Laurent Barth Muscat d'Alsace 2009

This is the wine that made us take on a new distributor. It's not everyday that we say to ourselves that we're willing to add another character to the long list of characters that we meet with to taste wine. Yet, our first Barth wine made our mind up. How could we pass on this delicious wine? He not only makes muscat, but riesling, pinot gris, and gewurztraminer. Wow! He's not only organic, but has almost the lowest yields of anyone in Alsace! Double wow!

This is a wine made from 100% muscat. Muscat is best known as moscato d'asti, muscat d'alsace is the dry, higher acid cousin. The color in the glass is pale. The nose is beautiful, very fragrant, smells like honey suckle. The palate is wide, full and concentrated with a slight softness in mid-palate. The chalky acidity is grippy, but the fruit balances it all out beautifully. It's a racy glass of wine, but it's so good with spice, fat and cheese. 

Barth Muscat d'Alsace  $23/bottle

meet the winemaker

Laurent Barth
Laurent took over his father’s estate in 1999 and for five years brought his grapes to the local cooperative, as his contract required. 2004 was the first vintage he made and sold his wines. Before coming home, Laurent had spent several years as a travelling winemaker around the world, in Lebanon at Château Kefraya in the Beeka plain, in South Africa at Bergkelder in the Stellenbosch vineyard area, in California at Porter Creek in Sonoma, in India at Champagne India in Maharashtra, and finally in Australia at Delatite Winery in Central Victoria.

He now tends 3.5 hectares in the village of Bennwihr planted with the seven traditional Alsatian varietals, on 27 different plots. The soils go from very heavy clay and marl to super light alluvial soil of sand and pebbles. In the vineyard organic and biodynamic regimens are practiced. The vineyards are plowed one row out of two, on the second one natural grass is left to grow, alternating each year. Treatments are sulfur, copper, magnesium, calcium and algae, rich in oligo-elements, used in solutions to spray the foliage. Organic compost is used in the fall according to the soils’ needs.