Domaine Marcel Deiss : Grasberg 2019

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Grasberg 2019 from Domaine Marcel Deiss

Tasting

Appearance

The color shows a pale yellow to golden hue, luminous and bright, typical of a white wine from a cool terroir and a well-balanced harvest.

Nose

The nose reveals an aromatic burst dominated by notes of fresh citrus, notably lemon and lime zest. Nuances of white flowers and green herbs complete the bouquet, while a pronounced minerality evokes the terroir’s limestone. With aeration, the wine reveals subtle floral touches that add to its complexity.

Palate

On the palate, the Grasberg 2019 impresses with its electric tension and remarkable energy. The attack is lively, driven by a lemony acidity that brings vibrant freshness. The mid-palate unfolds in successive layers of citrus, white-fleshed fruit, and a mineral salinity reflecting the vineyard’s shallow limestone soils. The finish lingers beautifully, with a citrusy persistence and a distinctive mineral edge, underscoring a perfect balance between fruit, acidity, and minerality.

Food and wine pairings

The Grasberg 2019 pairs ideally with seafood, notably langoustines, whose delicacy harmonizes perfectly with the wine’s minerality and acidity. It also elegantly accompanies grilled sea bass or other white fish with fine-textured flesh. Alsatian specialties such as flammekueche or choucroute garnie find an excellent partner in this wine, its lively acidity balancing the richness of these dishes. Aged goat cheeses and asparagus preparations also make outstanding pairings. This wine can likewise be enjoyed on its own, as an aperitif, where its aromatic complexity and freshness are more than sufficient in themselves.

Serving and cellaring

The Grasberg 2019 can be enjoyed now to appreciate its vibrancy and bright fruit. However, this wine has exceptional aging potential and can evolve gracefully for a decade or more, developing notes of honey, candied citrus, and an even more complex minerality. It is recommended to serve it at a temperature between 10 and 12°C to reveal all its finesse.

A mineral, taut Alsace white wine from Domaine Marcel Deiss

The estate

The Domaine Marcel Deiss, founded in 1947 by Marcel Deiss upon his return from World War II, perpetuates a family winegrowing tradition established in Bergheim since 1744. Under the visionary leadership of Jean-Michel Deiss from 1973, and today of his son Mathieu Deiss, the estate has established itself as one of Alsace’s most innovative producers. Farming around 26 hectares of biodynamically certified vines spread across nine communes, the estate revolutionized Alsatian viticulture by practicing complantation—growing and co-planting several grape varieties within the same parcel—and by obtaining, in 2005, the right to list only the name of the lieu-dit on its grands crus, without any grape variety indication. This philosophy places the expression of terroir above varietal typicity.

The vineyard

The Grasberg is a lieu-dit located at the summit of the Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim, at around 340 meters in altitude, with a northeast exposure. Its name literally means “the hill where grass grows,” in reference to its shallow, white oolitic limestone soils that lie directly on the bedrock. This limited soil depth forces vine roots to struggle to find water and nutrients, creating deliberate stress conditions that delay ripening and confer the wine’s exceptional minerality. The vineyard, planted between 1972 and 2002, covers around 2.5 to 3 hectares with a high density of about 10,000 vines per hectare. The northeast orientation provides a cooler microclimate than the rest of the Altenberg de Bergheim, promoting acidity and mineral tension at the expense of fruit richness.

The vintage

The 2019 vintage is considered exceptional in Alsace. Climatic conditions made it possible to achieve optimal grape ripeness while preserving natural acidity and freshness—essential elements for the expression of Grasberg. This vintage was particularly successful at Domaine Marcel Deiss, offering a remarkable balance between aromatic concentration and vibrancy, key characteristics sought for this cool terroir.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Grasberg 2019 are hand-harvested at optimal ripeness, when the various co-planted varieties simultaneously reach their ideal balance point. Winemaking follows the estate’s biodynamic principles, with minimal intervention to allow the terroir to express itself fully. Fermentations take place with indigenous yeasts, enabling the wine to authentically reflect its origin. Aging is carried out on fine lees, enhancing aromatic complexity and texture while preserving the site’s signature freshness.

Grape varieties

Riesling, pinot gris, and gewurztraminer, co-planted and vinified together with no indication of proportions, in keeping with the estate’s philosophy that favors the expression of terroir over that of individual grape varieties.