Technical presentation
| Bottling : | September 2006 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 14.9° |
| Residual sugar : | 34.4 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.7 g/l H2SO4 (5.7 g/l Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.55 |
| Average age of vines : | 24 years |
| Grape variety : | Pinot Gris |
| Terroir : | Rotenberg |
| Sweetness index : | 3 |
| Soil : | Red limestone Oligociene period, Steep slope, West North West facing |
Description of the wine Pinot Gris Rotenberg 2005
The Rotenberg vineyard (‘Red Hill’) is located on the other side of the Hengst GC hill, facing North West, but on a similar young calcareous mother rock. The main difference is that there is much less marl on the top of the calcareous base, and therefore it is a much poorer soil, very well suited to the Pinot Gris cultivar. The abundance of iron gives the soil a dark red colour. The exposition allows botrytis to develop intensely (fog in the morning-sun in the evening), and in a vintage like 2005, botrytis just conquered all the grapes like bees on flowers. The exceptional late October weather allowed for noble rot, which we selected to make an SGN. This wine was made from the few healthy grapes left on the vines.
Tasting notes
01/2007 : The fermentation lasted a couple months and stopped: too much richness for the yeasts! The nose is a mixture of minerals, humus and fresh fruits flavours. Not as open yet as the VV, but certainly more complex. The palate is really rich, with strong evidence of noble rot and roundness. Like most 2005s, it does hide its richness in a beautiful harmonious finish. Too keep !
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.