Jean-Michel Deiss, (the son of Marcel Deiss, who established the property in 1949) currently manages the 27 hectares of vines, which are planted on some of Alsace's finest terroirs, including the grand cru Altenburg de Bergheim. Jean-Michel Deiss grows his vines according to biodynamic principles, a philosophy that prohibits any form of chemical treatment and combines an understanding of cosmic rhythms with work on the soil and the vines. The objective? To encourage the vines to develop as deep a root system as possible in the subsoil, thereby giving full expression to the terroir. Despite being an acknowledged master of the art of making single varietal wines such as Pinot Gris and Riesling, this exceptional winegrower has waged a veritable campaign against the traditional Alsace approach of regarding the grape variety as the essence of the wine, and granting negligible importance to the terroir. Thus he has reintroduced ancestral practices such as mixed planting of all of the traditional varieties (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris) on the same plot, with no sorting at the harvest. The terroir then comes to the forefront, free to fully express itself without the omnipresent constraint of a single variety. After years of campaigning, Jean-Michel Deiss finally succeeded in obtaining authorisation for the application of the terms "Grand Cru" and "Premier Cru" (previously reserved for traditional cuvées) to these "vins de terroir". The names of the grape varieties have not appeared on the labels since 2005. More information : Read the article about domain Marcel Deiss on the blog

Sélection de Grains Nobles is the highest category of late-harvest wines in Alsace. It is reserved for wines made from grapes affected by noble rot and marked by exceptional concentration and sweetness. In Alsace, only noble varieties such as Riesling may bear the Sélection de Grains Nobles (SNG) designation. Marcel Deiss selects SGN fruit from localities where ripening conditions and the development of noble rot are most favourable. The Kimmeridgian and marl-limestone soils of these slopes impart saline minerality and sapidity, offsetting the richness and sugar of the botrytised berries. In the winery, after rigorous sorting, the fruit is gently pressed. A careful settling is followed by fermentation with native yeasts. The wine is subsequently aged on lees for an extended period.
This Riesling shows a golden-yellow hue. The intense, complex bouquet offers candied apricot, orange peel, flower honey, dried floral notes and candied tropical fruit. On the palate, a striking balance unfolds between concentrated sweetness and vibrant acidity. The silky texture and saline minerality lead into a long, layered finish.