Melanie Pfister Berg Riesling 2019
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James
Suckling
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The acronym Berg (formerly Riesling Tradition) comes from Auf dem Berg and Silberberg, two neighboring hillside vineyards. This is a wine full of earthy stone fruit and a dry, crisp length that rises far above its "entry" class. The vineyard soils are a variation of France's famous argile-calcaire mix, or claylimestone mix. (Locally, Berg's soils are known as Muschelkalk, a geological term referring to the middle Triassic period, and in Berg's case it's Muschelkalk topsoil--averaging 3-feet--over limestone bedrock.) The clay gives Riesling body while the calcareous limestone gives finesse, focus, and length.
Organically grown
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James Suckling
This has vibrant apple, citrus and blossom notes that make this lighter-weight Alsace dry riesling (just 12.5% alcohol) very enticing. A dancer’s grace and agility, but at the finish it has a delicate touch of tannin that neatly complements the crisp acidity and mineral freshness. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink or hold.
Other Vintages
2021-
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
As early as 1780, Nicolas Pfister lived as a "bourgeois wine-grower" using the farm buildings that are still in place today. The estate and how-know were subsequently handed down from father to son, in the traditional manner.
There was a turning point in 1972, when Alfred Pfister handed over the business to his son André. With the support of his wife Marie-Anne, the latter would implement a new approach, resolutely forward-thinking and designed to benefit future generations. Having inherited the expertise of the six previous generations of wine-growers, he soon decided to devote himself to ecologically responsible wine-growing while modernising facilities and equipment. The work carried out on the vines and in the cellar pursued the single objective of obtaining the highest quality fruit and wines, bearing the hallmark of their terroir.
The latest chapter in the story has seen the arrival on the estate of Mélanie, the eighth generation of Pfisters, and the first woman in the line of succession. Trained in Bordeaux and then Dijon as an engineer and oenologist, she intends to apply her knowledge and diverse practical experiences to the ongoing quest for perfection that epitomizes the estate.