Domaine Marcel Deiss - Alsace Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim 2004

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

The first grand cru planted on the estate, Altenberg is powerful, smooth, and very deep, with an almost perfect expression of the minerality of the terroir. A wine with excellent aging potential.

About the estate:

While Jean-Michel Deiss spends a lot of time in his vineyards, it is his son Mathieu who is in charge of winemaking. An engaging winemaker, his sensitivity is evident in the evolution of the wines, particularly the Pinot Noirs, which are more delicate and refined with each vintage. In the whites, maceration trials give thickness and depth to the textures on the palate. 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 vine plants and the estate has acquired its own planting machine, reinforcing its autonomy and control over all aspects of the winegrowing profession.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

From a Grand Cru site traditionally excellent for Gewurztraminer, which Deiss has densely planted with the full range of Alsatian grape varieties, his 2004 Altenberg de Bergheim glows with honey, lilies, baking spices, orange liqueur, and citrus zest. On the palate, the wine has an underlying density that evokes minerality and undoubtedly explains in large part why a residual sugar level of nearly three digits results in a wine that is sweet, but not overly so. Candied citrus, orange liqueur and marmalade, peach jam, nut paste, honey, and vanilla, as well as the richness of the dough and the texture of butter, give this wine a pastry-like character—if one simply imagines chalk powder instead of flour. It finishes with remarkable elevation and elegance for such a rich wine.

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

About the estate:

Mathieu Deiss has succeeded his father Jean-Michel at the helm of this venerable Bergheim estate. Mixed planting remains the guiding principle, even for the grands crus. Although the process is ancestral in the region, it is still rarely practiced and strongly divides winegrowers. The Deiss family continues to push the boundaries of this approach, producing compelling, complex wines with wonderful intensity of flavor and incredible balance. Mathieu has also created the Vignoble du Rêveur from his mother's vineyards in Bennwihr (where he produces high-quality orange wines, among other things). The wines are unusual for the region, which is a little confusing for consumers, but the result is magnificent. A few years' hindsight allows us to analyze the precision of the terroir definitions and the ability of these wines to manage their own balance. Discover the estate's unique geo-sensory tasting experience, which allows you to understand the relationship between the characteristics of the wine and the terroir where it was born.

Vinous

James Suckling