Alsace wine producer: Emile Beyer, Eguisheim

The family Beyer has been an important part of the wine business in Colmar for many centuries, and has been in the village since the late 1500's. Today there are two main branches of the family. On one of the branches are Christian Beyer and his domaine Emile Beyer. It is a relatively large family estate with 19 hectares of vineyards on the slopes rich in limestone and clay above and around Eguisheim.

Christian Beyer invests heavily in quality and environmentally friendly viticulture. When pruning, he retains only one fruit bearing cane - baguette - on the vine in order to keep yields down. The production is certified as Agriculture Biologique.

Most wines are made from Beyer's own grapes, with the exception of the entry level Tradition range. For these wines, Beyer relies on a network of small growers who have been loyal to the family and delivered wines for years.

With regard to the style of wine, Christian Beyer leans towards the reductive side. This gives the wines a little less color, and they develop slower but better with cellaring. From the harvest 2009, the winery is located just outside the center of the village in modern and spacious premises. According to Christian, it allows him to vinify with more precision, without limitations of the logistics.

In 2010 Beyer created the vineyard Clos Lucas Beyer of 2.5 hectares at an particularly steep part, in the heart of Grand Cru Pfersigberg. The intention is to make a wine of reference, making no compromises, that highlights all the best of what the terroir and the Riesling grape are capable of.

The land for Clos Lucas Beyer was bought by Lucas Beyer already in 1792 when the vineyards of the Chruch were put up for sale after the French revolution in 1789. Involuntary seller was the monastery of Marbach, located at the quarry above the nearby village Voegtlinshoffen.

The firm's lieu-dit Hohrain is located on a slope above Pfersigberg, exposed to drying winds. Here, Pinot Gris is normally not threatened by grey rot. But the grapes on the Hohrain can also be left so long on the vines that they may be affected drying and, or by pourriture noble.

Christian Beyer is, in line with the family tradition, very much involved in Eguisheim. He is chairman of the village community with responsibilities including the annual wine festival the last week-end in August. But the journeys around the globe require more and more time. When I met him, he had just returned from a trip to the U.S. and Hong Kong

Emile Beyer, under the management of the dynamic Christian Beyer, is a firm that combines tradition and progressiveness with wines of very high class.

Last visit: 2012

Facts

Christian Beyer 7 Place du château Eguisheim +33 (0)389 41 40 45
info@emile-beyer.fr
Riesling Tradition €9
Riesling Grand Cru Pfersigberg €15
Firm, dry terroir wines. Relexed and welcoming. English. Grands Crus: Eichberg, Pfersigberg
Lieu-dit: Hohrain

Selected representative wines 2012

2011 Sylvaner The scent is typically spicy, slightly herbaceous with youthful features. The taste is robust with a good backbone, good fruit and a hint of bitterness that makes it fit fabulously well with food. The vineyard is planted with cuttings from the Grand Cru Zotzenberg in Mittelbergheim. Price: 4,80. 2011 Riesling Tradition Surprisingly complex nose with grapefruit, orange and yellow apples. The taste is almost medium-bodied and supple, with ripe acids and a refreshing finish with some length. A great value! Price: 6,80. 2008 Riesling Grand Cru Pfersigberg Very young and big aroma of citrus and apples. Broad, complete taste. The acidity has the special intense character of the terroir, as the very long, fruity aftertaste offers outstanding minerality and salinity. Price: 18.00. 2010 Pinot Gris Hohrain Generous but focused aromas of mango, passion fruit, honey and smoke. The taste is silky, rich and well balanced, while the fruit fills the mouth with delicious flavors. The wine's 20 grams of sugar per liter are not noticeable at all. Price: €12.80.