New from JP Rietsch: 2023

 

JP RIETSCH
FRANCE, ALSACE, MITTELBERGHEIM

We are always thrilled to release a new vintage from Jean Pierre Rietsch in Alsace, and particularly so this year as 2023 has proven to be quite the bumper harvest in Mittelbergheim. Not one without its problems (high mildew pressure thanks to humidity and big clusters after heavy August rains) but a tremendous year for quality of fruit.

It's very special to have JP in London for the first time this week, a huge thanks to those of you who joined us at the wonderful Clarence Tavern to taste and learn more about the wines and their terroir. And an enormous thank you to the lovely team at Quality Wines for hosting the dinner with Jean Pierre last night! A truly wonderful evening.

We have a good brace of new arrivals from the vibrant 2023 vintage, alongside a couple of late arrivals to complete the 2022 set: all detailed in full below.

Jean-Pierre has been at the helm of his family vineyards in the historic village for over 37 years now. Diligently organic, but working above and beyond in the parcels to ensure the resulting wines channel their terroir with both complexity and drinkability in equal measure. The 2023 wines show particular balance and juiciness, still retaining great depth. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

AVAILABLE NOW

2023 - Blanc au Litre - Auxerrois, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Silvaner

The litre blend continues to be very well suited to the format, Auxerrois taking the lead, picked from mixed parcels over clay-limestone.

2023 - Entre Chien et Loup - Auxerrois

Auxerrois hand-harvested from both the clay-limestone of Mittelbergheim and grés soils of Mutzig. Designed to be so easy drinking that the label doubles as a warning: if you can't tell the difference between the dog and wolf, you've had one too many.

2023 - Vieille Vigne Sylvaner - Sylvaner

From parcels in the Brandluft and Berg vineyards, alongside some from the Zotzenberg, mostly on clay limestone, with some marl in Zotzenberg.

2023 - Murmure - Muscat

Muscat can always be a fragile grape for Jean-Pierre but it has fared well in 23, picked from the marl limestones around Mitterlbergheim. A 10-day whole-bunch maceration this year, proving very fine and delicate rather than overbearing, Rietsch long-since having understood the best way to work with his aromatic varieties.

2023 - Coquette - Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir

Coquette returns! A wine we haven't received in a long while, a successful experiment in teasing different elements from the Gewurz, aiming for drinkability and intrigue rather than its predictable big aromas. A blend of three separate tanks, picked mostly from the Zotzenberg, great balance!

2020/23 - Stein - Riesling

From vines besides the house that JP planted with his father 30 years ago, the Leu dit Stein grown on Grey Marl and Limestone. This is a true terroir Riesling expression, multi-dimensional, long and mineral.

2022 - Grand Cru Zotzenberg - Riesling

Zotzenberg is a south/south-east facing Grand Cru vineyard, planted over marl, limestone and compacted sandstone. 2022 was one of the hottest years on record, and whilst the wine still boasts Jean-Pierre's signature acidity and light touch, it is bolstered with a brilliant sun-kissed ripeness. Lovely salinity coming from the terroir, aged 12 months in foudre.

FOR WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: HELLO@WINESUTB.COM

 

June 10: JP Rietsch at Quality Wines

 

We are thrilled to have the legendary Jean-Pierre Rietsch visiting from Alsace in June! To celebrate this rare treat, on June 10, our good friends at Quality Wines are hosting a dinner celebrating JP's wines, and some of our favourite dishes of the region.

Surely not one to be missed, the menu is listed below, perfect fare for the macerated, textural whites and bright-toned Pinots Jean-Pierre has produced for over 30 years from the family vines in Mittelbergheim.

Due to the nature of the menu, Quality Wines will be unable to accommodate any dietary requirements, allergies or intolerances on this occasion.

The menu is £50 per head, you can book now at qualitywinesfarringdon.com

Hope you’re all as excited as we are!

