Wineck-Schlossberg, Alsace’s ‘ Wine Corner’
Domaine Paul Blanck, Wineck-Schlossberg Grand Cru, Pinot Gris, 2017
Wineck-Schlossberg GRAND CRU
The Wineck Schlossberg Grand Cru appellation is located in the communes of Katzenthal and Ammerschwihr, in the Haut-Rhin department of Alsace. One of the fifty-one grands crus of Alsace, it lies just eight kilometers west of the city of Colmar.
The terroir
At the heart of this beautiful Grand Cru is the 12th-century Castle Wineck, standing guard over its vines like a sentinel. The vineyard is a cup-shaped appellation, protected from the harsh winds and strong rains that slam into the Voges Mountains. The Counts of Eguisheim-Dabo built the fortified castle and the name Wineck (or Weineck) means ‘the corner of wine.’ The castle was the domain of the knights of Colmar, before passing into the hands of the barons of Rathsamhausen. Today, it is the property of the Society for the Conservation of Historical Monuments in Alsace.
The vineyard area here was previously known as simply Schlossberg, which meant ‘hill with the castle,’ it was granted Grand Cru status in 1985. However, since 1992 it has been officially recognized as Wineck-Schlossberg, this not only pays homage to its chivalrous heritage, it also differentiates it from the Grand Cru Schlossberg of Kaysersberg.
Vines have been cultivated on these slopes for centuries, as recorded by Michel Mastrojanni, “in 1211, the monks of Marbach cultivated vines on Katzenthal and the castle hillside, the very area that has become the Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg. ” It was on March 16 1706, that the name Schlossberg appeared in the Ratsamhausen family’s rent renewal lists. Several residents, including Hans Jacob Bläss and Peter Schmitt owned vines on which they were assigned to pay royalties. The territorial surface for the villages of Ingersheim and Katzenthal, established in 1760, shows a vast area of vines around the Wineck castle, the “Schloss Berg”, occupying a prominent place among the vineyard plots in the area. References to Schlossberg have been increasing since the end of the 18th century. Many harvest authorizations dated from 1830 to around 1870 regularly mention Schlossberg among the places where “it is permitted to harvest”.
As mentioned, the natural amphitheater protects the vine-rows, which are between 280 and 390 meters above sea level, planted on steep slopes. Most face a south-to-southeast aspect, getting the morning sun. Soils are mostly double-mica and Turckheim granite soils that are very disaggregated.
The Harvest
Whilst the 2017 vintage got off to a terrible start -with an exceptionally cold winter and devastating frosts in the spring; the rest of the ripening season was dry, warm, and sunny. The fifth hottest summer in the previous forty years resulted in an early harvest, and wines of exceptional quality.
The Family
Hans Blanck planted vines in Alsace in 1610, Jacques Blanck was honored for his skill as a winemaker in 1846, and Domaine Paul Blanck was founded in 1921, in the little village of Kientzheim. Paul Blanck and other winegrowers in the region worked Schlossberg into a site fit for grand cru status, and in 1975 -when the grand cru appellation system in Alsace was created- Schlossberg was the first vineyard to earn the designation.
Frederic and Philippe Blanck took over operations from their forefathers in 1984, The talented and resolute winemaker, Frederic Blanck produces the wines (all 35 of them) from their organically farmed vineyards. The gentle, warm-hearted, and charming ambassador Philippe Blanck takes care of marketing, sales, and communications. Philippe, a cherished friend, is also a Qi Gong master with many years of experience. Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese practice that combines movement, breathing, and meditation to promote health and balance.
The family has eighty-six hectares of vineyards, including thirty hectares across five Grands Crus, thirty lieu-dits and Crus and twenty-six additional acres planted in the Alsace plain. The cousin’s focus has always been on giving full expression to the individual terroir of each region in their wines.
The Wine
Domaine Paul Blanck, Wineck-Schlossberg GRAND CRU, Pinot Gris, 2017
A lovely, intense lemon colour showing hints of tertiary development.
Aromas: The bouquet is outstanding, extraordinary for its purity, and its lifted, fruitful character, sun-dried apricot and papaya, candied lemon, mandarin zest, pomelo pith, persimmon, bergamot, it is all here and complemented by hints of ginger and floral spices.
Palate: Clean, ripe, and lush fruit rolls onto the palate, pristine, juicy, and semi-sweet, then the tension arrives, minerals, citrus acidity, and gingerbread spices, all giving the wine wonderful complexity.
Conclusion: This is a brilliant wine, a magnificent expression of the unique qualities of Alsace Pinot Gris and especially the terroir of Wineck-Schlossberg, it is all about elegance, balance and finesse and is drinking at its absolute peak. Very classy, just a superb wine from one of Alsace’s absolute best producers.
I tried this wine at Baldwin’s Bistro with a superb crab curry from chef Guy, it was a pairing of rare beauty and exceptional harmony. Look out for their Crab Fest ‘Crustaceans & Alsatians’ event coming in mid-March.
Darren Gall
