Who makes it
Most of the work at Domaine Etienne Simonis happens in the vineyard. The estate farms 7 hectares in Ammerschwihr, and its working philosophy asks for grapes to reach the cellar at their very best so winemaking can unfold without intervention.
The domaine makes Alsatian white wines from Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Sylvaner. Its approach keeps the grape and the vineyard name visible on the bottle, with Grand Cru Marckrain and Vogelgarten among the named Gewurztraminer wines.
Where it grows
Ammerschwihr is the home village of Domaine Etienne Simonis in Alsace. Several bottles name a vineyard site alongside the grape variety. Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Marckrain places a Grand Cru site beside Gewurztraminer on the label, while Gewurztraminer Vogelgarten names another vineyard wine.
Grand Cru identifies a designated vineyard category, so the place name carries a defined site status alongside the variety.
How it is made
The cellar
High quality fruit is selected during fully manual harvests, and each parcel is vinified separately. The separate fermentations keep the soil specific characteristics of each parcel attached to its wine.
Flowering grasses are left uncut in the vineyards, and nesting boxes for birds and bats are installed throughout them. Vinification is natural, with sulfites added only at bottling and kept to a minimum. The wines age primarily in old demi muids, with oak tuns and Burgundy barrels also used. Old demi muids are large oak vessels that allow time in wood with less direct oak flavour than small barrels.
What they make
The range includes named Gewurztraminer wines, varietal Riesling and Pinot Gris, and Sylvaner Vieilles Vignes. Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Marckrain is the Grand Cru bottling, while Gewurztraminer Vogelgarten is another named vineyard wine. Riesling Réserve and Pinot Gris occupy varietal positions, and Sylvaner Vieilles Vignes identifies an old vine cuvée.
Marckrain has fine keeping quality, giving the range a bottle with a clear ageing role alongside its younger drinking styles.