Domaine Rietsch ‘Quand Le Chat N'est Pas La' 2022

This is a really refined and balanced take on macerated Alsatian Pinot Gris that has intense aromatic complexity with a medium-length finish from Domaine Rietsch in Mittelbergheim, Alsace, France.

Tasting:  A slight dusty tannic impression finishes the wine though the story here is the texture and the nose: herbal and forested with slight reduction, lemongrass, fennel, rhubarb, horseradish and frangipani followed by a smooth, supple mouthfeel - almondy, a hint of prune and cherry, but what you notice above all else is the acidity's balance (hard to achieve with macerated cold-region pinot gris), which makes this a truly flexible, impressive wine easily paired with the harvest-proximal autumnal supper. 

Vinification: 100% Pinot Gris hand-harvested from vines grown in marl-limestone soils around Mittelbergheim in addition to the limestone-based Grand Cru Zotzenburg site as well as the sandstone-based Stierkopf site in nearby Mutzig. The grapes are whole-bunch macerated and spontaneously fermented (ambient yeasts; no temp. control) over the course of 14 days in large oak foudres during which time there is very slight sulphiting (<25 mg/L total present in-bottle). Élevage sur lie lasts 7 months also in foudre before being coarsely filtered on cellulose plates. Bottled unfined and with no additional SO2.