A History of the domain
Located on the hillsides of Dambach-la-ville in the Alsace region of northeastern France, thefamily heritage dates back to the 18th century.
In 1960, the Estate was expended with the marriage of Guy to Anne-Lise whose family owned an adjoining Estate. 12 hectares are now planted; 2,5 of which are classified as Grand Cru Frankstein. All wines are Estate grown, vinified and bottled.
Joined by their son Stéphane in 2000, the Estate is now cultivated on an organic way (will be shortly certified) to extract the delicate minerality from our terroir made out of granite.
The Grand Cru Frankstein
In 1976, when the appellation “Grand Cru Frankstein” commenced, it was awarded to the best terroir of the region.
It is limited to 56 hectares of land between 220 and 310 meters in altitude, facing southeast for maximum morning sunshine. The soil is granite in origin, ensuring the vines retain warmth and have good drainage.
Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer and ideally suited to Frankstein growing conditions. These wines are at their best after a few years cellaring. Riesling is delicate, mineral and offers intense yet fine floral aromas. Pinot Gris is remarkable with its toasted bread, forest floor and smoky notes. Gewurztraminer is an elegant, racy, spicy wine with characteristic fruitiness.
Our Organic Viticultural Methods
Because we firmly believe that the quality of our wine depends above all on the quality of our vines, we cultivate our vines with a great deal of care, paying particular attention to the health of the soil. We favour the use of "natural enherbement maintained" [grassing down] to encourage natural diversity in the plants found in our vineyards. This biodiversity makes for excellent soil structure by providing a complex root system at varied depths. These roots (as well as their breakdown) provide organic material and aerate the soil. This in turn promotes microbial activity.
During a three-year cycle, we use a tool for mechanically cutting the grass between vines and rows (working on every other row). During the fourth year we then till the soil (also using an “inter-vine” method) in order to avoid too much competition between the plants and the vines. This scheme can be adapted to suit the age of the vines and the type of soil.
We only manipulate the superficial layer of the soil to preserve its original structure. In order to maintain the balance achieved, we avoid packing our soil wherever possible (use of light machinery – small crawler tractor, quad bike, low-pressure tyres – and optimization of movement within the vineyards). With the benefit of controlled growth and microbial activity, the vines become less susceptible to parasites.
The plants growing in our vineyards – proof that the soil is healthy and well-balanced – are often edible: lamb’s lettuce, Queen Anne’s lace, bear’s garlic, dandelion, horse mint, many-flowered onion, etc. Other plants include clover, vetch, camomile, chickweed, wild tulips, two varieties of daisies, bluebells, cornflowers, poppies, carnations, veronica, wild pansies, violets, etc.