Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss
The Domaine dates back to the 1600s but gained its current name when Marc took over in 1971. His son Antoine has been involved for over 20 years and took over running the Domaine in 2007. The total area under vines is now 13.5 hectares including four Grand Cru sites in the vicinity of their Andlau base.
Here’s an extract from the Alsace Wine Route map to help you get your bearings:
Andau, Eichhoffen and Mittelbergheim are just below the town of Barr.
See the full Alsace Wine Route map here
One of the defining features of Alsace is its mosaic of thirteen soil types, the result of complex geological activity over time. The term mosaic is particularly apt as the soils can change over very short distances.
There are, however, some groupings which can act as a guide. The Sub-Vosges hills have six of the thirteen soil types and Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss has several across its small holdings.
From their website:
The diversity of the soils is an added advantage for the wines. The vineyard is planted 80% on slopes or half-hills, in south-south-east exposition.
The soil composition is complex, with pink sandstone, granite, schist gray/blue or black, sediment, limestone that bring finesse, minerality and freshness to the wines.
The vineyard is located in a radius of 10 km around the village of Andlau, but also to the neighboring villages as Eichhoffen, Mittelbergheim and Barr.
Like most Alsace producers they make sweet wines (Vendanges Tardives (VT) and Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN)) and spirits, but still dry wines are the focus. There are three main ranges of wines, in ascending quality:
Fruit [Driven] Wines:
- Kritt Pinot Blanc
- Andlau Riesling
- Lerchenberg Pinot Gris
- Kritt Gewurztraminer
- Kritt Klevner
- Pinot Boir Alsace Blanc (a white blend)
- Pinot Boir Pinot Noir
Terroir wines
- La Fontaine aux Enfants – Pinot Blanc
- Stierkopf (Pinot Blanc & Riesling)
- Clos Rebgarten (Gewurztraminer)
- Clos du Val d’Eléon (Riesling & Pinot Gris)
- Clos Rebberg (Riesling)
Grands Crus
- Wiebelsberg Grand Cru (Riesling)
- Moenschberg Grand Cru (Pinot Gris)
- Kastelberg Grand Cru (Riesling)
- Kirschberg de Barr Grand Cru (Pinot Noir)
The Fruit and Terroir wines are made from their own grapes and those of close friends, but the Grands Crus are entirely Domaine grapes.
In terms of viticulture they have nearly a full house of postmodern winemaking terms: Organic, Biodynamic and Natural. Conversion to biodynamics started under Marc himself in 1989, with certification from 1991.
I have tried the Kritt Gewurztraminer several times (and liked it), so when I spotted a bottle of the Andlau Riesling I had to extend my empirical knowledge of the producer:
Marc Kreydenweiss Andlau Riesling 2017
This Riesling is made from grapes of the Domaine and from growers André and Yann, over 2.2 hectares in the foothills abutting the Grand Cru Wiebelsberg. The sub-soil is a pink sandstone known as “Grès des Vosges” which is known to impart a minerality to Riesling. The wine is certified Organic by Demeter and certified Biodynamic by Biodyvin.
On pouring it is clean and clear, a light lemon colour and a little lighter than the Kritt Gewurz. The nose is a big surprise, given the conventionality of the Gewurz: it has a distinctly “natural” aspect. For those not familiar with natural wine, it often has a certain rawness or earthiness which defies easy description but is very recognisable. Beyond that there are juicy stone fruit aromas.
The default flavour notes for Riesling are lime and lemon, but this wine is different – fleshy stone fruit appear again, with suggestions of fruit sweetness but actually resolutely dry. The finish is long, mineral, slightly sour (though not unpleasantly so). I found this wine improved over the course of an hour so it needs a bit of air and not to be drunk too cold.
Conclusion
This wine may be a little strange for the uninitiated, but if you already like natural wines or are willing to be a little adventurous then this is an excellent example to try.
- ABV: 12.5%
- RRP: ~ €22
- Stockists: O’Briens stores
