Alsace Riesling Grafenreben SGN 2015 Domaine Bott-Geyl

The Alsace Riesling Grafenreben Sélection de Grains Nobles 2015 from Domaine Bott Geyl is a rare sweet Riesling, drawn from the “vignes du comte”, the lieu dit most favoured for Riesling in Zellenberg. A Sélection de Grains Nobles sits at the summit of Alsace's hierarchy of sweet wines, concentrating the aromatic power of noble rot together with the saline tension of this clay limestone terroir: a wine for contemplation, with great longevity.

Terroir and vineyards

The Grafenreben lies in the commune of Zellenberg, on a clay marl limestone bedrock facing south and south east, made of brown, lightly calcareous marls studded with small quartz pebbles. This heavy, stony soil gives the Riesling its intense, saline character, with nuances of white stone fruit. The vineyard has been farmed organically since 2000 and biodynamically since 2002, without synthetic inputs and at low yields. For this Sélection de Grains Nobles, the grapes, touched by noble rot, are picked berry by berry, by hand, over successive passes through the vineyard, at an exceptional level of concentration. Fermentation, very slow, is carried out with indigenous yeasts, without enzymes, chaptalisation or fining, after which the wine is aged at length on fine lees and kept at the estate before release.

Tasting profile

The colour is a deep gold. The nose is intense and complex, evoking candied apricot, roasted peach, candied citrus, honey, beeswax, dried flowers and botrytis notes, with a mineral edge. On the palate, the liquor is dense and unctuous, highly concentrated, yet carried by the Riesling's lively acidity, which gives it brilliance and tension. The finish is endless, saline and lemony, balancing the sweetness.

The estate

Heir to a family tradition dating back to 1795, Jean Christophe Bott has run Domaine Bott Geyl in Beblenheim since 1993. He converted the estate to organic farming in 2000, then to biodynamics in 2002, and vinifies in a natural, minimalist manner. The domaine covers some fifteen hectares across several Grands Crus and lieux dits, and its Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles are among its most acclaimed cuvées.

Food and wine pairing

This Sélection de Grains Nobles pairs well with foie gras terrine, blue cheeses such as Roquefort, a mature Munster, an apricot tart, a dessert built on citrus or exotic fruit, or can be enjoyed on its own as a contemplative wine. Served between 8 and 10 °C, it is ready to drink now, or can be kept for several decades.