Yannick Meckert grew up in a winemaking family, studying viticulture and oenology in Beaune and Montpellier before working for a short stint on his parents’ estate. Disillusioned by conventional winemaking, he packed his bags and began travelling, finding mentors like Philippe Pacalet, Patrick Meyer, Claus Preisinger, Charles Dufour and Christian Binner. Inspired by this alternative approach to winemaking, Yannick returned to Alsace to begin his own project, releasing his first vintage in 2020. Since then, Yannick has fast become recognised as one to watch, with a curious mind and an energy that overflows into his wines. The winery is located in the village of Rosheim, with 3.5 hectares of vines between Obernai and Heiligenstein, planted mostly on clay and limestone. Working with négoce grapes over the years has given him the chance to work with other terroirs, and vineyards planted on schist, sandstone and volcanic soil. Yannick has tended to Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Silvaner, Riesling and Gewürztraminer, but it is Riesling that has his heart. It is these vines that will become his sole focus over the coming years; a large parcel surrounded by forest, where he hopes to find a small house for his family with a cellar close by. With characteristic passion and drive, Yannick aims to make something truly unique from this vineyard — a beautiful Riesling from blue schist, with two, patient years of aging. As such, the wines from his other varieties feel increasingly precious, and we’re glad to be able to share the latest cuvée with you, and the only one that he will release this year.
Gewürztraminer from a rainy 2024, its saline minerality balanced by the tannic, concentrated wine of a hot 2023. For both vintages, the bunches were left whole, with daily punchdowns for a week before pressing. After aging in century-old oak, the two wines were blended with a small amount of Pinot Gris. The Gewürztraminer offers two distinct expressions of the same terroir; 40 to 45 year old vigorous vines from a clay-limestone parcel, where the soil’s water retention, a happy result of the clay content, sustains and nourishes the vines through hot periods of little rainfall. Combined, the vintages give a wine that is focussed, balanced, and utterly delicious. Yannick sees it falling somewhere between his previous releases ‘Cris et Chuchotements’ and ‘Deux Couleurs: Orange’; fluid and accessible, but with the salinity and long finish that has become a signature of his wines. A beautiful orange wine with balanced fruit, lovely tannins and lots of energy. Keep your eyes peeled for a second new wine in May ’26!