A Night In Alsace: JP Rietsch at Quality Wines! Monday, June 10

• Tarte à l'Oignon

• Truite à la Meunière

• Coq au Riesling

• Tarte aux Myrtilles

 

Sunshine & Salt: New Mataburro 2023

 

We are so pleased to have the invigorating, Mediterranean wines of Melissa & Laurent at @mataburro.vins ready in time for summer, from a very bright 2023 vintage.

Despite the third consecutive year of drought in Perpignan - they're averaging less than 250ml of rainfall in total each year - they were blessed with good rain at the crucial point before harvest, it's lent the wines real levity and freshness: just as Laurent & Melissa prefer!

As always, work in the vines is deeply committed, with no ploughing and prioritising green manure to help the soil temperature. The pair have a keen understanding that their soil health is the biggest tool in their arsenal to combat climate change, and are working incredibly hard in the vines to do the best they can, with very little water.

In the cellar, the processes are the same as usual. For the reds, short, whole-bunch macerations are pressed very gently and raised mainly in steel and fibreglass, all strictly no additions. For more details on the new releases, head to the blog via our bio. We are really thrilled with this special vintage and hope you enjoy it too. Vibrant with fruit, delightfully nimble and mineral, a true testament to their hard work and delicate touch.

AVAILABLE NOW

SKINS

NEW 2023 - Memo - Macabeu
Hand harvested from 70-year-old vines grown by the river on alluvial soils, once farmed by Laurent's grandfather. A whole bunch infusion in some press-juice for five days with very little extraction, pressed gently to tank for ageing for 6 months. 23 is a cracker: high-toned tropical fruit, fleshy, with a nice touch of grip and great saline minerality.

ROSE

NEW 2023 - Mura Mura - Grenache, Merlot, Muscat
Red varieties from the home vineyard on clay-limestone (80-year-old Grenache and 40 year old Merlot) macerated for 24 hours as whole bunches, assembled with Muscat whole-bunch macerated for 5 days. Pressed gently to stainless steel tank, bottled six months with no additions. Bright with sour cherry, fraises de bois, crushed violets and pithy grapefruit, long, direct and energised.

RED

NEW 2023 - Idoine - Merlot
Merlot from the home vineyard on clay-limestone, whole bunch macerated for 4 days with no extraction, pressed gently to tank, aged for 6 months, bottled with no additions. Dark-fruited but juicy, black cherry and cassis up front, framed with a lovely tart snap of tannin and thrilling chinotto bitterness to close.

NEW 2023 - Quartet - Grenache Noir, Syrah, Muscat
A 4-5 day whole bunch maceration of varieties grown in the hills on schist, a site they have worked for the last couple of years. No extraction, pressed gently, matured in concrete for 6 months. A new iteration of this cuvee, incredibly beautiful in 23, super pure-fruited and mineral, heady with dark berries and roses. Nimble, precise and joyful.

NEW 2020 - Otium Reserve - Grenache
A single-barrel of Otium from the 2020 vintage - aged 12 months in barrel on the lees with no topping up, bottled with no additions. Otium 2020 was macerated as a whole bunch infusion for 10 days, basket-pressed: this portion direct to barrel.

FOR WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: HELLO@WINESUTB.COM

 

June 10: A Taste of Alsace - JP Rietsch at The Clarence Tavern

 

We have some hugely exciting news: for the first time in many years, we will be joined by Jean-Pierre Rietsch, visiting from Alsace on Monday, June 10th!

To mark the occasion, we've arranged a day of tasting out on the terrace at The Clarence Tavern: this will be a rare opportunity to taste with Jean-Pierre himself and learn about his trailblazing approach to viticulture and winemaking, one finessed over 37 years at the helm of his family's vines in Mittelbergheim.

We'll be tasting wines from both the '23 and '22 vintages. It promises to be quite special!

Rather than an all-day, crowded trade tasting, we're running the day as three intimate sessions for the trade with Jean-Pierre: at 10am, 12pm and 2pm.

