Alsace Willm - Gewurztraminer - Reserve 2020

Tasting notes

This pretty Gewurztraminer has golden yellow hints. Nice aromatic intensity and exotic fruits. The bouquet is intense and develops rich aromas of exotic fruit (passion, pineapple, litchi), flowers (roses) and spices (pepper, cinnamon). Round and well-balanced with good persistence, finishing on spicy notes.

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.

If Willm isn’t in an American history book, it should be. The winery was the first producer in Alsace to export to the United States after prohibition, and it’s said that Al Capone favored the wines after his release from Alcatraz. Though the Willm family has been making wine in Alsace since 1896, their French heritage dates back to 1398. Willm’s portfolio includes four Grand Crus, sparkling Cremant d’Alsace and late-harvest sweet wines, in addition to their reserve range. The winery is known for its easy-drinking, well-priced Riesling that pairs well with shellfish, grilled seafood and white meats. Among Alsace’s rarer sparklers is Willm’s Crémant d’Alsace Blanc de Noirs, a white bubbly made from 100% Pinot Noir. The vineyards span the Haut-Rhin (upper Rhine) and the Bas-Rhin (lower Rhine) in three locations, encompassing a diversity of soils and allowing Willm to produce a range of styles. The winery received its organic certification in 2012.

Food pairing

This wine serves great as an aperitif or with oriental and Asian cuisine (Thai, Chinese, Moroccan and Indian), Roast meat combined with exotic fruits , spiced salads, fruit pies and crumbles, blue cheeses.

Winery Technical Data

- 100% Hand harvesting
- Extended and soft pressing
- 4-6 weeks controlled fermentation in stainless steel
- Maturing on the fine lees for another 2 to 3 months
- Alcohol : 12.8% vol.
- Residual sugar : 17.48 g/l
- Total Acidit: 2.86 g/l
- Aging potential: Enjoy it now or keep it up to 5 years.

Vineyard

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.

Our 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 our 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.

Vintage

This was a vintage with a relatively mild winter, hot and sunny summer and then a cool autumn to reach the maturity of the grapes intended for the production of still wines in mid-September.

France Alsace Region Alsace