History
Probably Alsace’s most famous wine, the Traminer came to us from the north of Italy and dates from the 16th century. The Gewurztraminer (literally spicy or musky Traminer) is a selection of the most fragrant Traminers and became known as Gewurztraminer towards 1950. The Selection de Grains Nobles (an appellation since 1984) are wines, from old vines, made from over-ripe grapes picked several weeks after harvesting. More concentrated than the Vendanges Tardives, they are fine sweet wines which keep a certain freshness and natural acidity which give them an absolutely unique flavour. Cuvee Anne is a rare, mythical wine which is still hugely popular. The 2000 vintage is astonishingly elegant, and revives the tradition of the domaine’s fine sweet wines. Botrytis leaves its mark very discreetly and promises to make the wine age slowly and have very good ageing potential.
Location
Our 2000 Gewurztraminer Cuvee Anne comes solely from our Grand Cru KESSLER plot, which is on a hillside facing east, south-east and whose reddish sandy-clay soils lie on a bedrock of Vosges sandstone.
Wine-making
Cuvee Anne comes from a prime choice of “Selections de Grains Nobles” wines produced in 2000. Work was monitored right from winter pruning to harvesting which took place on 9 November 2000.
Hand-picked on steep slopes, the grapes were then carried in crates (to avoid damaging the berries) to our winery and then slowly pressed. After letting the must settle-statically for about 3 days, the perfectly clear juice was put in tuns (where the temperature was rigorously controlled) to ferment. Fermentation lasted between 1 and 3 months until spring. The wines were stabilized, filtered and then bottled the following spring. They were then stocked for several years before being labeled and distributed throughout the world.
Gastronomy
Wait another 7 years and serve it with a Tarte Tatin.
The recommended serving temperature is 11°C.
Tasting
The robe is a deep golden yellow with topaz reflections of a great intensity. The disk is bright and limpid.
The wine has a youthful quality.
The nose is pleasant, frank and displays a dominant of candied scents, fruity, peach, pear, exotic fruits, caramel, lemongrass, citrus fruits, honey, slightly floral. The whole is enhanced with aeration.
The nose is remarkable through its complexity and the depth of Character of the vine.
The onset in the mouth is ample, rich and marrowy. The alcoholic base is full-bodied. One evolves on a sharp and egy medium. The range of flavours is complex, fruity, lemon, citrus fruits, pear, caramel.
The finish offers a good length, a frank vivacity and a touch of bitterness. The structure is superb, rich and tasty. The vine is not dominated by botrytis and maintains a lot of distinction.
Technical Sheet elaborated by Monsieur Pascal LEONETTI
“Best Sommelier of France 2006”
“Best Young Sommelier of France 2003”