Josmeyer
Visiting France's Alsace wine region, part 7

Next stop in the Alsace tour was Josmeyer, with Josymeyer, with Celine Meyer, managing director (above). Her sister Isabelle is the winemaker, and the style here tends to dryness and precision, and I reckon this is one of the most exciting producers in Alsace.

The domaine is located in Wintzenheim, which is close to the beautiful town of Colmar, and altogether there are 28 hectares of vineyards (inlcuding 3.5 hectares in Grand Crus Hengst and Brand), with the usual range of Alsatian varieties: Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner, Muscat and Pinot Noir. No cremant is made here.

The brand was created in 1963, when Hubert Meyer added the first three letters of his father’s name (Joseph) to the family name, Meyer, to create Josmeyer. But the family negociant business actually stretches back to 1854, when it was founded by Joseph’s father Aloyse.

Probably the biggest change to happen at Josmeyer was in 1995, when chairman Jean Meyer and director Christophe Ehrhart decided to switch the vineyards to organic and biodynamic viticulture, with certification for all the vineyards achieved in 2004.

‘We prefer the wine to be dry,’ says Celine. ‘A gastronomic wine.’ For this, the date of picking is very important. ‘It is getting difficult to pick at the right maturity,’ she says.

The artist range was created by Jean Mayer in 1987, working with an Alsatian artist. The label changes every 2 years, and there has always been a link between the colours and the wine.

THE WINES

Josmeyer Pinot Blanc Mise du Printemps 2011 Alsace, France
Light, fruity and a bit mineral with focused pear and apple fruit. Nice purity with subtle herby notes. Bright and focused. 88/100

Josmeyer Auxerrois ‘H’ Vieilles Vignes 2010 Alsace, France
From Hengst, with limestone/chalky marl soils. Complex, slightly nutty and taut, with citrus, pear and mineral notes. Real intensity here. Pithy and grapefruity with high acid (almost 8 g/litre). Could age for 20 years. 91/100

Josmeyer Riesling Le Kottabe 2009 Alsace, France
From the artist range. Taut, lemony and citrussy with a slightly waxy nose. Very lively, taut, herby palate with high acidity and a mineral quality, and an almost salty edge. Fabulous wine. 93/100

Josmeyer Riesling Le Dragon 2008 Alsace, France
From a single parcel in Grand Cru Brand: most of Brand is granite, but this bit is limestone. Lovely intense, rich wine that’s quite nutty and spicy. Intense and mineral with some structure and lively acidity. Real structure here. 92/100

Josmeyer Riesling Grand Cru Hengst 2008 Alsace, France
Powerful, taut, pear, apple and citrus fruit, with notes of mineral and spice. Nice concentration and intensity. Quite generous fruit, but great structure and flinty minerality. A dense, complex wine that tastes dry despite 9 g/litre of residual sugar. 95/100

Josmeyer Riesling Grand Cru Hengst ‘Samain’ 2008 Alsace, France
Named after a Celtic feast, this is from a special parcel in Hengst on limestone, and is only produced in great vintages. Powerful, intense, taut citrus and pear fruit with good structure and a strongly mineral dimension. Some creamy minerality. Rounded and focused with life and energy; dry but generous. 96/100

Josmeyer Pinot Gris Le Fromenteau 2009 Alsace, France
White peach and citrus, with subtle creaminess. Nice texture; rounded but dry, and quite fresh, showing subtle nutty notes alongside stone fruits on the palate. 89/100

Josmeyer Pinot Gris Grand Cru Brand 2008 Alsace, France
Granite soils. Fine and mineral with spicy pear and apple fruit. Firm and precise. The palate is taut with racy acidity and apple and pear characters. Lively, mineral, fresh and spicy. Wonderful acidity. Brilliant wine. 95/100

Josmeyer Pinot Gris Grand Cru Hengst 2008 Alsace, France
Warm, grapey, nutty and rounded with some honey and nut notes. Dense palate is rounded and rich with savoury, almost meaty notes. Fresh and fine; good acidity. 92/100

Josmeyer Gewurztraminer Les Folastries 2010 Alsace, France
Lovely perfumed nose of lychee, herbs, grapes and Turkish delight. Fresh and precise on the palate with a hint of sweetness and attractive melon and lychee notes. Finishes spicy. 92/100

Josmeyer Gewurztraminer Hengst Grand Cru 2007 Alsace, France
Weighing in at 15% alcohol, but with lovely textured, smooth, concentrated pear and melon fruit. Sweet, rounded, pure and soft. Very fine melon and tangerine notes. 94/100