La Grange de l’Oncle Charles, Ostheim, Alsace
When you enter the farm of Jérome Francois, you get a warm welcome by both him, his partner in crime Morgane and their animals. Horses for the work in the vineyards, sheep too fertilize the soils and dogs to keep you happy. Except the friendly animals they also got stunningly beautiful vineyards that they tend to with great care.
Jérome started his history in wine as a sommelier in restaurants, but he realised fast that it was a bit too snobby for him. So, he quit and started to work as a carpenter for some years until the longing for wine was too big. This was in 2014 and luckily he didn’t have to suffer too much from abstinence because he had the opportunity to buy 0,5 ha from his uncle just outside Ostheim, northern Alsace. This vineyard was planted by his grandfather and it was an immense joy for Jérome to be able to continue the family tradition.
The first vintage of a 1000 bottles were made and production has since then increased a little every year. He started to work biodynamically straight away, to take care of the soils and microclimats. This has always been in focus.
A few years in Morgane joined and all the work is now carried out together by the duo.
Today they manage 7 ha and has 2 employees.
Except their Domaine wines they also buy grapes to be able to have security and cover up volumes in bad years. They call the négoc wines for ‘Vins des Copains’ and the estate wines for ‘Vins de Terroirs’.
Jérome and Morgane both love to drink wines that gives back energy and that’s something you can really feel in their almost electric wines packed with fruit.
‘Vins de Terroirs’:
2021 Mille Lieux
Soil: Granit, limestone and grès
(Keyserberg, Ammerswhir, Zellenberg, Rodern and Ribeauville)
Grape: Riesling, Sylvaner, Muscat, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc,
Gewürtztraminer are dominating but 13 varieties are used in total.
Appellation: AOC Alsace
Age of Vines: Planted 1960-1980
Vinification: Direct press then fermented and aged in old oak barriques.
Bottled in November 2022. 6000 btls made.
2020 Mille Lieux
Soil: Granit, limestone and grès
(Keyserberg, Ammerswhir, Zellenberg, Rodern and Ribeauville)
Grape: Riesling, Sylvaner, Muscat, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewürtztraminer
Appellation: AOC Alsace
Age of Vines: Planted 1960-1980
Vinification: Direct press then fermented and aged in old oak barriques.
Bottled in September 2021. No sulphur added.
2021 Mille Lieux sur Peaux
Soil: Granit, limestone and grès
(Keyserberg, Ammerswhir, Zellenberg, Rodern and Ribeauville)
Grape: Riesling, Sylvaner, Muscat, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris,
Pinot Blanc, Gewürtztraminer
Appellation: AOC Alsace
Age of Vines: Planted 1960-1980
Vinification: Direct press followed by 1 month maceration on the skins.
Fermented and aged in old oak barriques.
Bottled in March 2022. No sulphur added.
2021 La Danse des Corbeaux
Soil: Grey marlstone in Riquewihr.
Grape: Riesling, Sylvaner, Chasselas,
Gewûrtztraminer and Pinot Gris.
Appellation: AOC Alsace
Age of Vines: Planted 1932-1952
Vinification: Direct press then aged in old barriques.
Bottled in November 2022. 3000 btls made.
2021 La Belle Colline
Soil: Calcareous marlstone (in the Grand Cru Schlossberg).
Grape: Old co-planting of all Alsatian grapes imaginable.
Appellation: AOC Alsace
Age of Vines: Planted 1934
Vinification: Direct press then aged in old barriques.
Bottled in November 2022. 900 btls made.
2021 Le Mont des Clochettes
Soil: Granit (from the Grand Cru Gloeckelberg).
Grape: 50% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Gris 20% Gewürtztraminer all co-planted vines.
Appellation: AOC Alsace
Age of Vines: Planted 1952
Vinification: Whole bunch fermentation for 3 weeks before pressing.
Ageing took place in old barriques. Bottled in March 2022. No sulphur added
2018 Le Mont des Clochettes
Soil: Granit (from the Grand Cru Gloeckelberg).
Grape: 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Gris, 10%
Gewürtztraminer, 10% Riesling.
Appellation: AOC Alsace
Age of Vines: Planted 1952
Vinification: 90% destemmed, fermentation on the skins for 10 days before press.
The aged for 5 months in old barriques. The wine has since rested in bottle.
1200 btls made.
2020 Le Village des Amoureux
Soil: Granit (Ammerswihr)
Grape: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Muscat
Appellation: AOC Alsace
Age of Vines: Planted 1960-1980
Vinification: Direct press then fermented and aged in old oak barriques.
Bottled in September 2021. No sulphur added.
2019 Le Chemin d’à Côte
Soil: Granit (Cru Sittweg, north facing in the north of Kaefferkopf)
Grape: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc
Appellation: AOC Alsace
Age of Vines: Planted 1975
Vinification Direct press then fermented and aged in old oak barriques.
Bottled in September 2021. No sulphur added