Technical presentation
| Bottling : | August 2015 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13.3° |
| Residual sugar : | 2.5 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 4. g/l H2SO4 (6.4 g/l Acide Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.2 |
| Yield : | 25 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2018-2034 |
| Average age of vines : | 33 years |
| Terroir : | Rotenberg |
| Sweetness index : | 1 |
| Soil : | Red limestone Oligociene period, Steep slope, West North West facing |
Description of the wine Pinot Gris Rotenberg 2014
The Rotenberg vineyard is located on the west and north side of the Grand Cru Hengst. Our vineyard is on the edge of the Rotenberg, facing west and quite high on the hillside (350m). The red soil is poor, shallow, very rocky and red in colour because it is rich in iron element. Grapes ripen slowly here and keep great acidity. They also develop noble rot late, so it is easy to harvest it at the right moment, when the ripeness is ideal for a dry wine. Rotenberg usually ferments very slowly but has that potential to become quite dry, or super dry as in 2014. Fruit flies could be a bad problem in 2014 for the Pinot-Gris grape, but not in the Rotenberg as it benefits from the valley winds that keep the insects at bay.
Tasting notes
09/2016 : Intense yellow/straw colour. The nose shows complex honeyed aromatics, discreet fruits and still a strong lees influence. It is fascinating to see the changes over a few hours and how much more interesting the wine becomes. It eventually opens up to ripe fruits, smoke, bee wax… The palate is firm, almost austere at the beginning and feels very dry. The red limestone brings an unmistakable grain and mineral touch on the finish.
The Rotenberg of Wintzenheim
The Rotenberg is the summit of the hill whose south facing slopes make up the Grand Cru Hengst. The steep slopes of Rotenberg are west facing and look onto the Haut Landsbourg Chateau. The point where the slope turns towards the north is the start of a small lieu-dit called Hinterberg, within the Rotenberg.