History
The place called Stein is at the top of the Bollenberg hill. The name Bollenberg derives certainly from “Belen” or “Belanus”, Celtic god of fire in pastoral life. Stein means stone in German and defines the stony soil of this place.
Location
Clearly separated from the Vosges slopes, the Bollenberg hill extends from Rouffach to Issenheim, a few kilometers north of Guebwiller. The place called Stein is on the ridgeline to the west and made up of the Grande Oolithe’s limestone. It forms compact and dry layers with thin soils. The exceptional climate is due to the geographic loction of the hill, that is part of the Guebwiller’s field of faults. The average low rainfall of 350 mm per year is mainly due to the intense summer storms that regulate the great drought, making the Bollenberg hill the driest limestone hill in France.
Wine-making
After a 3 weeks maceration, the wine is then aged in Burgundian oak barrels of 225l and in small capacity casks for approximately 18 months. After a light filtration, the wine is bottled.
Gastronomy
The wine can be associated with white poultry, fattened young hen in bladder, veal rib roast with Pinot Noir sauce or feathered game, pigeon stuffed with cherries and chestnut purée. Serving temperature 16°C.
Learn more about food & wine pairingTasting
The robe is ruby purple highlights, of moderate intensity. The disk is bright, limpid and transparent. The wine shows youth.
The nose is marked, pleasant and of good intensity. We perceive a dominant of sophisticated scents, red fruits (redcurrant, blackberry, cherry) and fine floral notes of rose. The airing enhances the previous scents and reveals blackcurrant and fruits preserved in brandy. The nose shows a very good ripening of the grapes. Already sophisticated, the profile needs time to take shape.
The onset in the mouth is moderately ample, dense. The alcohol support is full-bodied. The wine evolves on a medium of marked vivacicy, with a slight sparkling note. The range of flavours in in line with that of the nose, dominated by red fruits (blackberry, redcurrant, blackcurrant and the cherry preserved in brandy), and flowers (rose). The tannin is delicate and ripe. We can taste a slight astringency. The finish has a good length, 7-8 caudalies, and a fine and persistent liveliness. The balance of this wine is very elegant. A classy Pinot Noir. Congratulations on this first one very well done.
Technical sheet by M. Pascal Leonetti
“Best Sommelier of France 2006”
