Domaine in Black

St Pierre, Alsace

Lambert Spielmann is based in St Pierre and farms two hectares in the neighbouring commune of Epfig.

A huge music lover, he was until 2016 working as a social worker with a focus of working in the fields of mental health and motor impairment. Having fallen in love with wine he began to work with Domaine Yves Amberg in Epfig and was able to make and release his first wines in small quantities in 2017 and '18.

At the beginning of 2019 he began working with Alsatian star Christophe Lindenlaub to further his experience and in March that year rented his first 1.5 hectares (across 8 parcels) from Yves Amberg (organic since '97) and a further half hectare from Florian Beck Hartweg.

Regarding his farming, the vineyard is not trimmed throughout the growing season, and he makes one pass with the tractor throughout the year, on alternate rows, to lightly work the soil and to mulch the cuttings from pruning. Biodynamic preps 500 and 501 are used in addition to teas of willow bark and yarrow to stimulate disease resistance, help prevent insect attacks and to aid flowering and fruit development.

Yields in 2019 were between 35-40 hectolitres — roughly the same as grand cru Burgundy or Manon Farm, for a reference a little closer to home.

In the winery, almost everything is done via gravity and his pump is only used if working with gravity is simply not possible. For the macerated wines, both whites and reds, there is no remontage or pigeage at all, unless there is a suggestion of reduction. Pressing is done very slowly and softly from anywhere between 6 —12 hours, meaning that debourbage is not necessary. Bottling is done manually when the wines say that they're ready.

The wines are generally very correct and pure, with quite flawless profiles, clarity of fruit and harmony of texture — all of which speak to not only extremely good quality fruit but also a great palate and level of sensitivity in the winery. They've been vinified in delicious, creative and excellent fashion and are very versatile.

 

Information on previous wines

  • A blend of sylvaner (from 60 year old vines) and gewurztraminer (from 30 year old vines), from a single northeastern facing parcel planted on clay and limestone in Obernai. Gewurztraminer is destemmed before macerating in the juice of the sylvaner for an extended period

    2024 From a high quality year with slightly lower ABVs across the board. As in 2023, drinks as more of a textural white than a macerated wine.

    2023 From an even, balanced year. A direct and relatively steely wine that drinks more as a textural white than a macerated wine. The fruit at this stage reflects the silvaner a little more than the gewurztraminer and the phenolic structure is a little grainier than in previous years.

    2021 Good physiological ripeness of fruit has created a very well-balanced rendition of the wine.

    2020 Inviting aromatically, with balanced tension and freshness on the palate. A light orange wine with more phenolic presence than the slick and suave 2019.

    2019 From a warmer year – slick and suave in texture, with lots of primary fruit and minerality.

  • Macerated gewurztraminer from a parcel of 30 year old vines planted over clay and limestone in Obernai, fermented as whole bunches for a week before being pressed to barrel for elevage

    2024 From a high quality year with slightly lower ABVs across the board. Slightly more structured and fresh than in 2023.

    2023 A great year with excellent concentration and physiological ripeness. Generously ripe with great clarity of fruit.

    2022 Generous aromatically and on the palate, with concentrated stone and tropical fruits.

    2021 Aromatic, zesty and mineral.

    2020 From a cooler, more structured vintage with smaller berries and thicker skins.

  • Three varieties of muscat (a petite grains blanc, a petite grains rouge and ottonel) from 15 year old vines grown on clay in the village of Epfig, fermented as whole bunches before being pressed off to vats

    2021 A lighter and lower-alcohol style, with aromatic and generous varietal fruit.

    2020 A good representation of 2020 – small berries, fresh acidity, thick skins and a wild stone fruit cool-climate style of fruit (in contrast to the more exotic style of fruit in 2019). Fine tannins and cool minerality.

    2019 A warmer year with a riper and more exotic style of fruit, relative to subsequent vintages.

  • Direct-press auxerrois from 40 year old vines grown on clay, in which the skins of pinot noir are infused for a week before being pressed off to vat.

    2024 Rosé from a high quality year with slightly lower ABVs across the board. 50% losses and some rain throughout the later part of the year created highly aromatic wines with lovely texture, defined fruit, low ABVs and ripe acidity.

    2023 From a great year. Gently earthen and phenolic, with shades of white and pink fruit, reminiscent of light trousseau.

    2021 Delicate floral aromas, with restrained, slightly tart but very concentrated red fruit on the mid-palate.

  • Pinot noir from two parcels planted over sandstone in Nothalten, with vines between 19 and 26 years old. Fermented as whole bunches before being pressed off to barrel

    2024 From a great vintage with direct acidity, lower alcohols and concentrated primary fruit.

    2022 From a great vintage, with a touch more ripeness and generosity than the previous year.

    2021 Good physiological ripeness — more red-fruited than the previous vintage, and less structured.

    2020 The vintage yielded smaller berries with thicker skins and slightly higher acidity. Dark but fresh expression of fruit, with lots of substance and earth from the maceration, as well as some sinew from the stalks.

  • A blend of equal parts pinot noir and pinot gris from 30 year old vines planted over clay and limestone in Epfig, fermented together as whole bunches before being pressed to barrel

    2024 An excellent vintage for red wines, with direct acidity, lower alcohols and concentrated primary fruit.

    2023 A great year with excellent concentration and physiological ripeness, and lots of influence from stalks aromatically.

    2022 From a great vintage, with a touch more ripeness and generosity than the previous year.

    2021 Highly aromatic year with pale colour and excellent acidity.

    2020 Lots of varietal character from both varieties, with minerality from the maceration, fruit and savoury and spicy stalks on the back palate.

  • 2023 Less influence from the pinot noir skins has resulted in what is essentially a white wine, rather than the rosé from 2022

    2022 From a 40 year old parcel planted over sandstone in Reichsfeld. Mostly direct press pinot blanc, with pinot gris and pinot noir co-fermented as whole bunches making up the balance. Elevage in vats. Compact, taut and mineral, with red, slightly candied fruit, and a smal amount of dissolved CO2.

  • 2018 Oxidative, barrel-aged silvaner from the 2018 harvest. Made in very small quantities and released in ceramic bottles after 7 years of elevage. Rich and deep with gorgeous primary stone fruit flavours layered with saline, nutty nuance and fresh, flor-derived acidity — similar in style to a vin jaune albeit with more freshness, a touch less richness and more youthful fruit.