Domaine in Black

Pedigree and lineage continue to sing loudest in the chorus of Alsatian wine, but the emergence of local vigneron(ne)s from outside of the region's famous families and cellars has added dynamism and vitality to this fascinating story in recent years.

None more so than Lambert Spielmann, who from his meticulous cellar in Saint Pierre in the Bas-Rhin, has been churning out remarkably precise, terroir driven wines since 2019, built around his preference for gentle pressing, delicate macerations, general soft touch at the cellar, and the beautiful fruit of his vines. Having no family ties to viticulture, Lambert was confronted with the familiar financial barriers to entry for those in his position in Alsace, but he got his start working with Yves Amberg, just outside neighbouring Epfig, in 2016. Deeply influenced by Yves' approach, who had tended his vines organically since 1997, Lambert closely follows the lunar cycles and works with biodynamic treatments in the vineyard, with minimal copper and sulphur. The parcels hum with life during the growing season.

Furthering his experience at the cellar of Christophe Lindelaub, Lambert wasted little time setting out on his own, renting vines from his mentor Yves in Epfig and Beck-Hartweg in Dambach-la-Ville, and later from his friend Léo Dirringer, also in Dambach-la-Ville. Overall he tends about 2 hectares, with yield of between 35 and 45 hectolitres per hectare.

Away from the riot of life among his vines, Lambert's cellar in Saint Pierre is, conversely, both pristine and serene, lined with fibre tanks, stainless, and the odd barrel. Everything is conducted with the softest of hands, with gravity preferred to the pump, and pigeage only employed when absolutely necessary. With this approach, Lambert’s wines evoke the living soils and carefully farmed fruit from his vineyard sites with clarity and verve. Having spent the day with Lambert at his cellar and vines in 2022, it's a pleasure to finally have a limited number of cases here in Cork.