Domaine Josmeyer
France, Alsace
The Story
Cushioned between the rolling vineyards of Wintzenheim in Alsace, Domaine Josmeyer has been making wines for five generations dating back to 1854. The 25-hectare estate is spread across 90 plots, with parcels in the famous Grand Cru sites of Hengst and Brand - recognised for their exceptional wine production for centuries. Today sisters Céline and Isabelle run the Domaine and have been practising biodynamics since 2000. The hand-picked grapes are crushed slowly and left to rest in century-old wooden casks where the wines ferment naturally at their own rhythm. The wines are kept on their lees for several months during winter until they’re ready to be bottled and served on your table!
View WinesThe People
Céline and Isabelle Meyer
Since 2009 Céline and Isabelle have taken on the management of the Domaine from their much-loved father, Jean. A family of artists - both Céline and Isabelle studied fine arts and history of art before Isabelle went on to study Oenology. Today Isabelle is in charge of the cellar and the winemaking, while Céline manages the Domaine, the vineyard activities, all of the biodynamic preparations and the beautiful poetry on the back labels. The family have been collaborating with artists since 1987 to create colourful label designs that evoke the wine's personality.
As Jean Meyer used to say, “wine is like a pencil stroke,” but the greatest works of art are the wines themselves. Pure, elegant terroir-driven wines, each one crafted to be enjoyed with food. Today Céline and Isabelle are making new cuvées outside of the appellation - pursuing their creative instinct and trying different styles while continuing the great works the make up the founding pillars of their extensive portfolio.
Watch Céline Josmeyer’s interview with 67 Pall Mall, where she discusses the art of vinifying dry white wines from Alsace.
The Place
Alsace, France
One of the many treasures of Domaine Josmeyer is the terroir...
Hengst Grand Cru
The soil of the 360-meter high slope dominates the vineyard. A mixture of limestone from the Vosges and chalky marl dating as far back as the Jurassic period. Generally speaking, this terroir tends to produce rich, full-bodied, expressive wines. They have an untamed character in their youth, reminiscent of the vineyard's name - "stallion". They slowly mature to astonishing aromatics and fabulous richness. Think of Tina Turner, and this would be the character that you get from marl limestone soils.
Brand Grand Cru
This relatively well-protected hillside vineyard behind the village of Turkheim, has a south-southeast exposure. The wines produced from this vineyard are regal yet lively, fine-structured, pure and intelligent. A restrained palate of subtle complexities. The very opposite of the Hengst terroir.
Herrenweg
Between Wintzenheim and Turckheim, these flat alluvial are rich in clay. The soil is predominantly of sand, shingle, silt, pebbles and loess. The wines produced from this vineyard are soft and sensual.
Drachenloch (Dragon hole)
This exceptional geographical site is considered to be one of the warmest in Alsace. The vineyard is composed of limestone soil, positioned in the middle of a rocky outcrop that protects it from the North and East winds.
Resting peacefully in the valley of the Vosges Mountains, the region benefits from the lowest annual rainfall in the whole of France, mainly due to the rain shield from the mountains. Keeping the areas around Wintzenheim dry and basked in sunlight - ideal conditions for biodynamic farming.
Location
“The sparkle of my wine is the sparkle of my life”
Photo credit Tom D Morgan