Log in / Sign up Ostertag Riesling Les Jardins 2020
Domaine Ostertag is clearly one of the most dynamic producers in Alsace, and certainly one the highest rated. Where in many areas Alsace has fallen behind star producers in Germany and Austria, Ostertag is one that bucks this trend. This is a family-run property comprising 12 hectares spread over more than 75 small plots of vines within five villages: Epfig (55%); Nothalten (34%); Itterswiller (4%); Ribeauvillé (6%); and Albé (1%).
Biodynamism was extended to 100% of the Domaine in 1998, precluding any use of herbicides, chemical fertilisers, and insecticides. All viticultural work is done manually, including harvest. In the cellar, press cycles are long and gentle, fermentations are long and conducted with indigenous yeasts, and wines are left on their lees. Barrels are used for Pinot Blanc, Gris (sometimes), and Pinot Noir. Arthur Ostertag, whose involvement deepened with the 2015 harvest, effectively assumed the helm from his father in 2018. Arthur's instincts and sensitivity mirror those of his passionate and free-thinking father, and we believe these wines have never been better.
Biodynamic producer
The Riesling Les Jardins results from a blend of twelve different plots located around the winery, essentially in the village of Epfig. The soils are varied: clay, sandstone, sand, and volcanic sediments. These are farmed biodynamically. Most plots are located on gentle slopes with light soils, and it also contains a varying amount of declassified lieu-dit or grand cru fruit.
We look for an unpretentious, youthful, fruit-driven wine that captures the personality of the village’s terroirs, which are dominantly based on sandstone. They give the wine a particularly delicate, aromatic, and mouthwatering character
Smoked trout salad
The grapes were gently airbag-pressed as whole bunches for nine hours. Spontaneous fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks. It underwent malolactic fermentation like all our wines and was aged for a year on its lees, still in stainless steel. It was bottled at the beginning of September 2021, with a balance of 13.5% alcohol and 2g/L residual sugar. It’s a dry wine, certified organic and biodynamic. The result is a Riesling with very delicate aromas of white flowers, white peaches, and flowering vines. The palate is moreish and makes you salivate, the acidity is fine and persistent, and the finish brings an almost salty sensation. There is in this wine all the grace of a fruit-driven Riesling with a dimension close to our mineral-focused wines. – Arthur Ostertag
