Domaine Ostertag "Fronholz" Riesling, Alsace, France 2022

FROM KERMIT LYNCH:

THE WINE: 100% Riesling. Located on the top and the southwest slopes of the hill of Epfig, the Fronholz vineyard gives wines with marked minerality, firm acidity, and elegant aromas that can be rather discreet in their youth. The estate’s four hectares are divided among Riesling (1 ha), Muscat (0.3 ha), Pinot Noir (0.3 ha), Pinot Gris (0.75 ha), Gewurztraminer (1.3 ha), and Sylvaner (0.35 ha).

THE PRODUCER: If each generation leaves its mark on a domaine, André Ostertag’s on Domaine Ostertag can’t be underestimated. In the 1980s, after training in Burgundy, he returned to the family domaine his father built in the 1960s with renewed zeal: he lowered yields considerably, brought biodynamic viticulture to his fourteen hectares of vineyards, and sought nuance in terroir rather than the typicity of a grape variety. His subtle use of oak barriques, sourced from the Vosges Mountains, served to bring greater depth on the palate for varieties from the Pinot family. His pioneering approach helped to define new expressions of Alsatian wine for the entire region.

André’s son Arthur, who since 2018 has helmed the domaine, did not fall into the position of winemaker by default. Becoming chef at a domaine as iconic as the one his grandfather established wasn’t always his aspiration. Arthur grew up in the city of Strasbourg rather than the vineyards of Epfig. And unlike so many of the tales of succession told on our pages, by the time he entered his late teens, he wasn’t even sure what his dad’s work entailed. But during the summer, he began working in the family’s vines, and to his surprise, discovered an affinity for good old-fashioned physical work outdoors. He caught the vigneron bug and like his father, left Alsace to study and work in Burgundy. Arthur sees his work aligning more with that of an artist rather than an artisan. He believes a wine reflects its grower and not just the raw materials from which it is made. Regardless of the unique perspective Arthur brings to the domaine, he undeniably finds inspiration in André’s wines, and in particular, those from the 1990s in which he sees the spontaneity of a winemaker early in his career, full of energy and with a dilettante’s touch. In this regard, Arthur’s objective is to question the why and how each step of the way in order to find his own truth, and to leave his own mark.