Beck-Hartweg
2019
Tout Naturellement
Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois
Alsace, France

The Beck-Hartweg winery can be traced back to 1524, when the family began growing and fermenting grapes alongside a variety of other agricultural endeavours in the fortified town of Dambach-la-Ville. It wasn’t until 1956 that the focus turned exclusively to winemaking, with Florian’s grandparents laying solid foundations for the winery it is today. Given this family history it’s not surprising that Florian Beck-Hartweg fell into winemaking as a child, picking grapes alongside his parents and learning the steps needed for healthy vineyards and tasty wines. Since 2009 Florian has made wine fulltime and, together with his partner Mathilde, takes care of 7.5 hectares, working with a natural approach both in the vineyard and the cellar. This approach had already begun with Florian’s mother, Yvette, who was one of the first in this region to allow grass in the vineyards in order to preserve and enhance the soil. These days, in the world of natural wine, we’re used to seeing greenery and even consciously sown cover crops between the vines, but at the time this was far from the norm. Florian and Mathilde continue to respect the diversity of their soils and have farmed organically since 2008, with no ploughing or mowing since 2009. In the future they want to work on additional blends that truly represent the land, putting terroir in the spotlight. Keep your eyes open for some more macerations, too!

Tout Naturellement is a blend of Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois. The vines are around 60 years old, growing in deep soils of silt and sand near the village. This rich terroir yields juicy, easy-drinking grapes which were picked by hand in mid September and pressed smoothly with a pneumatic press. After that, old oak casks and natural yeasts worked their magic with a one year fermentation plus aging on the lees for a further 6 months. This is a crisp, easy-going wine, well suited as an aperitif or an accompaniment for goat’s cheese.

This wine is part of
 
Volume 43: The Spring Edition