If you work in the trade and would be interested to join: please RSVP letting us know which session you'd like to attend, and how many of you would like to come down.

RSVP - RIETSCH AT THE CLARENCE

 

A Field Day: New 2023 Pet-Nats from Titch Hill

 

Titch Hill - Alex Tristram & Sam Bunker
ENGLAND, SOUTH-EAST, WEST SUSSEX

Cause for celebration: new wines from Sam & Alex at Titch Hill!

Our UK growers continue to release wines to coax the sun back, and things are looking promising! Sam & Alex’s latest wines are brilliant examples of the fun you can have with UK fruit when worked properly, with no additions.

Among the arrivals - a trio of pet-nats - we have a top-up of their ‘22 Wild Combination; and from 2023, the new edition of Fieldwork (properly sparkling this year) and the introduction of Love Streams: a high energy pet-nat of Baccus, Auxerrois and Chardonnay - (up to you to decide if its a bottled-expression of Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Cassavetes, or Tim Hecker)

Due to prior commitments with their own fruit for the 2023 vintage, these releases are all negocé for Titch Hill this year, with fruit sourced from organic or responsible lutte raisonnée vineyards from across England's south.

Though the 2024 releases will be back to domaine fruit, it's a thrill to see nonetheless their house-style shining through so clearly in these wines: a testament to their keen-eyed vision and brilliant winemaking. Clean, fun, bright and beautiful.

AVAILABLE NOW

SPARKLING

2023 - Love Streams - Bacchus, Auxerrois, Chardonnay
They’ve done it again: summer in a bottle! Super-bright, fresh with citrus, someone’s been going heavy with the zester whilst prepping the picnic. Drinks like a good time in a meadow, heady with nearby elderflower.

2023 - Field Work - Pinot Noir, Reichensteiner, Ortega
A juicy, vibrant and immediately satisfying pet-nat of Pinot Noir, Reichensteiner and Ortega. Juicy, smoky fruit with a lovely amaro bitterness.

Ready to put the wines through their paces with Leeds’ formidable Thai Aroy Dee as selected by Wayward Wines own Steve Nuttall.

 

New Reds from Thierry Forestier!

 

The 2022 wines of Thierry Forestier are here! Among our favourite expressions of the Gard, Thierry manages to produce featherweight wines without losing any of the heady garrigue he loves.

In the village of Souvignargues on clay and limestone, Thierry farms 12 hectares of native Gard varieties, having traded in his career in IT for that of a vigneron back in 2004. A friendship with Eric Pfifferling was the catalyst for working as gently as possible, minimal intervention in every sense of the word.

Farming gnarled old vines organically in co-planted parcels surrounded by forest, prioritising soil health and diversity, Thierry has become something of a luminary in the area. Now nearly twenty years into his journey, he's a champion of zero-sulphur winemaking and careful farming, he's helped fledgling growers with vinifications, lends a hand in re-training their vines back to traditional goblet pruning, or helping sourcing grapes when growers hit hard vintages.

In the cellar, Thierry keeps macerations short, whole bunches rarely stay in tanks for more than 5 days, presses are gentle, ageing is simple. A light touch is the order of the day in the cellar, and it shows.

Available in small quantities, those who have been lucky enough to familiarise themselves with Thierry's wines are well versed in why we consider them so special!

The wines are detailed now below. With thanks to Bryan McComb for the Thierry portraits 📸

AVAILABLE NOW

REDS

2022 - Anathème Rouge - Carignan, Aramon

Thierry's park-drinking red, he picks four of his twelve hectares for this cuvee: a wine to be enjoyed with friends, he ensures there is enough of it to go round! Majority Carignan with a little of the prized Aramon, vines are planted over clay-limestone at 115m above sea level. Whole bunch maceration of both varieties together for 5 days, free-run and press-juices assembled together and aged 9 months in concrete tank. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, no additions.

