Jean-Pierre Rietsch, La Nef Des Fou

Producer: Jean-Pierre Rietsch

Region: Mittelbergheim, Alsace, France

Style: White

Taste: Dry Riesling with lemon, nutty notes and a flinty, saline edge. Concentrated and lively on the palate, with a subtle oxidative twist bringing depth and dried fruit character. Complex and expressive, with real energy and length.

Grapes: Riesling

Agriculture: Organic

Year: 2021/22/23/24

ABV: 12.5%

Size: 75cl

La Nef des Fou means “The Ship of Fools.” The name comes from medieval literature, referring to a vessel full of people acting wildly or without conventional sense. It’s playful and mischievous, just like this lively, free-spirited Riesling that lets personality shine.

A beautiful expression of Riesling, hand harvested from the south/south-east facing Grand Cru vineyard, planted over marl, limestone and compacted sandstone. Seeing such extreme variability in vintages with the mood swings of climate change, Jean-Pierre has been saving barrels each year from this parcel as a way of finding true balance in the wine. Stone fruit, grapefruit, cultured butter, this one continues unfolding along its mineral line for quite a while.