Features
Name:
Cremant d'Alsace AOC Extra Brut 'KB' 2012
Terrain:
Granitic sandy, silty and clacareous rocks of the Kaysersberg Valley
Cellar
In the picturesque Alsatian landscape, one of the protagonists is the Domaine Christian Binner. An ancient history rooted as far back as 1770, in Ammerschwihr, where Alsace began, the history of this Domaine began. The estate spreads over 10 hectares of vineyards, where the Binner family produces different vintages each year from a combination of different grape varieties and crus from Alsace. Today, it is Christian who carefully guides the vineyards and meticulously supervises the cellar, according to biodynamic principles. Binner says that being a 21st century farmer requires great rigour and extensive knowledge, to give all the necessary attention to the full development of the vine and the well-being of the yeasts in the cellar, for the more complex constitution of the grape juice. It takes more attention, care and dedication to obtain a product that nourishes the mind and body, that arouses emotions and remains digestible, and the Alsatian soil is still a land of choice for natural wines. Between the rows of vines, yields are kept to a minimum and the vines know neither herbicides nor chemical fertilisers. Harvesting, exclusively by hand, only takes place when the grapes are fully ripe. Grape varieties such as Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Muscat and Gewürztraminer are processed, always respecting nature's work to the utmost. The transformation of grape juice into wine takes place in a "natural" way, slow pressing, fermentation with indigenous yeasts and at low temperature, all left to age in oak barrels. Taking advantage of the surrounding biodiversity, varieties of spirits are also produced. This is how some of the most important wines of Alsace emerge in this hedonistic framework.
Description
Crémant d'Alsace Zero Dosage, from Domaine Christian Binner, is produced using the classic method, i.e. by refermentation in the bottle and subsequent disgorgement. The grapes are Riesling and Pinot Gris, harvested on loamy, limestone soils from 40-year-old vines grown biodynamically. Auxerrois is a typical native Alsace grape variety very similar to Pinot Blanc.
The Crémant d'Alsace KB Extra-Brut is a wine of great class, capable of evolving glass after glass, of great aromatic complexity, to be drunk tête-à -tête in the shade of a veranda on a sultry afternoon.
Organoleptic characteristics:
Straw yellow colour
The nose is striking in its complexity, a precise olfactory profile with aromas of fresh fruit and white flowers against a very mineral background.
The palate reveals tension, elegant freshness and savouriness.
Storage time:
2-7 years
Vinification
Soft pressing, spontaneous fermentation and ageing for 12 months in cement vats. Re-fermentation in the bottle through the addition of fresh Auxerrois must. Disgorgement after 16 months on the lees, topping up with the same wine, without any added sugar.
Acknowledgements