ABOUT: Alsace is a grand region of glorious wine and the only French wine region that prints the grape variety right there on the label. We love the region for it’s transparency and the wines are so good that it’s a pretty easy affair. Marcel Deiss is a leading biodynamic practitioner in the region making a variety of wines and styles from a myriad of vineyards, but the really interesting thing he does is make field blend wines from Grand Cru sites. This means that the vineyards are planted with a mess of different grapes which are all vinified together and provides an unparalleled impression of the land. Notably, Deiss was the producer who petitioned the Alsace AOC to allow field blends into the Grand Cru system. This particular wine comes from the Burg terrior inside of Bergheim, a cooler region which produces seriously complex white wines. TASTE: The Marcel Deiss Burg 2013 is an energized, semi-dry white wine made from a field blend of Alsatian grape varieties (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, all the Pinots, etc.). The grapes come from the Burg terrior which is a cool section of the Bergheim vineyard and laden with Keuper marls with rare calcareous intercalations. The exposure is southern and the area is in a sheltered spot at the back of the valley. Complex wines emerge from this spot annually. Here’s what the back of the bottle says: “Top growth, complex wine from ancient Keuper marl soils. Made from the co-plantation of Alsace’s noble grapes, this wine reflects the project that is the south-facing Burg terroir, ancient seigneurial vineyard Chateau Reichenberg. Its dark soils and sheltered climate give birth each year to a great white wine, extraordinarily iodized, deep and profound, complex and age-worthy.” Full –bodied with rich, tropical aromas and flavors, honey, marmalade and salt. Undeniably complex and massive ageing potential. PAIR: Pad See Ew, French onion and apple soup, boiled peanuts, basil and ricotta gnocchi, roasted fennel quiche, and lemon and garlic pasta.
