Technical presentation
| Bottling : | January 2025 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 12.4° |
| Residual sugar : | 0.6 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 2.8 g/l H2SO4 / (4.3g/l Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.5 |
| Yield : | 54 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2025-2035 |
| Average age of vines : | 42 years |
| Grape variety : | Auxerrois |
| Terroir : | Rotenberg |
| Sweetness index : | 1 |
| Soil : | Red limestone Oligociene period, Steep slope, West North West facing |
Description of the wine Auxerrois Rotenberg 2023
The Rotenberg is located on the western slope of the Grand Cru Hengst in the village of Wintzenheim. Its name "Red Hill" comes from the high iron concentration of the limestone soil, which takes on a red colour on the surface. This terroir is late ripening because it receives the sun's rays late in the morning and is in the shade of the close Vosges mountains early evening. Auxerrois is an early grape variety which can sometimes lack acidity. This poor and fresh limestone terroir suits it particularly well by giving the wines a beautiful acid structure and a lot of freshness. These vines were planted largely in the 1950s by Emile Zind. A small addition was made later in the early 1990s. We used to blend this vineyard with our other Pinots in the past, but starting in 2021, we decided to vinify and bottle this small cuvée apart as it really deserves it. In 2023, the ripening of the grapes was slow, but the wine fermented relatively quickly to end up with a very dry balance.
Tasting notes
01/2025: pale yellow colour. The nose expresses beautiful aromatics with lots of precision on citrus and discreet white fruits. We feel the limestone tension already on the nose. The palate quickly becomes very expressive and shows that the Auxerrois has a much more aromatic character than its cousins Pinot-Blanc or Chardonnay. The delicacy and tension of the 2023 vintage can seem surprising on this grape variety. The stony limestone terroir of Rotenberg brings character and precision. Tense, dry, saline finish which shows a beautiful ageing potential. A real Rotenberg, which exceeds the capacities of the grape variety.
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.