Jean Pierre Rietsch - New Wines from the Alsace Legend
The Rietsch family have been farming in the Alsace village of Mittelbergheim since the 17th Century. In the 1970s, Jean Pierre's parents were the first generation to move entirely to winemaking and their enthusiastic son carried on this way of life when he took over the reigns in 1987. Twenty years later, he would introduce organic farming to his vineyards and begin producing some of the purest and most precise natural wines in Alsace, showcasing the broad and complex range of terroir in the region. He was an early adopter when it came to maceration on white wines which brings a whole new character to traditional Alsatian grape varieties such as Muscat, Pinot Gris and Gewurtztraminer. Extended lees contact is employed where possible which again brings elegance and precision, particularly to his single plot Rieslings. Vintages often vary so Jean-Pierre only uses sulphur when its deemed absolutely necessary. The labels of each cuvée regularly change which we love too. A signal that there is always something new to experience each year.
(Photo from a visit in 2022)
Recently, Jean-Pierre came to London for an event at Quality Wines to show his latest creations. Below is an overview of what we have in stock at time of writing;
NEW ARRIVALS
100% Auxerrois, usually a white cuvée but this time the grapes see 6 days of skin contact. Rich, round and textured.
Skin contact Muscat with restrained aromatics and lots of finesse.
Juicy and fruity blend of Riesling, Pinot Noir and Gewurtztraminer, all with skin contact. We have missed this cuvée!
High quality, old vine Sylvaner, aged on the lees for 8 months.
Top-notch Riesling from one of the best vineyard sites in Alsace. Rested on the lees for 20 months. Great ageing potential.
Riesling from another single plot. Rich and full, slightly rounder than the Zotzenberg.
RESTOCKS
One of our favourite cuvées and has been a big seller recently. 100% skin contact Gewurtztraminer. Elegant and complex.
Quand Le Chat N'Est Pas La 2022
Skin contact Pinot Gris that drinks like a juicy, light red but still with some lovely complexity.
THE CELLAR
White Auxerrois that was aged for 18 months on the lees. Complex with a strong mineral character.
We saved a bottle in the cellar as it was such a good vintage for this wine. Fruit forward with soft tannin.
Made from the Burgundy clone of Pinot Noir. More earthy and savoury than your classic Alsatian Pinot.
A special solera style wine made up of many vintages of the Savagnin Rose grape variety. Deep and complex.
A pure, mineral expression of Sylvaner that benefitted from 31 months on the lees! Superb.
A lighter, easy drinking vintage
A very special bottle saved from this outstanding vintage. We drank a bottle recently and it was incredible. Amazing intensity and complexity. Round but with electric acidity to balance. Punching well above its price point.
Happy Drinking!
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