In the autumn of 2016 I visited Domaine Rolly Gassmann in Rorschwihr, Alsace, France. I had been there before and knew what was waiting for me; a mammoth tasting of 60+ wines, enough to get tired taste buds by the time one gets to the Gewurztraminers (of which there were no less than 10 on offer) at the bottom of this long list.

Now Rolly Gassmann wines are often marked by a degree of sweetness, or certain opulence if you wish. This is because Pierre Gassmann is a firm believer in Biodynamic viticulture and harvests only grapes of full physiological ripeness. This approach works well on for example a ‘lowly’ grape like Sylvaner. Other examples can sometimes be thin and insipid, but the Gassmann treatment works wonders and his Sylvaners are a great illustration of this; quite big and round, but with good acidity. Both are keenly priced too, the Réserve Millésime 2010 retails at € 7.50, the Weingarten de Rorschwihr 2007 €10.00.

Another wine that stood out during the tasting was the Muscat Moenchreben de Rorschwihr 2012 (€16.00). This very well crafted Muscat has a nose of crushed grapes and rose petals, rich and big from the considerable residual sugar, yet still quite a dry finish due to the good acidity.

 

Muscat Moenchreben de Rorschwihr 2012

 

The nine Rieslings on offer were another highlight of the tasting.  I would pick the basic Riesling Réserve Millésime 2014 over the other dry and off-dry Rieslings, even though there were some very good ones among the rest (the Riesling Silberberg de Rorschwihr 2009 for example). The Riesling Réserve Millésime 2014 (a total steal at €11.00) has big fruit on the nose, with floral, pear, and whet stone notes, ending in a long and mineral finish. This is top notch stuff for a basic Riesling. I really like it when a domaine’s basic wines are of such high quality, a sure sign of high standards, care, and craftsmanship.

Yet the star Riesling was the stunning Riesling Rorschwihr Sélection de Grains Nobles 2010, mainly made from grapes from the lieu-dit Oberer Weingarten de Rorschwihr, so I have been told. This is a superb SGN Riesling; candied lemons and limes, honeyed botrytis richness, all carried by a great acidic backbone that never tires and a finish that never seems to end. An absolutely stunning wine and worth every penny of the €100.00 price tag. I feel privileged to have 12 bottles in my cellar and I can’t wait to see how this wine develops over the next 10-15 years.

I wish I could write something meaningful about the Gewurztraminers, but I have to confess that after the Pinot Gris the palate became tired and the notes became increasingly sparse. I did however note that the Gewurztraminer Altenberg de Bergheim 2011, from Rolly Gassmann’s recently acquired 0.16 hectares on Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim, was rich but with enough balancing acidity, pleasing tropical notes and some spice coming through as well. This is a lovely Gewurztraminer.

Spittoons at Rolly Gassmann are ‘basic’

I could go on about this house’s excellent Auxerrois, luscious Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles, and the rich entry level blend Terroir de Chateaux Forts, but I think people need to experience these wines for themselves. If you can’t make it to Rorschwihr yourself, The Wine Society and Waitrose usually offer a selection of Rolly Gassmann’s wines.  Get a bottle of their Gewurztraminer, a big wedge of Munster cheese , some crusty French bread, and you almost feel like you are in Alsace. That is what these wines do, as they have such a great sense of place. And I love them for it.