Josmeyer Gewurztraminer Selection de Grains Nobles

THE VINTAGE:
January is dry. February is mild and rainy. Spring begins in March and the mercury climbs to 26 °C at the end of the month. The cold is back in April (5 ° C to 15 ° C). May is beautiful, June is dry and the flowering starts on the 18th. July is punctuated by storms (80 mm / month), so as August is dry (14mm). Drought Hangs a little ripening grapes. It develops again after a beneficial rain (September 12 – 10mm). Wepicked the Auxerrois and Muscat in pre-harvest on September 19. The official harvest begins September 27.The maturities of Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer are exceptional. This is the first time in our history thatwe’ve cellared grapes displaying such extraordinary maturity (more than 350g of sugar per liter).

TERROIR:
Between Wintzenheim and Turckheim these flat alluvian deposits of the Fecht are rich in clay(22%). The soil is predominantly of sand, shingle, and silt with a high incidence of pebbles and frequentplates of loess. From this vineyard come wines which are soft and sensual.

VINIFICATION:
The grapes were hand picked and whole-bunch pressed very slowly and gently in pneumaticpresses over 5-8 hours to give a clean must and a beneficial amount of skin contact. Transferred to thermoregulated stainless steel tanks the juice then began a natural fermentation using only its own natural yeast which lasted for one month. The fermentation was initially temperature controlled but was eventually allowed to proceed at its own pace to allow the wine to develop its own character and complexity. The wine stabilized in stainless steel tanks naturally during the winter season and, following a very gentle filtering,was bottled in March 2007 before the heat of summer to preserve the natural carbonic gas (a natural antioxidant).Malolactic fermentation is always avoided at Josmeyer and no chaptalization takes place.

TASTING NOTES:
Here we find the lychee, the mango, candied orange and the tangerine. Now in the mouth wefeel the gingerbread and the cinnamon. A wine of great intensity, with great finesse, delicacy and nobility. Amarvelous wine as these tales of the Arabian Nights. A wine made for dreaming …

FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS:
Desserts based on tropical fruits (mango, pineapple) or orange