The Vins de Fruit are wines that emphasise the grape's expression rather that a specific terroir expression. They are not limited to a single site or soil type, and instead embody the intricate parcellation and diversity of Alsatian terroirs that exist even in a small area like a single village.
The Riesling Les Jardins results from a blend of twelve different plots located around the winery, essentially in the village of Epfig. The soils are varied: clay, sandstone, sand and volcanic sediments. These are farmed biodynamically. Most plots are located on gentle slopes with light soils, and it also contains a varying amount of declassified lieu-dit or grand cru fruit.
Ostertag looks for an unpretentious, youthful, fruit-driven wine that captures the personality of the village's terroirs, which are dominantly based on sandstone. They give the wine a particularly delicate, aromatic and mouthwatering character.
The 2017 was hand-picked on 19th and 29th September. It was gently whole bunch-pressed in a pneumatic press over about nine hours. It fermented in stainless steel with natural yeasts, and was kept on its lees for one year. It was bottled early September 2018 with a balance of 13% alcohol and 5g/L of residual sugar.
The result is a delicate Riesling driven by white flowers, white peach and vine blossom aromas. The mouth is round and mouthwatering, with fine and long acidity, and a saline character through the finish.