Les Vins Pirouettes 'Eros by Vincent' Alsace AOC 2022

Alsatian winemaker Christian Binner has earned over 20 years’ worth of accolades for his own wines, and launched this collective project to encourage organic and biodynamic growers in the region to make wine under their own names rather than sell their fruit cheaply to cooperatives. “Les Vins Pirouettes” is now a supportive, open association of vignerons who share the philosophy of creating unique, terroir-driven wines with zero intervention in the vineyard and cellar. Protected by the Vosges mountains, the sunny, dry climate of Alsace is ideally suited for this type of winemaking, and “Pirouettes” includes 14 organic and biodynamic growers spread across a vast range of soil types. This allows for a truly impressive array of flavors and styles, and each wine is vinified with zero-additions at the winemaker’s own place, assisted by project enologists Xavier Couturier and Pierre Sanchez. The winemaker’s first name is on the label, and ‘Eros by Vincent’ is grown and made by Vincent Gross of Domaine Gross in Gueberschwihr, from 0.5 hectare of organically grown 18 year old vines of pinot gris, riesling, and silvaner, planted on limestone and sandstone. Hand harvested grapes are destemmed and fermented on the skins for 25 days, then rested on fine lees for 8 months in foudre. Bottling occurs with no fining, filtering, or sulfur addition. This Alsatian amber evokes a tart herbal lemonade in style, with bursts of tangerine, tomatillo, persimmon, preserved lemon, white pepper, and coriander. Taut and savory, it makes a delightful dinner companion to hearty fall fare like roasted squash gratin. Biodynamically grown, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.