Léonard Dietrich Stammtisch Auxerrois/Riesling 2023

Country: France

Region: Alsace

Type: Orange Wine

Grape: Auxerrois/Riesling

From a small cellar in the village of Dambach-la-Ville, Léonard Dietrich is making some of the most exciting wines in all of Alsace. Immersed in wine from a young age, he has worked with his family in the vines for as long as he can remember, and although his family has been growing grapes in the village for centuries, Léo has gone his own way in winemaking. 

Today, he has three hectares in and around Dambach, including small parcels in lieu-dits such as Breitstein, Frauenberg and the Grand Cru Frankstein. Like many young vignerons in Alsace, Léo is wary of monoculture and the effects of climate change. He has spent his first few vintages converting the vineyards to biodynamics and planting fruit trees among his parcels. 

Despite his youth, Léo displays a lightness of touch in the cellar, favoring gentle presses and macerations, and élevage in large Alsatian foudres. Léo is a hard-working winemaker who works his vineyards with impeccable care and has a great understanding of his terroir. The wines are deep, serious and vibrant. His nuanced expressions of these storied crus have made him one to watch in a region that is rich in winemaking talent.

Stammtisch is made up of roughly equal parts of Riesling and Auxerrois from forty year-old vines planted over sandy soils at the bottom of Dambach-la-Ville. The grapes were picked early, pressed directly and aged in old foudres until the following spring. Hazy, straw-yellow in glass and full of energy, with delicate notes of white flowers, green citrus and minerals.