Domaine Rolly Gassmann Riesling 2020
£18.75
The wine
Bright lemon. Expressive white blossom and fresh pineapple on the nose. The palate is concentrated and complex.
Riesling is the most highly regarded of the four noble Alsace grapes and the one that shows site most clearly. 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. Alsace sits in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains and is one of the driest places in France, which is why the wines ripen so fully this far north.
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.
