From: Alsace, France
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Critical Acclaim: Wine Enthusiast, 90 Points
"The nose is shy on this wine, but the palate is serious. Fine-grained tannins carry notes of cedar and earthy porcini. A slight violet tone and cranberry-driven acidity perk things up, but the finish is long and mushroomy. Pair with game meats and enjoy a whole lot of bang for the price."
Taste: The nose, initially shy, rapidly opens with a bit of aeration, unfurling expressive notes of violets, red and bramble berries, and fresh mushrooms. Additional layers of aromatic complexity reveal raspberry coulis and a hint of black tea, underpinned by subtle woody undertones. On the palate, bright, crunchy red fruit with blackcurrant reign supreme; you'll discover an undercurrent of floral nuances. Fine-grained tannins and a cedar and earthy porcini backbone persist, lending a supple texture with a lingering mineral finish.
Pairing: Grilled or roasted chicken, turkey, duck or pork are easy pairing options. More substantial seafood, like salmon or tuna, would also pair well. If you were in the mood to chill the wine down a bit, barbecue or composed salads like a tuna nicoise also pair beautifully. For vegetarian options, go for mushroom-based dishes! The earthiness in the wine and mushrooms will play off each other well, and will cheerfully highlight the wines fruit (check out the recipe below).
Mushroom Tart
By Martha Rose Shulman
About. Domaine Allimant-Laugner has been a producer of Alsatian wines for eleven generations. The family estate is located in Orschwiller near the Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg. The origins of the domaine begin with 2 families cultivating the vines since the 17th century, the Laugners in the village of Dieffenthal, and the Allimants in Saint-Hippolyte.
In 1816 and after participating in all Napoléon’s campaigns, captain François-Antoine Allimant bought more vines on the Haut-Koenigsbourg hills and a structure from 1664 in the village of Orschwiller, the current property of the domaine.
As most families from the area, the Allimants still lived from polyculture and chose to focus more on wine with Charles Allimant who started to bottle his wine in 1949 and developed their distribution with his daughter Mariette and her husband René Laugner. Their eldest son Hubert took over in 1984, gave the domain the actual name and brought a lot of dynamism with his wife Françoise, and since 2013 with their son Nicolas.
Seven Alsatian varietals are grown in their 12 hectares of vines, which represent 40 separate parcels with different orientations, ages and terroirs. This division of parcels is essential to get the right expression of the varieties on the right soils. South of the village, between Orschwiller and Saint-Hippolyte, the heavy clay and limestone soils are particularly appropriate to the Pinot Noirs. North of the village up to Châtenois, granitic soils are prevailing and allow to produce more aromatic Riesling and Gewurztraminer.
Above Orschwiller, the granitic and gneissic hills of the Praelatenberg have been cultivated into vines since the 9th century. This terroir allows the production of precise and very typical wines that are naturally classified as Grand Cru d’Alsace. Their parcels have a density of over 5,500 vines per hectare, favoring competition and deeper rooting, for a better typicity.
Produced using sustainable agricultural practices with a week long maceration on average before pressing. Originally from Burgundy, Pinot Noir almost disappeared a century ago in Alsace (apart from a few villages including Saint-Hippolyte where some of Allimant’s plots are located), today reintroduced throughout the area.
