Biodynamic. Largely responsible for the Weinbach we know today, Catherine Faller’s mother, Colette Faller, was one of the legends of Alsatian wine. Sadly, Madame Faller passed away in early 2015 and, like her daughter Laurence and husband Théo before her, is now immortalised by a wine bearing her name. This comes from 45-year-old vines, lower down on the Schlossberg slope where the soils are deeper and sandier. The fruit here is also picked later.
Accordingly, the register of flavours here (running from white flowers through tropical fruits and citrus fruit zest) is more intense, and yet the wine manages to balance its power with great freshness and verve. It’s punchy, juicy and long, with a vibrant pulse of orchard fruit and a long stony close. Even though it comes entirely from Schlossberg, some of the vines fall outside the Grand Cru boundary, which is the only reason it cannot be labelled as a Grand Cru. The domaine has now applied for Premier Cru status. But no matter, it certainly offers Grand Cru quality in the glass.