Technical presentation
| Bottling : | February 2007 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 14° |
| Residual sugar : | 7.0 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.9 g/l H2SO4 |
| Yield : | 33 hl/ha |
| Average age of vines : | 31 years |
| Grape variety : | Riesling |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Brand |
| Sweetness index : | 2 |
| Soil : | Granite biotite, South/South East facing, Steep slope |
Description of the wine Riesling Grand Cru Brand 2005
Only the two oldest vineyards in the Brand are used to make this wine. They are located in the middle of the hill, on a steep South slope, made of poor old granite. Poor? Only in appearance, as this granite is made of black mica, which is broken down into high quality clay, capable of adsorbing lots of minerals, under the action of the micro-organisms in the soil. (A dead soil can’t make terroir wine). Those grapes were harvested at very high level of ripeness and we did mark the cask (unfortunately too small!) as a vendange tardive. I have often seen wines going in a completely opposite direction than what I expected, but here, the Brand left me speechless. Not only the fermentation lasted 15 months, but the yeasts transformed all the sugars, making a dry wine. At the time I ordered the wine labels, I still thought that it will definitely keep some sweetness, but I was wrong. Does it work? Yes, it is a fabulous wine.
Tasting notes
01/2007 : The nose is still under the strong influence of the fermentation and the long lees contact, but it is possible to see really powerful complex fruits emerging from the wine. Brand is usually open and aromatic in its youth; here it is more mineral and profound than overtly sexy. The palate is simply stunning. The nose can be quite fooling as one could expect a sweet wine. Rich, powerful, intense and long but with this delicacy not other grape than Riesling can bring ! Dry finish.
The Brand Grand Cru of Turckheim
In the Brand, this variety acquires finesse and elegance (floral and fruit aromas) without ever becoming coarse or too heavy. The Brand always surprises by the precocity of its wines, but whilst expressive young they also have a great ability to age. The nature of this terroir makes it easy to obtain an optimal ripeness whilst retaining a fine acidity