A Visit with Mathieu Deiss of Domaine Marcel Deiss

by Gary Faust *

On April 2nd, 2015 we enjoyed a visit from Mathieu Deiss, winemaker from the great Alsatian producer, Domaine Marcel Deiss. The Deiss family is noted for their original thinking, maverick winemaking and for being staunch advocates for the terroir of Alsace. The focus is so strong on terroir that they defy conventional tradition in refusing to varietally label their wines.

They are biodynamic producers, intimately aware of their vines and the soils in which they are planted. Deiss spoke of the clear distinction between vines planted in granite versus those planted in limestone. The wines from granite soils displayed a saline minerality while those in limestone showed the characteristics of high acidity, chalkiness and focus.

We tasted Pinot Noir from the domaine, which were obviously unfiltered and un-fined based on their opaque appearance. In fact, all the wines from Domaine Marcel Deiss are unfiltered and un-fined. The Pinot Noir was flavorful and had nice texture-very interesting wines.

We moved on to the whites, which Deiss and the region of Alsace are well known for. Particular to Domaine Deiss is their focus on field blends, several varieties of grapes co-planted in the same vineyard. As we tasted through their lineup, Deiss reiterated how important terroir is to what ends up in the glass.

As we tasted a beautiful wine from Cru Langenberg, I offered the opinion that the nose gave strong indications of the grape Pinot Gris. The next wine, the Engelgarten bottling smelled more of Riesling. Rotenberg appeared to be a beautiful blend of both and was quite delicious. Deiss would neither confirm nor deny which if any variety made up the greatest part of either blend. Nor would he give specifics about any of the blends for his wines, saying it would take away from the notion of terroir. He stated he could plant any one of the 13 varieties allowed in Alsace or even a combination of the 61 varieties historically planted in the region and they would show a similar taste profile-such is his strength of conviction of the importance of place.

It may seem that Deiss was obstinate or unagreeable, but the converse is true. He was very giving and took time to answer all of our questions... well, except for the grape blends in his bottlings! We continued our discussion, talking about aromatics and ripeness when he asked to borrow a notepad. He then drew a small graph showing the intersection of aromatics and time. He illustrated that as the grapes ripened on the vine, two important things happened. First, the skin matures and phenolic ripeness grows with the passage of time. As this occurs, the aromatics increase early in the growing cycle, reaching a peak, which eventually begins a decline with continued maturity of the grape. His point was that there is a “sweet spot” in which to pick the grapes, where the intersection of grape maturity results in good textural mouthfeel while the aromatics are still very evident. Once past that peak, the aromatics continue to decrease, minimizing or reducing the character of the grapes.

Honestly, the wines were all quite terrific with the cru bottlings showing incredible purity of fruit and definition. The Grand Cru wines were fascinating, displaying the character of the premier cru wines, but with more depth and complexity. In fact, the Schoenenbourg Grand Cru elicited a collective “Wow” from those tasting the wines. I look forward to revisiting these wines and seeing how they evolve with the passage of time. They certainly have the beautiful acidity and purity that contributes to ageability. I can’t wait to try these wines 5 or 10 years down the road. These fine wines of Domaine Marcel Deiss reflect the winemaker: they are interesting, somewhat enigmatic and definitely worth getting to know!


Domaine Marcel Deiss 2012 Alsace Blanc $24.99 [344103]
Winemaker's notes: This wine exclusively comes from vineyards of the Domain Marcel Deiss and is produced from 13 Alsatian grapes. These grapes express the story of Alsatian terroir.

Vinous Media 88 Points-"Dark straw-yellow. Peach and aromatic herbs on the enticing nose. Rich and ripe but not at all heavy, with honeyed yellow stone fruit flavors displaying above-average intensity for an entry-level wine. Sneaky concentration and depth here. At Deiss, the objective with this wine is to produce an accessible drink that's immediately easy to understand and appreciate by wine lovers everywhere. “It’s not just a matter of low price,” Mathieu Deiss told me. “People were telling us that we lacked inexpensive entry-level wines, since our work at the estate had always been focused on the crus and on the clear expression of our soils and microclimates. As most people know and recognize the name Alsace, we thought it would be a good idea to make a wine with this name that speaks to the world of our region.” Clearly, this wine’s aromatic touch does make you think of Alsace. Mathieu noted that the blend doesn’t change much from year to year; the main variable is how much grand cru juice, and which crus, are declassified into this wine in each vintage."

Domaine Marcel Deiss 2012 Rotenberg $57.99 [344104] 

ROTENBERG is the most precocious terroir of Bergheim. Its red soil is marked by iron and limestone. The Riesling and Pinot Gris are evident in the shimmering citrus characteristics, fine and very elegant. The Rotenberg is enjoyable quite young, fresh and aerial with its lemon frame, very aromatic and light on the palate!

Stephen Tanzer 90 Points-"Bright straw. A fusel quality complicates tangerine and blood orange on the expressive nose. Chewy, rich and rather full-bodied, with ripe apricot and peach flavors complemented by anise and licorice notes. The smooth, rich finish lingers nicely with repeating anise and licorice nuances. This has a more evolved nose than the 2011, which I found surprising given that 2010 was the cooler, higher-acid vintage." 

 Domaine Deiss 2012 Schoenenbourg Grand Cru $109.99 [344105]

The famous Schoenenbourg vineyard is sourced for the flagship of Domaine Deiss. This Terroir is distinguished by its southern exposure and steepness with marl mixed with gypsum covered by the Vosges sandstone. The result is a rich, ageable wine of nobility, which magically combines an impression of strong extract with a weightless quality, very impressive.
Vinous Media 95 Points-"Bright, deep yellow. Ripe, vibrant aromas of white peach, lemon zest, chamomile and balsamic herb are complicated by lemony botrytis. Silky on entry, then round and fresh in the middle, with terrific lemony cut providing excellent energy. Really resonates on the floral, saline, tactile back end, leaving the taste buds vibrating under a lemon meringue and peach sheen. In terms of richness this seems to fall between the Mambourg and the Altenberg; it usually needs more time in the cellar than the wines from either one of those sites. In ten years' time this will be intensely mineral rather than tropical, the latter quality more typical of the Altenberg and especially the Mambourg. Best from 2018-2034 

* Gary Faust is teaching an "Intro to Alsace" wine class on Wednesday, 4/22 from  7-8:30pm, $20.  He will have a couple Domaine Marcel Deiss wines on the tasting menu-- come try and learn about this incredible wine area!