Technical Details
Food pairing
Foie gras, Indian Curries, crawfish, spicy food (the sweetness ease the spice), chinese food, strong cheeses like blue cheese, warm apple tart "tatin" and vanilla ice-cream, exotic fruit salads, dark chocolate desserts
Background
Specific terroir, south-east sun exposure with a soil of marl and limestone. The vines are on slopes, high up (260metres). This amazing terroir gives the wine refine minerality and complexity
Clos gaensbroennel : The emblem on this label is of the goose fountain, the plot has been one of the historical cuvée of Willm since the 30's. Specific plot on the botton of the vines, separated from the others because of its exceptional soil. When it's raining, the minerals are falling and concentrate on the bottom and give more flavors and minerality to the wine. Between 10 and 20 years ageing potential
Description
The Willm vineyard is located in the Barr region of northern Alsace at an altitude of 200-400 meters, extending from the mountainous base of the Vosges to the plains of Alsace and the Rhine. Bordered by the Vosges Mountains to the west, the Barr hillsides benefit from a dry and sunny microclimate thanks to their south-southeast exposure, optimal for cultivating the vines. The fluctuation between warm days and cool nights in autumn is conducive to a slow, prolonged grape maturation.
The diverse soils are a product of the region’s diverse landscape. The mountainous Vosges make way for smaller hills which stretch into various flatlands—just a few of about a dozen geological formations that comprise the region’s landscape. The vineyard itself consists primarily of granite and clay-limestone soils, while the coastal marine environment contributes to the terroir’s mineral-rich quality.
Estate
In 1896 the Willm family founded the Willm Estate in Barr, at the foot of the majestic Kirchberg de Barr Grand Cru vineyard. Willm has always been concerned with revealing the best of its terroirs and sharing its exceptional wines with the whole world. Thanks to the adventurous founder Emile WILLM, the estate’s wines were the first from Alsace to be exported to the United States in the early 1930s, after prohibition laws were lifted. Their wines are celebrated for their blend freshness, minerality and elegance; they are synonymous with tradition, terroir, purity and refinement.
Tasting notes
Pale yellow with yellow gold sparkles. Complex and intense nose, floral and spicy at the same time. It has weight as well as sweetness, but it’s the potential and ageability that is so impressive. Spice and gingerbread notes, as well as fine acidity, lend complexity to the honeyed, yellow fruits.
