2023 Weinbach - Pinot Gris Les Caracoles (750ml)

Domaine Weinbach's story begins in 1612, when Capuchin monks built a winery on vineyard land near Kaysersberg that had already been cultivated since the 9th century. The Faller brothers purchased the estate in 1898, and it passed to Théo Faller before his wife Colette and daughters Catherine and Laurence kept the domaine running after his death in 1979. Catherine Faller now leads Weinbach with her sons Eddy and Théo, and the family has farmed the property biodynamically since 2005, a practice that runs through every wine the estate produces.

Les Caracoles takes its name from the vineyard's old cadastral title, tied to the Schnackator lieu-dit just beneath the Altenbourg, a name thought to reference the snail-shaped fossils running through its limestone soils. Clay and limestone here keep the vines cool and slow to ripen, building steady acidity even in warm years. The 40-to-50-year-old Pinot Gris vines are hand-harvested, and the wine is fermented and aged with the same minimal-intervention approach the domaine applies across its range.

Expect ripe pear, quince, and yellow apple on the nose, with honey, dried apricot, and a whisper of smoke adding depth. The palate is broad and silky, balanced by fresh acidity, and the long finish lingers with fruit, spice, and a mineral edge. It pairs nicely with roast pork, a creamy vol-au-vent, or a wedge of aged Comté.