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Today we offer a handful of new arrivals from our friend Philippe Brand in Alsace. A couple of whites, a couple Skin Contact wines, and a tasty Pet-Nat!
A brief history of the family domaine brings us to the 1700s, when Philippe's ancestors started a polycutlure farm in Ergerhseim, about 20 minutes west of Strasbourg. They grew wheat, tobacco, and grapes, and had many farm animals as well. In fact, the numerous stalls and barns created for the animals have since been adapted to accomodate the winemaking activities in recent decades. In the 1950s, Philippe's grandfather, Lucien Brand, began to focus primarily on cultivating vineyards, expanding their surface area from half a hectare to just under 10 hectares, and establishing an official winery in 1956. Charles, Philippe's father, converted to organic viticulture in the 1990s, with certification in 2000. Philippe was always helping out at the winery from an early age, and then in 2006, he began to have a more active role, taking the organic farming a step further by converting to biodynamic agriculture starting around 2010, with certification in 2015
Philippe traveled to Burgundy, and as far as Australia, learning at different wineries, and developing a vision for what he wanted to do back home. He then benefited from relationships with some of our favorite Alsatian personalities, like Christian Binner and Pierre Frick, who he consults with regularly. In his words, the idea behind his approach to winemaking "is to capture all the life that gives us beautiful grapes, retain that life during the vinification, and bring it to you in the bottle." He's clearly doing just that, and his work highlights how pure and balanced natural wines can be. As far as I remember, Philippe told me his father will only drink the no SO2 added wines now, preferring them to the traditional wines they still bottle for the old folks and tourists in the area.
-Eben Lillie
Wines will be available for delivery and pick up after 10/28
Brand, Charles & Philippe 2018 Alsace Pet-Nat 'Le Bidule'
A gently sparkling, hazy Pet-Nat from Philippe Brand. Le Bidule is a blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and 10% direct press Pinot Noir. Low alcohol and as the French say, "digeste," in that it has nice texture and goes down quite smoothly. This will be a great Pet-Nat to have on the table during the holidays, as the bubbles are not aggressive yet the wine is still light on its feet and very refreshing and palate cleansing.
Brand, Charles & Philippe 2020 Alsace Oeillet le Litre (Liter)
A fresh and forward liter bottle of Pinot Blanc, sort of a classic Alsatian dry white, perfect for salads, cheese, tarte flambée, or on its own as an apero. A touch of orchard fruit on the palate and nice acidity overall.
Brand, Charles & Philippe NV Alsace La Chimère Riesling (17/18/19)
La Chimère is a solera of Riesling, from the Kefferberg vineyard, a clay and limestone site. No SO2 added. Aging has been for over 3 years, 2017-18-19, and it keeps getting better! Light press of whole clusters, with fermentation and aging in foudre. We love this wine for the fresh, crispy palate, and its herbaceous character. Philippe's website advises that one can aerate the wine by opening it 2 hours before drinking, in order to liberate the aromas. Pairs well with appetizers, salty dishes, poultry and seafood. -EL
Brand, Charles & Philippe 2019 Alsace Orange 'Oui Chef!'
A wine made with friends, "Vins des Copains" as they say, from grapes in Alsace. The "Brand & Co" wines will likely change from year to year as they experiment with different vinifications and blends. This is a uniquely spritzy orange wine that isn't sparkling, but is undeniably fizzy for about 10-15 minutes. 50% Riesling maceration (so just half of the grapes see skin contact for 4 weeks), blended with direct press wines of Pinot Gris and Sylvaner. A bit spiced and tropical on the nose, but razor sharp and fresh, not very floral, but aromatically very inviting. A nice addition to the Brand lineup!
Brand, Charles & Philippe 2021 Alsace Fleurs Maceration (Pinot Gris)
This is an "orange wine" made from a maceration of Pinot Gris. The wine has delicious notes of dried stone fruit, and tangy freshness. There's subtle grip and texture, and a lovely deep amber color in the glass. Maceration is for an average of 15 days with whole cluster, and aging is 8 months in stainless steel.