News

Harvest 2008 : Part 2

All the crémant are now harvested as well as the parcels on the foot of the hills (excepted the gewurztraminer). The best exposed vineyards have taken advantage of the dry and fresh September weather to ripen and concentrate. Our pickers head now for our best plots of vine.

2^nd week of October :

• The grand cru Brand young vines are withering, these pinot gris are our priority Monday morning. Surprise after one hour of pressing : the must reaches 19.5 % (potential alcohol), which is a Selection de Grains Nobles richness ! We decide right away to pick the old vines grapes which have ripen more quietly. The average sugar level of the two parcels is 16%.
• The first reds being racked off, we fill again the tanks with pinot noir from the hillsides : Rosenberg, a small plot on the grand cru Hengst and the first part of the Terrasses vineyard.
• The Rosenberg pinot gris (which is also very rich) is harvested with a small parcel from the grand cru Pfersigberg. This blending gives more balance to the must.
• First gewurztraminer plot, from the Harth area in Colmar.
• During the end of the week, we have to pick a few parcels that have to be delivered to a wine coop.
  

3^rd week of October :

• We start with the Wettolsheim rieslings. These grapes have now reached a good concentration but keep a good acidity level (this will certainly be one of the characters of the vintage).
• Pinot gris from the latests areas : Husseren les Châteaux and Rotenberg in Wintzenheim (north-east exposure).
• The Muscat d'Alsace is a later variety as the ottonel. We have waited as long as possible for their harvest. We pick them in two times : first the healthiest grapes which are macerated a few hours, then the others which are pressed directly. All the musts are blended again before the fermentation.
• Last pinot noir : Terrasses, Boland in Turckheim and a small parcel on the grand cru Pfersigberg. In 2008, the good weather conditions of the harvest have allowed us to keep the reds a long time before the picking. The physiological maturity of the grapes is now perfect.
• At last the gewurztraminer from Turckheim, almost 3 hectares harvest in one go. The youngest parcels reach 15% and are blended for our Réserve personnelle. The old vines are registered as vendanges tardives, with a potential alcool of 18%.

Monday 20^th of  October :

• The gewurztraminer in Husseren les Châteaux are wonderful : healthy, almost red and very aromatic. The yields are very small (35hl/ha) and the richness is 13.5%. They are harvested immediately ; they will bring freshness and fruit to the Reserve personnelle.
• The grand cru Sommerberg Riesling are ripe and some grapes are affected with noble rot. This will be a wonderful cuvee at 13%.

Monday evening : Bretzels and Crémant are served to the pickers to celebrate the "official" end of the harvest ! Rain is forecasted for the next days. The few parcels remaining will be picked step by step the next weeks !

Tuesday 21st of octobre 2008