Dorlisheim domaine making organic, unfined and unfiltered Alsace wines with a saline finish.
The producer
Domaine Lindenlaub is a family domaine in Dorlisheim on the Alsace Wine Route, with vines on Husaren, Stierkopf and Rangenberg. Christophe converted the estate to organic farming and moved the range toward natural winemaking. Grapes are hand harvested and vinified mainly in stainless steel. The wines are unfined and unfiltered, with a trace of minerality that appears as salinity at the finish.
Known for
Natural Alsace wines with salinity
Notable facts
The domaine has 10 hectares of vines on Husaren, Stierkopf and Rangenberg.
Christophe obtained European organic AB certification in 2012.
The grapes are hand harvested and vinified primarily in stainless steel.
The wines receive no cellar additions and no filtration.
The story
The Natural Shift
In 2009, Christophe took what the source calls a crazy gamble and converted the entire estate to organic farming. The change reached the cellar soon afterward. Pinot Noir became the first natural wine attempt in 2012, Sylvaner followed in 2013, and the rest of the range adopted the approach from the 2014 vintage. European organic AB certification arrived in 2012. The transition brought vineyard farming and cellar work into the same direction, with no chemical intervention in the vines, no additions in the cellar and no filtration.
From the atlas
Domaine Lindenlaub
Dorlisheim family domaine combining organic farming, Alsace terroir and a traditional natural wine style.
At A Glance
Location
Dorlisheim on the Alsace Wine Route
Vineyards
Husaren, Stierkopf and Rangenberg
Named varieties
Pinot Noir and Sylvaner
Farming
Organic farming with European AB certification
Cellar
Hand harvested grapes, stainless steel vinification, no additions or filtration
Style
Unfined and unfiltered wines with a saline finish
The Producer
Domaine Lindenlaub is a family domaine in Dorlisheim with approximately 200 years of winemaking heritage. Christophe converted the entire estate to organic farming in 2009 and obtained European organic AB certification in 2012.
The move toward natural winemaking followed a clear sequence. Pinot Noir was the first attempt in 2012, Sylvaner followed in 2013, and the rest of the range moved to the approach from the 2014 vintage. The wines combine Alsace terroir with a traditional natural wine style.
Place
Dorlisheim is a working village on the Alsace Wine Route, 20 kilometres west and slightly south of Strasbourg. The domaine operates 10 hectares of vines on the hills of Husaren, Stierkopf and Rangenberg.
The soils are clay and limestone, with sandstone sublayers in some holdings. These three materials form the ground beneath the domaine's range, while the house style carries a trace of minerality through to a saline finish.
Wines
The range includes white wines and three maceration wines. White wines undergo a slow press of around 12 hours before the must settles in stainless steel tanks. Maceration wines spend 2 to 3 weeks in contact with their skins, with the duration adjusted to fruit quality and harvest conditions. Skin contact can add colour, tannin and flavour to the wine.
Grapes are hand harvested and vinified primarily in stainless steel to preserve fresh, fruity expression. The wines are unfined and unfiltered, with vibrant energy and salinity at the finish. No chemical intervention is used in the vineyards, and no additions are made in the cellar.
Final Word
Domaine Lindenlaub brings organic farming and natural winemaking to a family domaine in Dorlisheim, with stainless steel vinification, unfined wines and a saline finish across the range.