested stretch of land running north to south on France’s northeastern border has spent much of its existence as German territory. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains, it is one of the driest regions of France but enjoys a long and cool growing season. Autumn humidity facilitates the development of “noble rot” for the production of late-picked sweet wines, Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles.
The best wines of Alsace can be described as aromatic and honeyed, even when completely dry. The region’s “noble” varieties, the only ones permitted within Alsace’s 51 Grands Crus vineyards, are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris.
Riesling is Alsace’s main specialty. In its youth, Alsace Riesling is dry, fresh and floral, but develops complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics, and is often utilized for late harvest wines. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Muscat, vinified dry, tastes of ripe green grapes and fresh rose petal.
Other varieties grown here include Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chasselas, Sylvaner and Pinot Noir—the only red grape permitted in Alsace and mainly used for sparkling rosé known as Crémant d’Alsace. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and unlike other French regions, are also labeled with the variety name.