Pinot Gris Selection de Grains Noble Grand Cru Kirchberg 2016, Domaine Henry Fuchs

A full-bodied, intensely sweet white wine made exclusively from specific noble rot Pinot Gris grapes, these are bottles are the result of the remarkable collaboration of nature, the wine-grower... and luck !

Henry and Catherine Fuchs are in their mid-forties and the third generation of the family to run this splendid 10 hectare domaine situated in the quality heartland of Alsace at Ribeauville, a village renowned for its rich and opulent dry white wines.

Established in 1922, the Fuchs' family estate was one of the first to start bottling their own wines in 1945. Their vineyards are mainly situated in excellent sites throughout the commune of Ribeauville, with a further 20% to be found in the neighbouring communes of Hunawihr and Bergheim.

The Fuchs use no weed-killers or man-made fertilisers on their vineyards which goes a long way to restricting yields, but they also prune very tightly so that their final rendement (yield) is at least 20% below the village average. In the winery, Henry avoids the use of pumps, preferring to rely on gravity to move his wine around, thereby reducing its contact with air. Sulphur Dioxide is avoided during the fermentation and is only added in minimal quantities following racking and filtration.

The overall effect of all this are wines of great freshness and character with excellent keeping potential and they are not normally released until they are showing at their best and ready for drinking.