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| Domaine Marc Tempe | ||||||
The charismatic and intensely focused Marc Tempe and his wife, Anne Marie,
make some of the richest, most concentrated, fascinating and individualistic
wines in the Alsace region. The domaine owns 8 hectares of vineyard, including
1.23 hectares in Grands Crus Mambourg, Furstentum and Schoenenbourg, in 30
parcels around the towns of Zellenberg, Sigolsheim and St. Hippolyte. About
3,800 cases are produced each year including all the classical grape varieties
of Alsace in a range from completely dry to very rich and sweet Vendanges
Tardives and Selections des Grains Nobles. A native of Alsace, Marc became an expert on viticulture in the region during the 11 years he spent working with the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine where he helped evaluate the higher quality lieux-dits vineyards for possible elevation into the ranks of Grands Crus. In the early 1990s, Marc and Anne Marie took over vineyard properties owned by their parents and began purchasing other parcels on their own. In their efforts to restore the health of the soil and improve the quality of their grapes, they stopped the use of pesticides and synthetic herbicides and fertilizers. In 1995, they made major investments in the cellar and purchased new presses, fermenters, tanks and barrels. Finally, in 1996, they adopted the natural philosophy of biodynamism and began to manage the estate in accordance with its rules of strict organic agriculture. They believe that their adherence to this philosophy makes possible the aromatic complexity, minerality, richness and sense of terroir that is so evident in all their wines. They divide their portfolio of wines into three categories. The Vins de Fruits (fruit-based wines) come from vineyards that are less than 20 years old. They are identified by the grape variety and the commune where they are grown. Because of their lack of age, these are considered simpler wines without a distinct sense of particularity from their vineyard sites. The second category is the Vins de Terroir (wines of the soil) which are wines from vineyards over 20 years of age grown in named vineyards (lieux-dits). These wines are considered more intense, concentrated and representative of their soil types. They are named by grape variety and vineyard name. The third group is the Grands Crus, wines from vineyards whose exceptional soils, climates and geology have consistently produced superior wines and have been recognized as such by the INAO. In the cellar, Marc and Anne Marie follow the techniques of non-interventionist winemaking. They believe that more gentle handling of the wine in elevage helps preserve the freshness and purity of the fruit and characteristics of the terroir. Their wines are fermented and aged on their lies for 12-24 months. Some aging is done in tanks, others in Burgundy barrels, depending on the wine. No SO2 is used in elevage, but a little sulphur is used in bottling. CO2 is used instead as an antioxidant. The wines are lightly filtered or not filtered at all. The wines are not pumped and are bottled by gravity. As befits the age and quality of vineyards, the organic agriculture and the non-interventionist winemaking, the wines of this estate are amazingly aromatic, packed with pure, complex, ripe fruit, richly textured and balanced by plenty of fresh, crisp acidity. Both the dry and sweet wines age exceedingly well, developing more complexity and texture as they mature. Some of the wines will benefit from aeration or even decanting to release some of the CO2 still dissolved in the wine. But all make a clear and pronounced statement about the beauties of pure varietal character and the complexities of terroir. |
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