Alsace wine producer: Domaine Stirn, Sigolsheim

Domaine Stirn is run by the young couple Fabien and Odile, both oenologists by training. The domaine was formed when Fabien took over 4 ha of the best vineyards beloning to the family. The remaining part is farmed by his brother who is a mmber of the cooperative.

Fabien Stirn has land on several Grands Crus; Brand (Turckheim), Mambourg (Sigolsheim), Marckrain (Bennwihr) and Schlossberg (Kientzheim/Kaysersberg) and well as on several recognized Lieu-dit, for example Herrenweg (Turckheim) and Altenbourg (Kientzheim).

Stirn puts a lot of effort into expressing the different terroirs, and tastings at the domaine are very intersting. Since the terroirs range include granite, marl, loess, limestone it is a favour to get a "guided tour" of the wines by the open-hearted and open-minded Fabien.

The wines are all very full, but never heavy. All wines have enough acidity to back up possible residual sugar. With ageing, the Grands Crus develop very good mineralogy. Fabien avoids malo-lactic fermentation since the combination of malo and some residual sugar may result in too much volatile acidity.

Curently, Fabien acts as consultant to Villa Sandahl, a recently established producer of old vine Riesling and Pinot Gris from the Balaton region of Hungary. The first vintage (2006) supervised by Fabien Stirn resulted in a giant leap forward, putting Villa Sandahl among the best of Hungarian white wines.

I wished that more wine lovers found their way to Domaine Stirn, where Fabien is an outstanding representative of the young, ambitious, enthusiastic and innovative new generation of Alsace winemakers.

Latest visit: 2005

Facts

Fabien and Odile Stirn 3, rue du Château in the eastern part of Sigolsheim +33 (0)389 473058
domainestirn@free.fr
Riesling Génerique €6
Riesling Grand cru €10 Full terroir wines with very good balance and minerality. Very enthusiastic and generous. Book in advance. Very good English. Grands Crus: Brand, Mambourg, Marckrain, Schlossberg, Sonnenglanz (?)
Lieux-dits: Herrenweg

Selected representative wines 2005

2002 Gewurztraminer A model aroma, floral, fruity and spicy. The taste is medium-bodied, pure and the 25 g/liter R.S. is balanced by zesty acidity. Long aftertaste, perfect with Indian dishes. A Lieu-dit Schlossreben (Beblenheim). 2004 Riesling Fairly light, delicate aroma of apples and fresh grapes. A bit "nervous", quite straightforward taste with very pure and pleasant acidity. 2002 Riesling Grand Cru Brand Floral aroma with peaches and a trace of raisins. Mellow, fairly light taste with silky acidity and delicate mineralogy. A model Brand. 2002 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Marckrain Big aroma of apricots, citrus and honey. Very complex, sweet but not heavy textbook Pinot Gris taste where the acidity backs a full 48 g/liter R.S. Has shown fantastic cellaring properties. A remarkable wine from a sadly overlooked terroir