Sas de Grange de L’Oncle Charles - Pinot Auxerrois Pétillant Naturel - Alsace - 2019

Grapes are harvested by hand then undergo maceration. The wine is moved from vat into individual bottles while it is still fermenting, and then sealed under a crown cap. Bubbles are created when carbon dioxide gas, a byproduct of alcoholic fermentation, gets trapped in the wine. The wine is not filtered and no dosage (sugar) is added.

Farming: biodynamic

Vegan

Jerome Francois first trained to be a carpenter before becoming a sommelier. Jerome started with several rows of inherited vines from his grandfather, he moved into the family barn (grange) belonging to his Uncle a farmer named Charles, and named the winery “LA GRANGE DE L’ONCLE CHARLES."
The domaine started in early 2014 in Ostheim, Alsace. The vineyards, the meadows and orchards are farmed in biodynamie with the outmost respect for ancestral traditions. Today, Jerome farms 5.5ha of vineyards located in the towns of Ammerschwihr, Zellenberg, Kaysersberg and Ribeauville where grapes are planted in complantations and produce on average 25hl/ha. Jerome believes that his wine can purely express itself from the terroir; it is then up to the vigneron to work with minimum intervention to make quality wine.

From La Grange De L'Oncle Charles (translated from French): "The vineyard, meadows and orchards are worked in biodynamics with the greatest respect for ancient traditions. The vinifications are natural and without any input. A wine can only derive its originality from the full expression of its terroir and its microclimate. These are, moreover, the only inimitable elements in a wine, and it belongs to the winemaker; concerned about the quality of its product; to restore them as faithfully as possible, without filter and without artifice.
Over the past 50 years, our terroirs have been battered by chemical and intensive agriculture. Yields and economic result have been the priority to the detriment of product quality. We believe that quality food and a healthy environment should be everyone's concern. Without a tractor, the plowing is carried out with our draft horses: Sirus and Fastoche. This allows us to avoid unnecessary soil compaction which suffocates biological and microbiological life. We let our flock of Ouessant sheep graze in the rows of vines. In addition to mowing the grass, they provide organic fertilizer to our soils.
We are sure that the special attention we bring to the vines with our animals, respecting the soul of the plants, the earth and the environment, contributes to the sensations and sensitivity that can be found in our wines. You, we and the whole team at Uncle Charles' barn give direction, shape and cohesion to the spirit of the estate's wines."

100% Pinot Auxerrois

Auxerrois blanc or Auxerrois Blanc de Laquenexy is a white wine grape that is important in Alsace, and is also grown in Germany and Luxembourg. It is a full sibling of Chardonnay that is often blended with the similar Pinot blanc. France's 1,950 hectares (4,800 acres) of Auxerrois blanc are mostly in Alsace, with some in the Côtes de Toul of Lorraine. It is mostly blended into wines called "Pinot blanc" (which may actually consist of Auxerrois blanc, the variety Pinot blanc, Pinot gris and Pinot noir vinified white). It is an important component of Crémant d'Alsace.

Country: France
Region: Alsace

Alsace is a cultural and historical region in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. The geography of the wine growing area in Alsace is determined by two main factors, the Vosges mountains in the west and the Rhine river in the east. The vineyards are concentrated in a narrow strip, running in a roughly north–south direction, on the lower eastern slopes of the Vosges, at altitudes of 175–420 m. Those altitudes provide a good balance between temperature, drainage and sun exposure under Alsace's growing conditions. Because of predominantly westerly winds, the Vosges mountains tend to shelter Alsace from rain and maritime influence, and the region is therefore rather dry and sunny. Rainfall in Colmar is 500 mm, but can vary greatly between sites, and is the driest city in France. While the slope down the Vosges is generally east-facing, many of the best sites are south-west to south-east facing, and benefit from extra sun exposure. Alsace's geology is quite varied, with many different kinds of soils represented in the vineyards. Alsace’s soils are a result of its location at a geological fault. Alsace as a whole is located on the western part of the Rhine Graben, which is the result of two systems of parallel faults, with a dropped down block between the Vosges and the Black Forest

Tasting: Loads of citrus fruits with a touch of apricot and minerality

Pairing: cheesy cornmeal fritters, lobster roll