Land of Wet Stones & Dried Fruits- Domaine Loew Riesling Ostenberg Alsace

2022 Domaine Loew Riesling Ostenberg Alsace 
Demeter Biodynamic/Certified Organic 

13.5% alcohol. Biodynamically farmed 45 year old vines planted in Muschelkalk and oolithic limestone. Powerful and intense with a smoky, mineral edge to the bold lemony fruit. Crystalline and intense with keen acidity and a lot of palate weight, showing some pear and peach richness. So mineral on the finish with a hint of matschstick reduction: a remarkable wine.
Very Long Aging on Lees.

Etienne Loew founded his domaine in 1996 after graduating in oenology from the University of Dijon. While his grandparents had been local farmers with vines, orchards and cattle, Loew’s parents had orchards and vineyards but delivered all their fruit to the local co-op. It was Etienne Loew’s wish to put Westhoffen’s unsung vineyards in Alsace’s north, just west of Strasbourg, on the map and to vinify site-specific wines rather than have his fruit end up in a big co-operative blend. He started his domaine with just half a hectare and only took over his parents’ five hectares once they retired. Loew also taught at a viticultural school for a decade to supplement his income. Today the domaine spans 14 hectares, of which 35% are planted to Riesling, 20% to Pinot Gris while the rest is taken up by Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and Sylvaner. Most vineyards are in and around Westhoffen, Balbronn, Scharrachbergheim and Bergbieten. The domaine was converted to biodynamic methods and obtained certification in 2012. All the wines are bone-dry. Fermentations are spontaneous and are done mostly in stainless steel with wood for some wines. Following fermentation, all wines stay on gross lees for extended periods. Additionally, since 2018, Loew has employed some skin fermentations for white wines. When malolactic fermentation occurs naturally, all wines are allowed to complete it. His line of wines without any sulfur dioxide additions is called All You Need is Loew. A new winery is under construction outside the village of Westhoffen, as the domaine has almost run out of space in its village-center setting. During my visit, I tasted the current releases from 2022, 2021 and 2020, along with some stunning older vintages for comparison. The 2022 harvest started with the grapes for Crémant on the 28th of August. The main harvest began on 10 September, after a storm at the end of August, which brought much-needed rain. Initially, the grapes lost 1.5 degrees of alcohol as they swelled with water. However, this also helped the vines to continue metabolizing.