The history that binds the Deiss family to Alsace, more specifically to Bergheim, near Ribeauvillé, has its roots back in time, until the first half of 1600. Since then the Deiss were known both for their skill in iron working and for the excellent agricultural management of their lands, even if there was still no talk of viticulture. In fact, the official foundation of the winery Marcel Deiss, will arrive only in 1947 to pass then into the hands of his son Mathieu and, currently, in those of his nephew Jean-Michel Deiss.
The importance of this winery lies in the dense philosophical thought at the base of its productive choices, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, summarized in the exaltation of the concept of “lieu”. This concept, similar in some way to that of terroir, surpasses it in the underlying theorization, based on the belief that the microclimate of each individual lieu has specific taste olfactory coordinates. To exalt these coordinates, according to the Deiss, it is necessary to return to the roots of local viticulture, leaving nature and not man to dictate the timing of the various annual phases, and also the ways.
It all began in 1984 with the acquisition of the Grand Cru Schoenenbourg, planted after the First World War, on which were found tiny parcels of other vines, some of them completely unknown, grouped in small circular areas. The first step was to take, on an experimental basis, all the grapes to maturity and to taste the bases, discovering that the taste of the individual vines was not so dissimilar, one from the other. This discovery led to the conviction that it was the “lieu” to give the taste more than the varietal, and the consequent choice to apply this type of viticulture, called “complantation”, to most of the vineyards owned, with some areas where up to 60 different species of grapes have been planted.
Obviously, agronomic respect also implies technical respect, observed through a series of biodynamic measures ranging from respect for astronomical cycles to the rejection of herbicides (replaced by organic compost), and the use of the classic 500 and 501 preparations. As if this were not enough, many ecosystem improvement operations are implemented, such as encouraging the development of wildlife, accompanied by the creation of wooded areas (by planting fruit trees) able to accommodate the said fauna. Obviously, also in the cellar it is followed the natural approach with the exclusive use of indigenous yeasts, the refusal of correctors, bacteria and enzymes, and no intervention of chaptalization, acidification or deacidification.
All this can also be found in the Premier Cru Engelgarten, a vineyard lying on gravelly soil, with a chalky skeleton, able to bring the plants to a strong water stress, an optimal condition to achieve the perfect physiological maturity of the grapes. About the grapes it is a mix composed mainly of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Beurot, Pinot Noir and Muscat, selected on the plant and manually harvested after prolonging their development until the first waves of cold in October. After a gentle whole bunch pressing, and the spontaneous fermentation of all the grapes, without distinction of type, by means of indigenous yeasts, in large oak barrels, the wine ages on the lees for 12 months, before bottling without filtration, and marketing.
The 2016 vintage has a light straw color, mottled by some strokes of green, with an olfactory range that opens on notes of dried apricot, chestnut honey, peach in syrup and hawthorn, followed by white pepper, toasted hazelnut, chlorophyll and boxwood flower, with final echoes of moist flint. The palate combines depth and generosity, despite the fresh balsamic feeling and the savory/mineral side; all enriched by the return of white fruit and sweet spice that accompany the sip up to a good length closure.
Rating: 90/100
