Marcel Deiss - Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Cru 2019

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A lovely, complex bouquet of fresh fruit (pineapple, nectarine, peach, apricot), with a touch of the vineyard’s characteristic minerality—radiant. On the palate, a smooth balance paired with powerful acidity, while the soil’s vanilla notes enhance its charm. However, it needs time to age before its minerality can be fully appreciated on the palate.

About the estate:

While Jean-Michel Deiss spends a great deal of time in his vineyards, it is his son Mathieu who oversees the winemaking process. A charming winemaker, his sensitivity is evident in the evolution of the wines, particularly the Pinot Noirs, which become more delicate and refined with each vintage. For the whites, experiments with maceration lend depth and richness to the textures on the palate. As a winemaker-entrepreneur, Mathieu has expanded the vineyard from 27 to 45 hectares, including his Vignoble du Rêveur project, which he runs with his partner Emmanuelle Milan. Since 2020, two hectares have been dedicated to the production of grapevines, and the estate has acquired its own planting machine, strengthening its autonomy and mastery of all aspects of the winemaking craft.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Made from at least 60% Riesling, the 2019 Altenberg Grand Cru is very clear, deep, pure, and aromatic on the nose, offering notes of ripe peach and subtle botrytis alongside aromas of ripe apricot. Sweet and rich yet very refined on the elegant, briny finish, this Altenberg resembles a gold-capped Mosel Auslese but with more tannins and less sulfur. It is an impressive wine to serve with cheese, for example. Very stimulating on clay and marl soils with decomposed limestone. Immaculate. 12.3% alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the estate in May 2022.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

The Altenberg offers great purity and crystalline elegance, with its mellow limestone notes, and is a wine of phenomenal smoothness and length. Given its balanced richness, it deserves to be cellared for 20 years to fully reveal its complexity.

About the estate:

Mathieu Deiss has taken over from his father, Jean-Michel, at the helm of this venerable estate in Bergheim. Mixed planting remains the guiding principle, even for the grand cru wines. Although the practice is a time-honored tradition in the region, it is rarely followed today and remains a source of strong division among winemakers. The Deiss family continues to push the boundaries of this approach, producing compelling, complex wines with marvelous intensity of flavor and incredible balance. Mathieu has also created the Vignoble du Rêveur from his mother’s vineyards in Bennwihr (where he produces, notably, top-tier orange wines). The wines are exceptional for the region, which can be a bit confusing for the consumer, but the result is magnificent. A few years of hindsight allow us to analyze the precision of the terroir definitions and these wines’ ability to maintain their own balance. Don’t miss the estate’s unique geo-sensory tasting experience, which helps you understand the relationship between the wine’s characteristics and the terroir where it was born.

Vinous

James Suckling

About the wine:

A striking nose of toasted rye bread, forest honey, candied orange, and dried Persian lemon. Full-bodied and powerful yet graceful on the palate, it offers immense concentration and spice. There must be a certain natural sweetness from the grapes, but it gets lost in the cavernous depth of this astonishing wine. It is just beginning to reveal its depth in the massive and incredibly complex finish. A blend of traditional grape varieties, centered on Riesling. Made from organically grown grapes certified by Ecocert. Ready to drink or for aging.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Golden color. An intense bouquet marked by notes of saffron, roasted pineapple, ripe mango, and passion fruit. It even reveals some earthy undertones. On the palate, the wine is rich, charming, and taut. It has a salty attack but nevertheless displays breadth. It plays on multiple levels, creating a balance between precision, fullness, and charm. A lively, rich, straightforward wine with a persistent finish that is inviting, comforting, and reassuring! 2029–2064