Pouring a gorgeous, hazy shade of pink in the glass, this delicate, nuanced expression of Gewürztraminer shows the more elegant side of the grape. Taut and streamlined, the palate follows suit, with delicate flavours of rose, zest, spice and salinity combining to brilliant effect. Stunning.
Made with Gewürztraminer from vines up to 50 years old planted over clay and limestone in Obernai. The grapes were fermented as whole bunches for a week, before being pressed to a 100-year-old cask for elévage. Coming from the 2023 vintage, a classic growing season where Yannick was able to harvest ripe, beautiful grapes. The resulting wines show depth and complexity and whilst tasting great in their youth, are likely to evolve beautifully over time. Drink now or lay down if you have the patience.
Yannick Meckert has been around wine since a young age. Born to a Burgundian mother and Alsatian father, he grew up between the two winemaking regions. Having studied viticulture and oenology in Beaune and Montpellier, and after a brief stint working for the family domaine, Yannick became disenchanted with the conventional methods of farming his family were using. He set off on his own path to discover a different kind of wine. Yannick has worked and trained with alongside some real talents; Patrick Meyer, Phillipe Pacalet, Le Coste, Christian Binner, Claus Preisinger as well as spending time learning the art of sake in Japan alongside Terada Honke. Building up quite the résumé!
Yannick is now working his own plots in and around the village or Obernai in Alsace. He farms three and half hectares of classic Alsatian varieties planted over clay and limestone, as well as sourcing organic grapes from friends. The focus here is on retaining a diverse ecosystem by practicing his own take on organic agriculture, eschewing not only chemicals, but also copper and sulphur, instead using clay, infusions and essential oils to help the vines. He prefers to let the wild herbs, grass and flowers around the vines grow, resulting in vineyards full of life. In the cellar, he draws upon his experience and intuition and adjusts his methods to suit the specific grape variety and given vintage.
This is still the beginning for Yannick, with his first vintage being released in 2020. It’s exciting to see what lies ahead for this talented grower.
