Rolly Gassmann Pinot Blanc (750ml)

The Gassmann family has been making wine in the village of Rorschwihr since 1661.  The current domaine name dates to the 1967 marriage of Marie-Therese Rolly and Louis Gassmann.  Today the estate is largely managed by their son Pierre Gassmann.  With 126 acres under vine and vast cellars extending six stories deep under their hillside and capable of holding a million bottles of wine, Domaine Rolly-Gassman makes some of the most compelling wines in Alsace.  In 1997 they added a biodynamic philosophy to their traditional ongoing approach of minimal interference with the vines. Pierre has an in-depth knowledge of estate’s terroir (a complex mosaic of limestone and marls), focuses on low yields and rigorously selects grapes.

Each plot is vinified separately using a very slow fermentation with wild natural yeasts. Fermentations generally stop in winter in their cool, deep cellars, leaving significant residual sweetness in many of the wines. The result is lush and balanced style and a certain velvety sweetness that characterizes the wines.  It is only as wines are tasted and deemed appropriately aged that the wines are released to the market, sometimes as many as 20 years after bottling.  Pierre Gassmann insists on late harvesting and lengthy cellaring after bottling, creating luscious yet balanced styles.