As Corona has changed the world... The Digital Alsace Wine Fair was the place to be between 7.6. - 9.6.
Below, I share my notes from the digital tasting with Jean Geiler winery, represented by Aurélie Le Digabel.
Established in 1926, the winery has 470 hectares. Jean Geiler is a cooperative; it means the winegrowers own the winery. Jean Geiler is the sum of 185 winegrowers (and families) who have associated their vineyards, resources, and passion. They work the vines, and they own the cooperative in charge of producing and selling their wines.
They produce still and sparkling wines, classified as AOP Alsace and AOP Crémants, from the Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Sylvaner, Pinot Noir, and Chasselas. The most grown grape is Gewurztraminer.
They own a range of vineyards, including single vineyards called "inspiration Terroirs," 11 different terroirs classified AOP Alsace Grand Cru.
All wines are bottled in flute-shaped bottles. The use of the flute-shaped bottles is based on history and tradition. In the later years, it's also a sign of recognition of the wines from Alsace.
If a wine is bottled in Bag in box, it cannot be called Alsace wine.
I've got four wines in the tasting package, 2 Rieslings, 1 Pinot Gris, and 1 Gewurztraminer.
Ps. the quality of the wines might have been compromised, so the notes are from the conversation with Aurélie and the tasting.
The first wine I tasted was the AOC Alsace 2019 Riesling inspiration Terroirs. The grapes are usually harvested at the beginning or mid-September. But due to climatic changes, the harvest is done earlier to preserve the freshness and acidity in the grapes. The soil is an alluvial deposite (perfect for growing Riesling).
After the fermentation and vinification, the wine spends some time on lees to gain some structure.
The wine has some white flowers, citrus-zesty notes. At taste, the citrus notes are more mature, some apple as well, lees notes can be observed in the aftertaste. Drinking window 4-6 years.
The second wine was Riesling as well. This one is from a Grand Cru vineyard called Florimont, vintage 2018. This Grand Cru has south and east-facing slopes in the hillsides of the Vosges mountains. Marn and chalky soil with a lot of stones. The most grown variety is Gewurztraminer, but Riesling is not far behind.
The grapes for this wine are hand-harvested. The slow fermentation process and aging in fine lees for at least nine months make the wine rich in flavor and complexity.
Delicate golden color with aromas of flowers and dried fruits. At taste was rich, with yellow stone fruits and sweet citrus, smooth minerality.
This wine could be aged for at least 4-6 years. The grapes are harvested earlier so the freshens and acidity would be preserved.
* To compare with the first Riesling, this one that's coming from Grand Cru has a much more complex aroma profile and more expressive flavors. So yes, terroir does matter! Whenever you see a Grand Cru on a wine label, it means that extra care is taken for the grapes with a higher level of quality.
The third was a Pinot Gris 2019 Inspiration Terroirs. Same as for the first Riesling, this wine has spent some time on lees to get more complex and gain somebody and kept in a big old oak barrel. The vineyard is located close to the Grand Cru of Florimont.
Dry wine. Pronounced aromas of ripe stone fruits and notes of overripe grapes. It's very smooth on taste and has flavors of ripe apple, ripe white peach, some honeydew melon, and even candied fruit. They are kept in a big old oak barrel, making it complex and giving it smoky notes.
Harvest time is by the end of August to keep the acidity and don't make the wines too high in alcohol.
The last wine was a Gewurztraminer from the Grand Cru vineyard of Mambourg. The origins of this vineyard date back to 783. The grapes here ripen pretty early due to the fantastic sun exposure. Soils are Calci-magnesium with chalk and clay.
This wine had a higher sugar level ( and higher alcohol level (13,5% abv). Typical for this grape variety in addition to the characteristics of the terroir. The wine is sweet, elegant, and with a long after taste. The high sugar level is also due to the late harvest time. Gewurztraminer is harvested one month after all the other varieties; it's the last variety to get harvested. Coming from Grand Cru, the grapes are slightly overripened and well matured at harvest time.
The wine has aromas of ripe yellow fruit, honey, honey melon, yellow apple, exotic fruits. At flavor, it's sweet but not too sweet to be considered a dessert wine. Well balanced between acidity and sweetness. Mouthfull of flavors.
* This wine is recommended with spicy food, Asian food, or dishes from North Africa.
Q: At the end, I've asked if Corona had any influence on the business.
A:
*Corona has not influenced any work in the vineyard, as the vines are living plants, and they need to be taken care of. The market-wise has been a downfall since the restaurants in France have been closed for seven months, so the sales in restaurants have been reduced. Sales on off-trade markets have been increased but not high enough to compensate for the loss of on-trade sales.
* They had to improve the digital contact with the consumers and the trade. The in-person contact on fairs and tastings is missed.
* Presence on social media is improved at a level that is allowed in each country.
As always, have a WINEderful day! :)