2022 Weinbach - Riesling Altenbourg (750ml)

At the foot of the Schlossberg hill in Kaysersberg, Domaine Weinbach traces its history back to 1612, when Capuchin monks first built a winery on land that had carried vines since the 9th century. The Faller brothers bought the estate in 1898 and passed it down to Théo Faller, whose wife Colette and daughters Catherine and Laurence kept the domaine's standards intact after his passing. Catherine Faller has led the estate since 2016 alongside her sons Eddy and Théo, farming the property organically and biodynamically across a range of single-vineyard and varietal wines.

The Riesling Altenbourg comes from the Altenbourg lieu-dit, a limestone-rich site near Kaysersberg long valued for the depth and structure it lends to Weinbach's wines. Farming follows the estate's biodynamic principles, with grapes hand-harvested at full ripeness and sorted carefully before a slow, native-yeast fermentation. The wine is vinified with minimal intervention, allowing the limestone soil and the site's particular exposure to shape the finished Riesling more than any cellar technique.

This is a bold, dry Riesling with a personality that leans almost Burgundian, layered with ripe apricot, lively citrus, and a subtle smokiness that opens with air. The palate stays clean-cut and bright, cooled by a streak of peach and carried by fresh acidity into a long, assured finish. It works well with grilled trout, a classic choucroute, or a soft-ripened cheese like Reblochon.