Winemaker Notes
A wonderfully complex and downright delicious orange wine from the historic Deiss family in Alsace. It shows pure notes of peach, jasmine tea, apricot, quince, and lemon zest. The acidity is bright and punch keeping the wine zippy, balanced, and refreshing.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Based on low-yielding Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris that were picked and macerated together for one or two months and blended with 20% grape juice to cover the skins, the orange-colored 2023 Artisan opens with a spicy, fresh and still a little reductive bouquet of redcurrant, pink grapefruit and orange aromas. Refined and elegant on the palate, this is an intense and full-bodied, finely tannic yet juicy and potentially also charming orange wine that needs a while to find its individuality. There's remarkable finesse and fine juiciness here and a long, intense and saline, finely tannic finish. 13.5% stated alcohol. Glass stopper. Tasted at the Domaine Deiss in November 2024.
Rating: 92+
Small but mighty, this picturesque region in northeastern France is renowned for its white wines produced by passionate families whose winemaking roots span generations and even centuries. Nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River, Alsace benefits from a sunny, dry climate and a long growing season. It is one of the most geologically diverse regions in the world — one of the many reasons why Alsace rocks!
Alsace wines include dry, mineral-driven Riesling, earthy Pinot Gris, refreshing Pinot Blanc, exuberant Gewurztraminer, elegant Pinot Noir, and more. From traditional-method sparkling wines to easy-drinking AOC Alsace, to complex Grand Cru bottlings from 51 distinct sites, and rich, late harvest wines, Alsace produces a wine for every occasion. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and are labeled with the grape name. The region is also one of the greenest wine-producing areas in France, with 36% of its vineyard area certified organic.
Riesling, the region’s calling card, is dry, fresh and floral in its youth, developing complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Pinot Blanc is an affable food partner or porch sipper. Pinot Noir, the only red grape in AOC Alsace, is now authorized in three Grand Cru areas and is also used for Crémant d’Alsace sparkling rosé. Any bottle you choose will offer deliciousness, pleasure and value that is unprecedented in other wine regions.