Domaine Rolly Gassmann Kappelweg de Rorschwihr Riesling 2019
£33.45
The wine
A powerful character, with layers of ripe stone fruit and underlying citrus, balanced by a racy acidity and a long finish.
Rolly Gassmann hold 5.67 hectares of Kappelweg de Rorschwihr, a lieu-dit widely regarded as a grand cru in all but name. Alsace grand cru classification covers 51 sites and has long been criticised for both including too much and omitting sites like this one. Rolly Gassmann farm in Rorschwihr in northern Alsace, on clay, marl and limestone, and have been in the same family since 1611. Their house style keeps noticeable residual sugar even in the dry-labelled wines, which is unusual in modern Alsace and deliberate.
The producer
Domaine Rolly Gassmann
View all Domaine Rolly Gassmann winesIn the village of Rorschwihr, in the heart of Alsace, Domaine Rolly Gassmann is a legendary name. The family has grown vines here since the seventeenth century, tending an extraordinary patchwork of lieux-dits. Few estates express Alsace terroir with such precision.
Rolly Gassmann farms biodynamically across dozens of parcels, each vinified separately to capture its character. The house style is famously rich and aromatic, with a touch of natural sweetness balanced by vibrant acidity. These are wines of remarkable depth and length.
The range spans every great Alsace grape, from crisp Sylvaner and Riesling to opulent Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris, including rare old vintages and late-harvest treasures. Each speaks clearly of its village and soil.
To pour a Rolly Gassmann wine is to taste Alsace at its most profound. Aromatic, complex, and gloriously ageworthy, these are wines for those who love true individuality.
