Félix Meyer is full of surprises. A third-generation winemaker with deep expertise at his family’s domaine, he continues to make changes and improvements while remaining true to his roots. In addition to expanding his grand cru holdings, he’s also implemented organic farming practices and has been thoughtfully cultivating new and unexpected varieties with exciting results.
     The Meyer-Fonné wines hold a notable place in our Alsatian portfolio, offering some of the most exceptional expressions of the region’s unique terroirs at great value. Take Félix’s old-vine Pinot Blanc. Rife with peach and citrus blossom, but delightfully dry and cleansing on the finish, it’s the perfect introduction to Alsatian whites for unfamiliar palates. Among his single-vineyard bottlings, the Riesling “Pfoeller” grows between two grand cru vineyards on muschelkalk, a densley layered limestone. The result is dramatic: green apple and petrol, finishing with rippling acidity. Another stunner, the Sylvaner “Oolithe,” comes from oolitic limestone, whose name refers to the soil’s fossilized, egg-shaped sediments. The oceanic raciness is unmistakable, balancing showy aromas of stone fruit.
     Keenly aware of Alsace’s ability to produce soulful, world-class rouges, Félix also bottles multiple Pinot Noirs and even a Syrah. From mountainous marl, the single-vineyard Pinot “Altenbourg” is Burgundian in style, delivering silkiness and pure red fruit. The Réserve Pinot, sourced from multiple lieux-dits, maintains a youthful, vibrant profile, while edging into musky bramble. But perhaps most impressive is “Le Samson,” made from a fraction of a hectare of Syrah planted in the Wineck-Schlossberg grand cru; an undertaking to capture the variety’s potential in new terrain. Echoing great Syrahs from the northern Rhône, sunny granite soils impart inky black fruit but with an Alsatian snappiness. It’s a bottle loaded with aging potential.