At the foot of the hills of Schlossberg, surrounded by vines and roses, lies Domaine Weinbach. Named after the little stream which runs through the property, the estate has planted vines since the 9th century. It was established as a winery in 1612 by the Capuchin friars. The vineyards, even to this day, are surrounded by ancient walls, specifically named Clos des Capuchins. The history is also well remembered through the image of a monk adorning the labels of their wines.
After being sold as national property after the French Revolution, it was acquired by the Faller brothers in 1898 who then left it to their son and nephew, Theo. Theo Faller was a prominent figure in Alsace, and he developed and expanded Domaine Weinbach. After his death in 1979, Theo’s wife Colette, along with her daughters Catherine and Laurence took over to continue the pursuit of the family’s passion for great wines of Alsace.
Tragedy came to the family unfortunately, with Laurence passing away at the age of 47 in 2014, and in the next year Colette died at the age of 85. Now the estate is managed by Catherine, supported by her two sons Eddy and Theo.
Viticulture at Domaine Weinbach lies on paying close attention to the terroirs and to nature, in order to produce the highest quality grapes. The main elements are lowering yields, working the soils to favour biodiversity and rooting of the vines, avoiding the use of herbicides and chemical insecticides, and since 1990, organic methods have been practiced. Biodynamics have been used since 1998, first applied to only a part of the vineyards, expanding to the whole estate in 2005.
Covering the villages of Kientzheim and Sigolsheim, at 300-400m altitude, is the Grand Cru Furstentum. The brown soils are rich in limestone, with marl and sandstone. The vineyard also benefits from a southern exposure. The slopes are quite steep, and is planted with Gewurztraminer, producing wines of remarkable aromatic complexity, great finesse and considerable storage potential.
The grapes are harvested completely by hand and transported to the cellar as rapidly as possible. The cuvees Theo, Colette, Laurence, and Sainte Catherine carry the names of the Faller family members, correspond with precise selections within plots on different terroirs.
Apart from the Vendanges Tardives and Selections de Grains Nobles which offer expression of the terroirs magnified by over-ripened grapes and botrytis, the Quintessence de Grains Nobles is the extreme pinnacle. Exceptionally rare, they are minuscule productions of outstanding Selections de Grains Nobles in only the best vintages.
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