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2018 Les Vieilles Vignes de Sylvaner
Domaine Ostertag
Every year, Ostertag’s Sylvaner is one of my favorite go-to wines for a delicious, versatile, dry white, in that category between everyday and special occasion. It is also a perennial favorite of my dear longtime colleague in wholesale, Steve Ledbetter, who has very discerning taste. This wine is biodynamic, which you could say goes several steps beyond organic in terms of being in tune with nature. Beautiful aroma, silky mouthfeel, fresh with old-vine weight, interesting, and downright delicious.
—Dixon Brooke
Michael Bargo's Pick
Imagine you're on a coastal hike and you're parched. Then, all the sudden, a giant bipedal monster rises from the sea and squeezes into nothing two massive lemons. Your mouth falls open in astonishment. You're drenched in briney water and lemon zest. You're amazed. But you're no longer thirsty.
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sylvaner |
Appellation: | Alsace |
Country: | France |
Region: | Alsace |
Producer: | Domaine Ostertag |
Winemaker: | André Ostertag |
Vineyard: | 40+ yrs, 2 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Granite, Gravel |
Farming: | Biodynamic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2020 Riesling “Fronholz”
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Fronholz’s vibrant mix of fruit and earth, flesh and structure, is Domaine Ostertag’s hallmark.

2023 Les Vieilles Vignes de Sylvaner
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Beautiful aroma, silky mouthfeel, fresh with old-vine weight, interesting, and downright delicious.

2022 Pinot
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A fragrant cuvée full of peach skin, green guava, and passion fruit seeds.

2021 Pinot Gris “Fronholz”
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Fronholz is a vineyard composed primarily of quartz, and the taste of an Ostertag wine from here is reminiscent of this stone: sleek, transparent, and brilliant.

2019 Riesling “Le Berceau, lieu dit Pflanzer”
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Imagine if in Alsace, deep beneath the earth, there were a Riesling aquifer...

2021 Riesling Grand Cru “Muenchberg”
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Decidedly lean in its youth, but with hints of glycerin, apple wax, and resin that will evolve into lavish layers as it ages.

2020 Pinot Gris “Zellberg”
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Hot stone and white pepper liven up the backbone of this extraordinarily complex, unique white.

2021 Riesling “Fronholz”
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This vintage might fool you for an oyster wine. Let it!

2022 Riesling “Clos Mathis”
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Delicious alongside black cod in miso soy marinade.

2023 Gewürztraminer “Fronholz: A l’Orient d’Eden”
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A cornucopia of aroma and flavor
About The Producer
Domaine Ostertag
To call André Ostertag a revolutionary winemaker is to tell just half the story. He is a pioneer, certainly, but also an ardent environmentalist. After training in Burgundy, André returned to the family domaine in Alsace with renewed zeal: he lowered yields considerably and introduced viticultural and vinification techniques from other regions to his own home ground. He looks for the nuance of terroir rather than the typicity of a grape varietal. André rejects formulaic, scientifically engineered wines, and since going biodynamic in 1997, has been an active member of the natural farming community.
About The Region
Alsace
Tragically, Alsace might be the most misunderstood wine region of France. In spite of its long history of viticulture and tremendous diversity of pedigreed terroirs, a past fraught with marketing mishaps has left consumers baffled as to what exactly to expect inside one of these mysterious tall, thin bottles.
The good news, on the other hand, is that a new wave of quality-oriented growers is working hard to put Alsace in its rightful place as one of the world’s most fascinating sources of fine white wine. By embracing tradition, respecting terroir, and making a concerted effort to better communicate the countless virtues their wines have to offer, they have succeeded in putting Alsace back on the map.
Crafted from a number of grape varieties and beautifully interpreting the region’s mosaic of soil types, our Alsace imports are by and large dry whites offering exceptional versatility at table. While each of these selections is ready to be uncorked tonight, the finest among them are also capable of maturing for many, many years in a cool cellar. Expect kaleidoscopic aromatics, lively acidities, and loads of terroir transparency in these skillfully crafted masterpieces. Enjoy a foray into the thrilling world of the world’s most underrated wine region, and certainly do not hesitate to contact our sales staff with any questions as you take off on this mouth-watering adventure.
More from Alsace or France
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2023 Pinot Noir “S”
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2023 Les Vieilles Vignes de Sylvaner
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2022 Riesling Grand Cru “Wineck Schlossberg”
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2023 Gewürztraminer “Fronholz: A l’Orient d’Eden”
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2023 Pinot Noir “S”
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2023 Les Vieilles Vignes de Sylvaner
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2022 Riesling Grand Cru “Wineck Schlossberg”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2019 Pinot Gris “Réserve”
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2023 Gewürztraminer “Fronholz: A l’Orient d’Eden”
Domaine Ostertag France | Alsace
2022 Chasselas
Albert Boxler France | Alsace
Crémant d’Alsace Brut
Meyer-Fonné France | Alsace
2022 Gewurztraminer
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2019 Pinot Gris “Dorfburg”
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.
Inspiring Thirst, page 312