Why it matters
The producer
A wine cooperative gathers harvests from multiple winegrowers under one producer name. Cave de Ribeauvillé operates 245 hectares of vineyards in Alsace. Riesling is the grape at the centre of its range.
In 1895, 44 Alsatian winegrowing families decided to unite their harvest around a common project. Cave de Ribeauvillé began as a cooperative. Today its wines cover village appellations, named lieux dits and Grand Cru parcels, with one producer name spanning those label levels.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The labels carry Alsace geographic names at village, lieu dit and Grand Cru levels. At village level, the appellation names a local area. A lieu dit names a specific place, while Grand Cru identifies a classified vineyard level. Cave de Ribeauvillé works around Ribeauvillé within these categories, so Riesling appears alongside a geographic origin.
Every 300 metres, the type of terroir varies. A geological fault beneath the vineyards places granite, limestone, clay and sandstone close together. Granite and sandstone drain more quickly, clay retains more water, and limestone can hold moisture in cracks. The different water supplies alter ripening speed. For Riesling, that can change acidity and body from one parcel to the next.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
All wines are produced exclusively from grapes harvested by hand. For Riesling Bio, the vines are farmed using organic methods, with no chemical treatments and low yields. Whole bunches are pressed in pneumatic presses to avoid crushing, then the wine is fermented under temperature control and matured on fine lees for 3 to 6 months. Fine lees are spent yeast cells left after fermentation; the contact can broaden the palate, while pneumatic pressing gives the must a gentler start.
Wines to know
The range in view
The Riesling range moves from Collection to Vieilles Vignes and then to its classified tier. Vieilles Vignes is French for old vines, while Grand Cru identifies a classified vineyard level. The cooperative owns or manages 7 Grand Cru vineyard parcels, 7 named lieux dits and 3 village appellations. The labels separate a range name, a vine age indication and a site classification. The white wines stay with Riesling, so acidity is shared while the place category changes.
Across the Riesling range, delicate floral notes such as acacia flower and jasmine sit beside white fleshed fruit such as apple, pear and apricot. Lively acidity carries those aromas through the palate with vivacity. As Alsatian Riesling ages, mineral, sometimes stony or petrol nuances can develop.