Domaine Pfister
Cremant d’Alsace Blanc de Blancs 2017
Alsace, France $34/bottle
Domaine Pfister farms 40 individual vineyards totaling 25 acres in Dahlenheim, France. Here in the Alsace region, Riesling is the king of grapes and 25% of the domaine's vineyards are planted to this noble variety.
The domaine is run by the eighth generation of vignerons, dating back to their founding in 1780, while local records from the Abbey Saint-Michel de Honau indicate the family had land holdings that literally date back another 1000 years!
In 1985, the french AOC designated their Scharrachberg vineyard as a Grand Cru site. Over the years, the estate was handed down from father to son, in the traditional model at the time. This changed somewhat in the early '70s when André Pfister (the new guard at the time) brought forward his wife Marie-Anne and together they sought to implement the knowledge of the prior six generations, while modernizing the estate in conjunction with ecologically-sensitive farming practices. It was a turning point for the estate.
Today, Mélanie Pfister, the eighth generation of her family and first women in the line of succession, is head winemaker - she's young and dynamic and interned with some of the greatest names in Burgundy and Bordeaux. Today, she has over 10 vintages under her belt. Her name now adorns the label prominently.
Her sparkling wine is made from a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Blanc, and 25% Auxerrois. The acronym Breit comes from Hangenbriete, the name of the vineyard, not far from their grand cru Riesling site. Just 800 cases of this bone dry 'extra brut' sparkler are made per year. Think green apple, peach and lemon-lime. What a seasonally perfect Alsatian sparkler.