Marcel Deiss
The wines of Marcel Deiss (now made by son, Jean Michel) are simply stunning - I'm not really sure what else to say. I know I'm supposed to write something inspirational and inviting to get our customers excited and interested in buying these wines but there is nothing else to say. They rock, in everyway.
See below for a better description on the vineyards and obsessive levels of quality in the winemaking. For now, understand that there are 3 grades of wine (all biodynamic/organic) - Vins de l'Instant (ready to go Alsacian wines), Vins de Terroir (the 1er cru range) and the Grand Crus, the defining character is quality - they are the best examples of their kind. Alsace is also known for superb food matching - these wines are especially great with Asian food, spicy food and curries... yes curries. Enjoy!
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Talk of Marcel Deiss and one finds oneself discussing terroir, biodynamics, INAO regulations, in fact anything that might provoke a debate; Jean-Michel, who currently runs the domaine, is not a man to shy away from controversy. This trait appeals as does the fact that however Deiss achieves it, the end result is undeniable. This domaine is a source of incredible, high quality wines.
The Deiss family settled in Bergheim, near Ribeauville, in 1744, and from the outset viticulture was a part of their lives. The domaine grew, and today accounts for about 27 ha of Alsatian soil. But it is in recent years that its fame has spread, under the tenure of Jean-Michel and Clarisse Deiss, with assistance from oenologist Marie Helene Cristofaro. Marcel has tended his vineyards along organic lines, using ploughing rather than weedkiller, planting grass between the vines, using natural compost and avoiding fertiliser. Density of planting is high, up to 10000 plants/ha in some cases. Since 2003, however, vineyard practices have advanced towards biodynamic. Harvesting, as one would imagine, is by hand. Yields are kept down, 25-30 hl/ha for grand cru sites (much lower than the permitted maximum), more like 45-50 hl/ha for AC Alsace vineyards. There is a very gentle and slow pressing, followed by a slow fermentation in large, closed wooden foudres, using only indigenous yeasts. The wines are kept on their lees, with batonnage to enhance interaction between the wine and the solids.
Although biodynamics is controversial enough, this is not what upsets the local authorities. It is Deiss’ firm belief in terroir over variety that is responsible for this. Many of his vineyards are planted with a mixture of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and more. This is not that unusual in Alsace – many Grand Cru sites include a number of different varieties. What is unusual, however, is to treat them as a field blend, with all grapes going into the final wine. Blends are not new to Alsace, of course; there are many Edelzwicker blends available, of which some are delicious. But these are usually sourced from AC rather than Grand Cru vineyards, and often feature Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, not the region’s most noble grape, Riesling. Nevertheless, although unusual, INAO regulations do permit Grand Cru blends, provided the encépagement is declared on the label. But here Deiss has another controversy; many of these wines are named for the vineyard, rather than by the grape varieties, which would be standard practice in this region of France. Labelling Alsace Grand Cru without varietal information - as has been the practice chez Deiss - was, until 2005, operating outside the INAO regulations. A change in the law, however, means that such labelling is now permitted, thereby bringing Deiss into the fold. There was opposition to this move by other very significant Alsatian winemakers, although I don't think they should fret; I would imagine few Alsatian winemakers, other than Jean-Michel Deiss, take advantage of this labelling derestriction.
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