On 21st of January 2020 the tasting of Alsace wines from Famille Hauller – La Cave du Tonnelier winery took place in Zakładka restaurant. The tasting was guided by Mr. Ludovic Hauller. Considering the tasting
On 21st of January 2020 the tasting of Alsace wines from Famille Hauller – La Cave du Tonnelier winery took place in Zakładka restaurant. The tasting was guided by Mr. Ludovic Hauller.
Before we get directly to the tasting, I would like to tell you a few words about Zakładka restaurant. It was the first time I visited this place and from the very beginning I was astonished about the atmosphere inside. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to try something from menu, however considering this places climate, it made very cameral impression. Elegant and toned decoration ensured me about the uniqueness of this evening. After my first visit in Zakładka I am certainly sure, that this is the ideal place to visit with your love having unforgettable romantic dinner. It would also be a good idea to visit this place for cameral, but still easy meeting with your friends. However, my recommendation is to come here only with the love of your life.
Considering the tasting itself, it was organized on the highest level – even though with class and elegance I did not feel overwhelmed and was not afraid, that I would not be able to find myself comfortable in this meeting. I took part in a few of such events and sometimes since the very beginning till the end I was feeling a little bit awkward. Organizers of tasting in Zakładka restaurant did manage to achieve unique atmosphere of elegance, still leaving some space for ease of informal meeting.
Going back to tasting – the main character of the meeting was Mr. Ludovic Hauller and wines he was presenting that evening. Mr. Hauller was talking about the winery history, starting from the beginning of this family business in 1776, when it was based on selling wine barrels. This business is inherited from father to son until today. In 60-ties of 20th century, an accident took place – as the result of the fire in warehouse more than 50 percent of produced barrels were burned. To save the business, Hauller family decided to start wine production. From that very moment people around the world can buy those liquid pieces of art created by Haullers.
At this point please, let me step off the topic of Famille Hauller winery history and focus on the first wine, that was poured to our glasses dedicated to sparkling wine. Its five minutes of glory was celebrated by Cremant Brut Prestige d’Alzace. This wine from the beginning made a very positive impression – slight slaw color, high clarity and very small bubbles – wine was perfectly presenting in the glass. In the nose, as in the mouth, you could feel delicate taste of green apple, held by great feeling of creaminess. In my opinion it was the ideal wine for tasting opening. My note is 8/10. I am pretty sure, that my girlfriend rated this wine with 10/10 considering her face, however I did not have enough courage to interrupt her while wine celebration and ask for feelings…
After a few moments of guests admiring the first wine, Mr. Hauller continued his story about the winery. It is placed on a granite soil of slopes of Dambach-La-Ville, Blienschwiller, Epfig and Itterswiller, which gives the grape bushes ideal conditions to grow. Grape varities planted in this place are coherent with requirements of the appellation. You can find here among others Chardonnay for sparkling wines, Rieslings, Gewurtztraminers and Pinot Noir. Mr. Hauller emphasized how special Pinot Noir bushes are due to their age – these are one of the oldest in the whole winery. Adding a few words about Chardonnay, although the appellation allows the winemaker to create from this grape only sparkling wine, Hauller family decided to go on with the experiment of creating still Chardonnay wine. However, for the results we still need to wait.
In the meantime, next two wines appeared in our glasses – two dry Rieslings, 2017 and 2014. I was surprised, how different were these two. I am not sure if this was caused only by different year of production. I suspect, that there might be another reason… 2017 was a pretty good wine with high clarity and slight slaw color. In the nose I could feel a smell of slight petrol and nail polish. However, in my opinion all the aromas were not corresponding with each other too well. I guess that this wine requires some more time to become what it was meant to be; in bottle of course, not in the glass – leaving this wine for a long while before drinking did not change anything. Aroma was generally not concentrated. In mouth was similar, tastes were corresponding with what I have felt in nose but still the impression was little bit disappointing. This wine for me was shallow, still being sharper on the tongue. My note for this wine is 6/10.
Fortunately, the older wine, 2014, was completely different. I guess that my perception of this wine was tuned by contrast the younger one. The color of 2014 was a bit darker than the other one, but still with the same clarity. However, the aroma was far away from what I felt in 2017 – first and most important, it was deep, expressive and perfectly formed. I felt the smells of baked apple, honey and toasts. The perception of this wine in mouth could be described as poetic. If only the moment, when this wine was travelling around my tongue, could last forever… This velvetiness and expression… This wine was very deep and nice to taste, each aroma had a corresponding taste. And that very long and blissful aftertaste… This is one of these wines you want to return to someday. I am curious if I will have a chance… Either way, may note for this wine is strong 8/10.
Getting back to Mr. Hauller, he started the topic of organic wines. Famille Hauller is applying for Organic certification. To achieve this goal, no chemical pesticides are used for securing the bushes and no such chemical agents are used to remove other plants like grasses or others. As the result of such decisions, e.g. removing weeds and other plants takes much more time due to the fact, that it must be done by hand. The only spraying they are performing is using 100% natural ingrediencies. At this moment I started to wonder, how the organic certification is treating chemical agents used around the vineyard. Unfortunately, if someone in the neighborhood is using such sprays, it does not affect awarding organic certification to vineyard or not. However, what Mr. Hauller emphasized, only bushes planted by the boards of the vineyard are affected by the spraying. They become a natural wall and prevent those chemicals getting on other bushes.
That was the moment, when next wine was poured to guests’ glasses – the only red wine of this evening: 2015 Pinot Noir. What a wine was that… Another breathtaking piece of liquid art from Haullers winery. As far as I remember, the color of this wine was slightly raspberry, but I am not 100% sure. Fortunately, I remember the aroma perfectly – ripe cherry and red currant, perfectly corresponding with oak tone. All these smells were perfectly harmonized. I do not know, how it was possible, but the taste was even better – it was expressive and velvety, and the ending was performed by very long and perfect aftertaste. For me this wine deserves 8/10. What is more interesting, in Alsace you are not allowed to create Grand Cru wines with Pinot Noir – appellation restrictions. Therefor the producer decided to write small letter F on the bottle to emphasize the quality of this wine. Unfortunately, it is very hard to get one of bottles of this delicacy – the amount of production is so small, that you can try it only during tasting meetings or directly in winery.
Before we came to last two wines, Mr. Hauller mentioned the topic of sweet wines. In Haullers vineyard there are pretty good conditions to develop noble mold: botrytis cinerea. This mold affects grapes, reducing the amount of water in the berries, changing it to raisins with high concentration of sugars and other compounds affecting further process of wine creation. Botrytized wines are sweet with high level of sugar and very concentrated aroma. In Haullers winery are also produced late harvest wines.
One of last two wines of this evening was 2016 late harvest Gewurtztraminer. It was served in the company of dry version of this grape from the same year. Both wines were astonishing, but each of them on its own, unique way. According to tradition, let me start with dry wine. Its color was slightly slaw and with high clarity. It presented perfectly in the glass. The aroma was an unforgettable combination of rose and lychee. The second set of smells was combined with tones of baked apples and honey. Honestly this was the wine, I wanted to breath. I almost felt sorry for drinking it. The taste was so concentrated, very nice and intense. For such wines and such moments, you want to live for… And the aftertaste – long, thrilling, wonderful… closing my eyes I had a feeling of traveling far away… For all those impressions this wine gets 9/10 from me.
The dry part of this degustation was done, but there was still something more to try. Let me introduce you the sweet late harvest Gewurtztraminer. This wine was also with high clarity, but with color a little bit darker than the dry version. The aroma was similar, but baked apples and honey were dominating rose and lychee. The aroma was so well concentrated, pleasurable, perfect. The taste was even better, each aroma was represented by different taste. Wine was velvety and complex, but also oily due to the high density of sugar. The aftertaste was long and pleasant too. For me this wine deserves the note of 8,5/10.
Sweetness of Gewurtztraminer was the last part of this tasting meeting; at least the official part. My general impression about the evening is very positive. From organization perspective everything was perfectly fine, I also had a chance to talk with other wine enthusiasts. Thanks for this meeting, Alsace is no longer an evanescent wine region for me. If someone is planning to get deeper into the wine world, such events are the best opportunities. Sometimes of course, you can, sometimes even should, prepare yourself with some lecture of dedicated to wines website or simply book. But you cannot lose the main part of passion that is being developed or just emerging – you cannot forget about wine. Only by cooperating with wine you can truly feel the climate and character of the place, where it comes from. Let this thought be the ending of this post.
I encourage you to participate in wine tasting meetings and trainings about this topic. In my opinion this is the best way of getting known with wine and wine regions.
I invite you to comment this publication and visit Facebook profile of this blog. See you in next time!