Domaine Barmes-Buecher Cremant d'Alsace 2019
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James
Suckling
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This Crémant sparkling wine comes from the clay-limestone hillsides of Wettolsheim and the sandy loamy plains of Turckheim and Colmar. The Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois and Chardonnay grape varieties are brought to life by their different terroirs bringing finesse and character to this Crémant.
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James Suckling
What a striking and enticingly floral nose this Cremant has! Then comes the super-silky palate that you fall into, as you would into a velvet sofa. The really long, creamy yet precise finish is the last element of this deliciously innovative style. A cuvee of pinot gris, auxerrois and chardonnay, disgorged on September 27 after about 2.5 years maturating in the bottle.
Domaine Barmès-Buecher, located in the heart of the Alsace region, just a few kilometres from Colmar and Eguisheim, was founded in 1985 by Geneviève Barmès (née Buecher) and her husband François Barmès. They combined the land holdings of their respective families, who had owned vines in Wettolsheim, one of the region’s largest wine growing towns, since the 17th century.
Geneviève and François chose to grow their vines using biodynamic practices, which places the emphasis on a respect for nature, life forces and natural cycles. The Domaine’s 15 hectares were converted to biodynamic growing in 1998 and have been certified biodynamic since the 2001 vintage.
This form of wine growing allows a closer relationship with the terroir and a better understanding of the environment surrounding the vine and the wine grower.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
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.