Alsace Gewurtztraminer Les Elements 2020 Domaine Bott-Geyl

The Alsace Gewurztraminer Les Éléments 2020 from Domaine Bott Geyl is an intense and complex Gewurztraminer, with a delicious, easy drinking sweetness and notes of flowers, spice and exotic fruit. The Les Éléments range is the estate's varietal series, an excellent entry point into the world of Jean Christophe Bott: an intense, balanced and elegant wine, ready to drink now, that will evolve gracefully over the years to come.

Terroir and vineyards

The grapes come from the villages of Beblenheim and Zellenberg, on marl, loam and limestone soils, with part of the fruit at times sourced from Grands Crus. The estate has been farmed organically since 2000 and biodynamically since 2002, with low yields, short winter pruning, tilling, ploughing and applications of organic compost. Harvesting is by hand, in 40 kilo crates, followed by sorting. The juice is neither enzymed, chaptalised, inoculated nor fined. Fermentation, at controlled temperature, is started by wild yeasts and lasts several months. The wine then rests on fine lees in stainless steel tanks before bottling.

Tasting profile

The colour is deep and intense. The nose is spicy and exotic, showing lychee, rose, lemon zest and orange peel, ripe pear and juicy peach. On the palate the wine is round, generous in fruit, intense, balanced and elegant, with a touch of citrus zest and and fine acidity, in a balanced, medium sweet style. The finish is long and floral.

The estate

Heir to a family tradition dating back to 1795, when his ancestor Jean Martin Geyl worked his vines and made his own wine, Jean Christophe Bott has run Domaine Bott Geyl in Beblenheim since 1993. The estate, founded in 1926 through the union of the Bott family of Ribeauvillé and the Geyl family of Beblenheim, covers some fifteen hectares spread across numerous plots, several of them Grands Crus and lieux dits. The wines are full and supple, with a well controlled richness that never tips into heaviness.

Food and wine pairing

This Gewurztraminer pairs well with Asian or Oriental cuisine, boudin noir, foie gras, blue cheeses or Munster. Served at around 8 to 9 °C, after half an hour in a decanter, it can be enjoyed now or will continue to evolve for a few years.