At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Place
- Kaysersberg, at the foot of Schlossberg
- Range
- Still wines from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir
- Defining practice
- 38 hectares farmed biodynamically since the 2005 vintage
The Producer
A small stream crosses the property at the foot of Schlossberg, and Domaine Weinbach takes its name from that watercourse, the wine stream. Capuchin monks built the domaine in 1612. After the French Revolution, it was sold as national property before the Faller brothers acquired it in 1898.
Since 2016, Catherine Faller has directed Domaine Weinbach with her sons Eddy and Théo. Théo oversees viticulture, while Eddy works in the cellar. The wines come entirely from estate-grown fruit, and the domaine concentrates on still wine rather than Crémant.
Place
The holdings combine granite, marl-limestone-sandstone and limestone geology, with vineyards predominantly on slopes and exposures benefiting from the Kaysersberg valley microclimate. The named holdings include Clos des Capucins, Altenbourg, Schlossberg, Furstentum, Mambourg and Marckrain.
Slope vineyards drain differently from flat ground, while changes in geology alter how vines access water and nutrients. At Domaine Weinbach, those differences sit across a group of named Alsace holdings rather than a single uniform vineyard.
Wines
Most Domaine Weinbach Rieslings come from Schlossberg, while Riesling Cuvée Théo comes from Clos des Capucins. The range includes Domaine Weinbach Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg, Cuvée Colette Riesling, Clos des Capucines Pinot Gris Domaine Weinbach, Les Treilles du Loup Gewurztraminer Domaine Weinbach and Domaine Weinbach Altenbourg Pinot Noir.
The Riesling wines divide by position on the Schlossberg slope. Upper-slope Schlossberg cuvées are lively, while lower-slope Cuvée Sainte Catherine wines are broader and richer. The named bottles therefore differ through grape, vineyard and slope position, with still white and red wines across the range.
Final Word
Domaine Weinbach is a Faller family domaine whose Kaysersberg wines connect estate fruit with named holdings such as Schlossberg and Clos des Capucins.
Sources
- www.domaineweinbach.com/fr/le-domaine
- www.domaineweinbach.com/fr/les-terroirs
- www.domaineweinbach.com/fr/biodynamie
- www.andrey-andreev.com/en/domaine-weinbach-alsace
- dutchwineapprentice.com/domaine-weinbach-institutional-alsatian-wines-in-a-modern-jacket
- www.domaineweinbach.com/fr/les-terroirs/grand-cru-schlossberg