|
WINEMAKERS talk about their wines with such enthusiasm
and passion. Georges Lorentz is no exception. But that
his wife Ingrid was also as enthused gave me an insight
into the dynamics in a family enterprise. Initially, I
thought they were guests who had come early to beat the
traffic, early birds like me who had come for Cave
Werdenberg’s Alsatian Night, held recently with its
promise of the cuisine and wines of Alsace. Already, the
flûtes d’Alsace, the slim, tapered bottles singular to
Alsace wines, were lined up on the bar counter, ready
for chilling in huge ice buckets. And Georges Lorentz
had brought the two special wines, the Riesling Grand
Cru Altenberg 2003 and the Gewurtztraminer Vendanges
Tardives 2003, from their family vineyards in Bergheim.
The
Lorentz family has been making wines since 1836, when
the Gustave Lorentz Estate was founded in the town of
Bergheim.
The estate now spreads over 32 hectares of vineyards planted mostly in clay-limestone soil and oriented
south-southwest, thereby benefiting from maximum
sunshine.
Alsace,
like Champagne, lies far north, making it one of the
coolest wine regions in France. But unlike Champagne,
Alsace is dry and sunny, protected as it is by the
Vosges mountains. Thanks to this unique climate, the
region produces vibrant white wines with powerful
acidity. Riesling, gewürztraminer, pinot blanc, pinot
gris and muscat are the major grapes made in a dry,
bracing style—though sweet versions are produced when
the harvest is exceptional.
How was
the 2007 harvest like? Georges Lorentz absolutely
beamed—this year’s harvest will make great wines, both
for the dry and sweet styles. Our wines express the
character of the grapes and the land where they come
from, he explains, echoing the winemaking philosophy of
his family: “The very essence of our wines is the fruit
of an intricate relationship between the grape
varieties, the terroir and the climate.” In
Alsace,
the all-pervading theme is this faithfulness to the
inherent qualities of the grape and the soil on which it
is grown. Blending is almost never done and the wines,
mostly white, seldom see new oak. Some of the best wines
are those made a 100 percent from the grape variety
stated on the label. (That the name of the grape appears
on the label makes Alsace wine labels unique in France,
where most of the labels state not the grape but the
place where the wine is made.) Vineyards in the most
highly regarded sites are classified Grand Cru and the
hillside of Altenberg in Bergheim was one of those
originally designated in 1983.
While
her husband was busy fielding questions from the dinner
guests who were now filling up the room, it was Ingrid
Lorentz, who guided me through the range of Gustave
Lorentz wines for drinking that evening. The sylvaner,
crisp and light, laced with white pears. The pinot
blanc, tasting faintly of green apples. The gewurtz with
its flamboyant aromas and flavors: lychee, candied
ginger, apricot, rose petals. But I had fallen in like
with the Riesling Grand Cru Altenberg 2003—a stupendous
mosaic of lime zest, grapefruit and crushed peach
flavors, bound together with a vigorous acidity. Don’t
you think riesling will go well with Asian food too? She
enjoys wok-cooking and so does her three daughters.
Alsatian wines are getting to be noticed in Asia because
it partners well with Asian food. In between the wine
talk, Ingrid talked about her family and her being a
simple housewife who also happens to be a winemaker’s
wife. I was charmed by her warmth and candor—and by her
obvious love for the wines her family is known for.
You must
have the riesling with the choucroute garni; it is the
traditional pairing. Ingrid was in her element among the
Alsatian specialties, all splendidly laid out in the
buffet. Quiche Lorraine, jellied pork, pâté de foie gras
wrapped in a pastry crust, baekeoffe, the
pork-lamb-and-beef stew with potatoes, pretzels, pain
aux noix—the selection was as authentic as Chef Othmar
Frei and his kitchen team could make it. The choucroute
garni (sausages, cuts of pork and potatoes laid on top
of shredded young cabbage, fermented then cooked in
white wine, usually riesling) was easily the night’s
favorite, earning compliments, even from the Lorentzes.
Would I like dessert? Ingrid steered me toward the baba
au rhum and the Gewurtztraminer Vendanges Tardives 2003.
You can have it too with foie gras or a sharp cheese,
like Munster, added Ingrid. (Grapes harvested late,
hence vendage tardive, “late harvest,” make lush
concentrated wines, the touch of sweetness tempered by
brilliant acidity. A rarity, as they are made only when
the harvest permits, vendanges tardives wines can last
from 15 to 20 years.)
WERNER BERGER, Ingrid and Georges
Lorentz
I
learned a lot from Ingrid too, I told Georges over a
refill of their gorgeous late harvest wine. He smiled at
the compliment; she seemed to bask in his pride. It was
clear they complemented each other, and it was beautiful
to see—the partnership of a winemaker and his wife. “It
takes patience and, above all, time to produce a great
wine,” goes a quote in the Gustave Lorentz brochure. I
think love is part of the equation too. |
