Domaine Marcel Deiss La Colline Rouge 2022, Alsace, France

Marcel Deiss is a leading biodynamic practitioner. The La Colline Rouge is made of a co-plantation of Riesling and Pinot Gris from the Rotenberg vineyard. The words written on the back of the bottle explains everything: “The red slope, a magnificent vineyard planted on limestone outcrop sloping gently to the southeast, Rotenberg is like a sentry dutifully watching over the plain below – and it is the earliest ripening terroir of Bergheim. Its red soils are marked by iron and deep chalky fissures, and the ideal, sunny climate allows the co-planting of two grape varieties to shine, less crystalline perhaps than nearby Grasberg, but equally fine and elegant. Rotenberg wines are easy to drink in their youth, fresh and light-bodied, with a lemon-tinged quality, and its flavors pair well with the most noble fish dishes, casting them in a brilliant, almost geological light.