Chien Noir, Chat Blanc 2022 - Domaine in Black
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Chien Noir, Chat Blanc 2022 - Domaine in Black
Auxerrois, Pinot Noir · Alsace, France · 75cl
Pickup available at 3 Cornmarket Street
Usually ready in 2-4 days
A true vin d'auteur from Lambert, showcasing his creative tendencies in the cellar. The pressed marc of his pinot noir from the sandstone of Reichsfeld macerates in the direct press juice of Auxerrois growing in Dambach-la-ville on granite. Maceration for a year in stainless.
A cherry stone thread of bitterness is reminiscent of amaro and we get a cranberry, white currant fruitiness. In the mouth we feel the fruit volume and mineral compression of the Auxerrois, framed by fine tannins extracted from the marc of the Pinot. Best lightly chilled
The producer
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 vineyard, with minimal copper and sulfur. 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.
The place
Saint Pierre is a small commune in the Bas-Rhin, along the banks of the Andlau river. Historically the village was known for tobacco, though wine has taken up that mantle today. While Lambert’s cellar is on the outskirts of his village, his parcels of vines are dotted around the neighbouring areas on a variety of soils and expositions, many isolated or out of the way.
Grapes: Auxerrois, Pinot Noir
Region: Saint Pierre, Alsace, France
ABV: 12.5%