2017 MELANIE PFISTER “PAAR” – ALSACE, FRANCE
Pinot Blanc/Auxerrois
Winemaking details: Domaine Pfister was established in 1780 and current winemaker Mélanie took over from her father in 2006. In the 80’s her father stoped using herbicides, and the domaine in currently in transition to being certified organic. Paar means pair in German, alluding to the wonderful pairing these two varietals make together. Most of these vines were planted in the 70’s on predominantly clay soils. After hand harvesting, the grapes are pressed and fermented and aged in steel tanks on lees before bottling.
Color: Pale Gold
Bouquet: Honeysuckle, green pear, candied lemon peel, white peach, wet gravel, and just a hint of bread crust.
Palate: This wine is fresh and thirst-quenching with bright acidity and texture from extended lees aging. Stone fruit and citrus flavors intermingle with a long, slightly sweet finish. The Paar would pair beautifully with baked goat cheese salad, roasted butternut squash soup, and pork schnitzel.
This wine is drinking great now but will still be enjoyable within the next 1 to 3 years.
Further information can be found here: https://melaniepfister.fr/
2017 DOMAINE D’AUPILHAC – LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
Mourvédre/Syrah/Carignan/Grenache/Cinsault
Winemaking details: Vines in this area date back to the Roman times, and Sylvain Fadat is the fifth generation in his family to tend vines. As a dedicated vigneron, he has decided to work hard and certify his grapes as both organic and biodynamic, as he believes vine health is where natural balance in the wines come from. For this blend of his, the soils range from Limestone to clay and even blue marl. After hand harvesting, fermenting with native yeasts in open top steel tanks, and macerating for 15-30 days, the wine is pressed to age for 20 months in barrel before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Color: Medium Ruby
Bouquet: This wine welcomes us into fall with a nose of warm baking spices, fresh earth, plums, wild berry bramble, and dusty rose petals.
Palate: Dusty cocoa and chewy tannins are balanced by a refreshing acidity and vast array of flavors. This wine is juicy and bold, yet still elegant enough to show delicate floral notes and complexities. A few great pairings would be braised lamb with garlic and rosemary, venison with a fall fruit compote, or sautéed wild mushrooms with bitter greens.
We recommend decanting this wine or letting it breathe for an hour before enjoying. While tasty now, this wine could age for 5 to 7 more years.
Further information can be found here: d'Aupilhac