Perched on the eastern slopes of the Vosges Mountains bordering Germany, and slightly south of Strasbourg, Alsace reveals a rich, confounding and fascinating history. Not only has the region changed hands between France and Germany countless times, which has resulted in predominantly French-speaking citizens with German accents, but there is infinitely more to the ancient locale’s history and culinary evolution. While some of the region’s varietals are commonly associated with Germany, this Pinot Noir is quintessentially French. Regardless of the varietal’s origin, the terroir is unique to Alsace. Thanks to the Vosges Mountains’ rain shadow effect, the vineyards of Alsace are some of the coolest in France but get significantly less rain and a perfect dose of sunshine, allowing the ideal phenolic ripeness in such a northern spot. There are few better stewards of this fascinating terrain than Florian Beck-Hartweg.

 

The Beck-Hartweg family has been making wine in the picturesque village of Dambach-la-Ville in the northern reaches of cultivated Alsace – or Bas-Rhin – since 1590! Today, Florian and Mathilde represent the fourteenth generation to farm this family’s 5.5 hectares of charmed terroir. The couple is passionately devoted to organic viticulture and the life force behind their vines. In the cellar, they ferment with strictly wild yeasts and only use the minimal amount of sulfur. Florian intervenes as little as possible with the innate process of winemaking and depends predominantly on the health of the vineyards and the personality of each vintage. This Pinot Noir ‘F’ hails from the Grand Cru Frankstein Vineyard but is not labeled as such since Pinot Noir is not classified as a Grand Cru varietal in the appellation. The incredibly old vines are rooted in granite soils, which results in ample concentration and a distinct sense of place in the glass. Harvest of the organically farmed vineyard is conducted entirely by hand. The fruit is destemmed then the grapes are slowly macerated for two weeks. The wine is aged for eleven months in casks that are over 100 years old. The wine is then bottled without filtration or sulfites and results in a pristine, natural expression that represents the best Pinot Noir the storied terrain of Alsace can muster.