【Alsace 7th generation family】
【Organic certified + biodynamic + low sulphur natural winery】
【No Sulphur organic certified natural wine】
ZF1061 - Rieffel Riesling Rock 22/23/24
Price：$198/Bottle
Type：White Wine
Grape Varieties：100% Riesling
Region：Alsace
ABV：12.5%
Volume：750ml
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Alsace 阿爾薩斯 AOC
If traditional Alsatian Riesling is like an elegant classical piece of music, then Rieffel "Rock" Riesling is definitely a high-energy, exhilarating rock 'n' roll. This wine is the crown jewel of owner Lucas Rieffel, and not only is its name "Rock," it literally liquefies "rock and terroir" directly into the bottle. The name "Rock" comes from the extremely barren, sandstone and limestone (Rock) plots where the grapes grow. The vines had to desperately push their roots several meters deep into the rock strata to find water and nutrients. This gives it an electrifyingly strong acidity and its signature flint smoke and slightly salty sea salt notes. And most importantly—in Alsace, 99% of still white wines are labeled as single vintage. But in pursuit of the ultimate "Rock Trend," Lucas made a very bold decision: he adopted the concept of a perpetual reserve, similar to that used for top-tier champagnes (like Krug) or sherry! This is a groundbreaking masterpiece of "Multi-Vintage" craftsmanship! The younger vintage provides "lightning-fast, vibrant acidity," while the older vintage's Reserve Wine offers "deep, rocky minerality and oiliness." The layers and complexity of this wine are absolutely unlike anything you've ever tasted in a regular Alsace Riesling! Only 3,000 bottles are produced annually...
Winery
The Rietsch family established themselves in Mittelbergheim, Alsace, as early as the 17th century, initially engaging in grape trading before gradually transitioning to agriculture. Finally, in 1970, the seventh generation, Pierre and Doris Rietsch, transformed the family business from multi-crop production into a winery. Today, it is managed by Jean Pierre Rietsch and his wife Sophie, with assistance from Pierre-Etienne Grieshaber in biodynamic farming, and a company, La Main Verte, responsible for vineyard management, creating this natural Alsatian winery.
Domaine Rieffel, a "soul winery" even sommeliers and Michelin-starred restaurants secretly stock up on, is owned by Lucas Rieffel, who completely overturns the common perception of Alsace. Deeply influenced by André Ostertag, a pioneer of Alsatian natural wines, he perfectly blends organic farming, low-intervention, and the pure elegance of Burgundy. "We don't create flavors, we are merely translators of terroir." With this motto, Lucas Rieffel propelled Domaine Rieffel to the highest echelons of international winemaking, embracing "purity, leanness, and nature." Since taking over the winery, Lucas Rieffel has fully embraced organic farming, abandoning all chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and in 2014 obtained Ecocert organic certification. Employing minimally invasive natural winemaking methods, he insists on entirely hand-harvesting, fermentation with native yeasts, no added sugar (No Chaptalization), no over-filtration, and lees aging for several years in old Burgundy oak barrels.
Domaine Rieffel, whether red or white, is characterized by its extremely crisp "bone-dry" character—extremely dry, extremely pure, and possessing remarkable vertical tension!
La Revue du Vin de France (RVF), France's most authoritative and rigorous wine magazine, has long regarded Lucas Rieffel as a representative of Alsace's "organic and natural" approach and "ultimate expression of terroir," giving Domaine Rieffel extremely high praise.
The Wine Advocate-Parker team has repeatedly awarded Rieffel's flagship wines exceptionally high scores of 92-95 points. Their reviews frequently mention "Vertical Tension," "Pure Salinity," and "Remarkable Precision," particularly praising his Riesling Grand Cru Wiebelsberg and Pinot Noir, believing that his red wines exhibit elegance, delicacy, and wild aromas comparable to top Burgundy vineyards.
The authoritative British magazine Decanter has specifically hailed Lucas Rieffel as one of Alsace's most talented master craftsmen.
Region
The winery covers 12 hectares and has been fully organic since 2008. It also adheres to biodynamic, low-sulfur, and additive-free natural winemaking processes. The grapes are usually pressed with the stems, using a gentle pneumatic press for a longer pressing time to ensure the purity of the grapes while extracting sufficient flavor. Natural yeasts are used to increase complexity, and no acidity or sugar is added except for sulfur dioxide, showcasing the terroir characteristics. It is also willing to try new processes and is one of the few Alsace producers who use grape skin maceration. They believe that the tannins and color extracted from the skins bring better structure and stability to aromatic grapes such as Muscat, Pinot Gris, or Gewuztraminer, which sometimes lack acidity, and also extract more flavors to make the wine more complex and bring out a more special experience. In 2008, it began to switch all non-Grand Cru wines to twist-top caps, allowing it to further reduce the use of sulfur dioxide.
Winemaking
Grapes are typically pressed with their stems, using a gentle pneumatic press for a longer pressing time to ensure the purity of the grapes while extracting sufficient flavor. Natural yeasts are used to increase complexity, and no acidity or sugar is added except for sulfur dioxide, showcasing the terroir characteristics. Alsace producers are also willing to try new processes and are among the few who macerate grapes with their skins. They believe that the tannins and color extracted from the skins bring better structure and stability to aromatic grapes such as Muscat, Pinot Gris, or Gewuztraminer, which sometimes lack acidity, and also allow for the extraction of more flavors, making the wine more complex and offering a more unique experience. In 2008, Alsace began converting all non-Grand Cru wines to twist-top caps, allowing them to further reduce the use of sulfur dioxide.
