Domaine Paul Blanck of Kientzheim
Based in the sleepy historic settlement of Kientzheim, in the middle of French Alsace, Blancks have made wine for centuries. With over 200 souls named Blanck in the village, it is not surprising that many different Blanck families make wine. Philippe Blanck is the public face of Domaine Paul Blanck. Although built like a good rugby forward, Philippe prefers basketball. Wisely, he doesn't practice his ball skills with the domaine's bottles. For here wine making and viticulture is a serious business. Cousin Frederic is responsible for the vineyards. He emphasises careful management of the vines, low yields and the need to plant the correct grape types in the right soils.
For the French concept of terroir, where soil type, drainage and sunshine exposure matter so much to the output of the vine, is key to the production at Domaine Paul Blanck. Careful purchase of land over the years has given the Domaine some stunning vineyards, not least in the two grand cru sites of Furstentum and Schlossberg which overlook Kientzheim, as well as in the grand cru Mambourg in the neighbouring village of Sigolsheim. The classic white grapes of riesling, pinot gris and gewurtztraminer find their expression within these sites. There is also a little pinot noir, but this feels like a white wine estate par excellence.
With an annual production of around 200,000 bottles, there is plenty of room to produce the usual range of Alsatian wines, from chasselas, via sylvaner and pinot blanc, to the noble grapes of the region. Sparkling cremant is also a speciality here. More provocative is the increasing use of Stelvin closures for the lesser wines, with a marked readiness to exploit this screwtop technology for their finest wines on the export market. Screwtops preserve freshness, as well as avoiding the destructive tendencies of cork taint. While the French home market remains resistant, UK merchants such as Adnams of Southwold welcome the chance to show Blanck wines at their most pristine. Evolution of the greatest wines can still occur with non-cork closure, so the future is positive for an initiative begun in 2001, and where only a handful of producers in Alsace dare to follow suit.
So how to describe the wines? Global warming puts pressure on winemakers to handle ever riper grapes, with the risk of ever higher alcohol levels. The philosophy here is to preserve balance, without an oversupply of alcohol or residual sugar. Minerality and good acidity preserve harmony. Careful work in the vineyard, and the presence of old vines especilally for sylvaner and gewurtztraminer, encourage finesse. Some of the lesser wines can appear somewhat simple, whilst still well made. The grand cru wines are of a different league, with real structure and power in the best years, only showing properly after many years in bottle. Greatest of all are the Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN) wines, which move the spirit as well as the palate. The SGN Riesling Furstentum (2002) is a profound, heart stopping wine with fantastic mouthfeel and ethereal complexity, which leaves the taster wondering what wine could be its better.
Based in the sleepy historic settlement of Kientzheim, in the middle of French Alsace, Blancks have made wine for centuries. With over 200 souls named Blanck in the village, it is not surprising that many different Blanck families make wine. Philippe Blanck is the public face of Domaine Paul Blanck. Although built like a good rugby forward, Philippe prefers basketball. Wisely, he doesn't practice his ball skills with the domaine's bottles. For here wine making and viticulture is a serious business. Cousin Frederic is responsible for the vineyards. He emphasises careful management of the vines, low yields and the need to plant the correct grape types in the right soils.
For the French concept of terroir, where soil type, drainage and sunshine exposure matter so much to the output of the vine, is key to the production at Domaine Paul Blanck. Careful purchase of land over the years has given the Domaine some stunning vineyards, not least in the two grand cru sites of Furstentum and Schlossberg which overlook Kientzheim, as well as in the grand cru Mambourg in the neighbouring village of Sigolsheim. The classic white grapes of riesling, pinot gris and gewurtztraminer find their expression within these sites. There is also a little pinot noir, but this feels like a white wine estate par excellence.
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Philippe Blanck inspires the wine group
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With an annual production of around 200,000 bottles, there is plenty of room to produce the usual range of Alsatian wines, from chasselas, via sylvaner and pinot blanc, to the noble grapes of the region. Sparkling cremant is also a speciality here. More provocative is the increasing use of Stelvin closures for the lesser wines, with a marked readiness to exploit this screwtop technology for their finest wines on the export market. Screwtops preserve freshness, as well as avoiding the destructive tendencies of cork taint. While the French home market remains resistant, UK merchants such as Adnams of Southwold welcome the chance to show Blanck wines at their most pristine. Evolution of the greatest wines can still occur with non-cork closure, so the future is positive for an initiative begun in 2001, and where only a handful of producers in Alsace dare to follow suit.
So how to describe the wines? Global warming puts pressure on winemakers to handle ever riper grapes, with the risk of ever higher alcohol levels. The philosophy here is to preserve balance, without an oversupply of alcohol or residual sugar. Minerality and good acidity preserve harmony. Careful work in the vineyard, and the presence of old vines especilally for sylvaner and gewurtztraminer, encourage finesse. Some of the lesser wines can appear somewhat simple, whilst still well made. The grand cru wines are of a different league, with real structure and power in the best years, only showing properly after many years in bottle. Greatest of all are the Selection de Grains Nobles (SGN) wines, which move the spirit as well as the palate. The SGN Riesling Furstentum (2002) is a profound, heart stopping wine with fantastic mouthfeel and ethereal complexity, which leaves the taster wondering what wine could be its better.
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Life and Death in Kientzheim
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