Léo Dirringer 'Virose' 2024
The vibe: This is an orange wine of Gewürztraminer, a tricky grape to pronounce but incredibly easy to drink. This is one of the most common of the noble Alsatian varietals (Union Sacre also makes one!) and for good reason. Packed to the gills with bursting lychee, hibiscus and donut peach notes, this is a total flavor bomb and one of our favorite expressions of this varietal. With just a few days’ skin contact, it remains light on its feet and beautifully poised, which is more than we can say for ourselves every time we open a bottle. This one goes down easy!
The winemaker: Dambach-la-Ville is an ancient fortified village on the eastern slopes of the Voges in north eastern France. The 4th generation to farm here, Léo brings a new vision and methodology to his family domaine. Working to maintain sustainability and affordability, he shows that additive-free, non conventional winemaking can be a viable option in this traditionally farmed and historically hallowed enclave. Léo studied in Montpellier, then went on to Switzerland to study Oenology. It was there that he began to drink the natural wines that would eventually turn his head and heart to dream of a new future for the family estate. It was in 2017 that Leo persuaded his parents to convert the domaine to organic viticulture, and he began to take over from them at the same time, creating his own range of natural wines alongside the more traditional wines of the estate. He has held firm to his vision of farming and vinification with chemical-free, traditional techniques, all cuvées are wild fermented, unfiltered and are sulphur free. In Léo’s own words he “tries to make fresh, digestible and fluid wines” and we'd have to say he succeeds in doing just that.
The geeky details: 100% Gewürztraminer from the granite soils of Dambach la Ville, Alsace. Maceration for 3 days in destemmed harvests, followed by maturation in concrete vat for 8 months without sulfur additions.
Serve: With a chill.
Food pairing: Sichuan food with spicy, numbing notes. Spicy trout with chili sauce. Moroccan chicken. Tandoori!
Album pairing: Earth Boys - Mythic Music