2022 - Salve Ager - Grenache , Cinsault (MAGNUM AVAILABLE)

Delicate, detailed, with great tension in 2022, a lovely fine line of tannin and a saline black-olive lick. Majority Grenache, lifted with Cinsault. Vines are planted over clay-limestone at 115m above sea level. Whole bunch maceration of both varieties together for 5 days, free-run and press-juices assembled together and aged 9 months in concrete tank. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, no additions.

2022 - Aramonix - Aramon

Thierry makes tiny volumes of this cult-cuvee: picking less than a hectare parcel of 80 year old Aramon planted over clay-limestone. Just a 4 day whole-bunch maceration, free-run and press-juices assembled together and aged 9 months in an enamel tank. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, no additions.

2022 - Puech Coucou - Oeillade, Cinsault

Another micro-cuvee Thierry experimented with in '21, we're thrilled to see it becoming an annual release: picked from a beatiful, forested parcel of old-vine Cinsault and Oeillade that used to be blended into Salve Ager. Puech Coucou has real finesse, dense with fruit but nimble, elegant and long. Whole bunch maceration of both varieties together for 8 days, free-run and press-juices assembled together and aged 9 months in concrete tank. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, no additions.

FOR WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES: HELLO@WINESUTB.COM

 

May 13: A Tasting at Little Duck

 

We're very pleased to be pouring new arrivals for the trade at Little Duck, Dalston on Monday, May 13!

We'll be there with Otros Vinos and Ferran from Bodega Clandestina, from 11am to 3.30pm - Ferran will be pouring his 2023 vintage as well as a couple back vintages.

Simple drop us an email if you work in the trade to RSVP.

 

May 6: Foresto By The Sea!

 

Very excited to be spending the first May Bank Holiday by the sea next week with our pal Francesco Pozzobon (Tenuta Foresto) at the delightful new wine bar: Drifter, Brighton!

Francesco will be on hand to pour his macerated whites: the perfect foil to plates of seafood that the guys at Drifter will be serving up, with the pebble beach beyond them: good wine, good food and no doubt good music, lovely way to spend a sunny Monday evening - from 5pm onwards!

Open to all, hope to see you there, or in the sea. 🌊

 

May 13: A Trade Tasting in Newcastle

 

Looking forward to pouring in the North East again alongside Beattie & Roberts, Gergovie Wines, Otros Vinos, Roland Wines, Wayward Imports and Wright's Wines at the lovely House Bar (Heaton, Newcastle) - thanks so much to Ailsa & Ethan for organising this one.

Monday May 13, pouring for the trade from 11am - 5pm. House Bar will be kicking open the doors to the public from 6pm for more wine and snacks, so please do come through!

If you work in the trade and would like to taste, please drop us a message to RSVP.

 

Real Wine Fair 2024

 

In little over a week we're very pleased to be taking part in the 2024 edition of the Real Wine Fair!

Here's who will be joining us this year:

Andi Weigand will be pouring a full range of his juicy 2022 wines, farmed on the keuper slopes of Iphofen, Franconia - the land where Silvaner (and techno) reign supreme.

Vincent Alexis will be on hand to pour through multiple vintages from his Barouillet domaine, a rare chance to try his experimental cuvees alongside heavy-hitting crowd favourites.

Hugo Stewart will be on hand to represent the eponymous Domaine Hugo, pouring his pure, invigorating sparkling wines and if we're lucky, he may have a little of his very limited still cuvée: Two Times A Half under the table!

Nicola & Daniel Ham will be pouring through all their new Offbeat releases, wines with prolonged foudre ageing, experimental macerations and cider/wine hybrids - we can't wait for you to try these!

Looking at the map for this year's RWF, it looks like Andi will be waving distance from the UK growers in the Main Gallery, with Vincent a few tables behind, splashing wines around the sea of France.

Let us know if you're attending on either the 28th or 29th so we can introduce you to the growers! Looking forward to seeing you all there.

If you haven't booked yet, you can do so via the button: