Os Goliardos - Vinhos de Terroir Europeus

A few months ago we wanted to meet Jean Boxler, whose wines from the granitic crude Sommerberg (the hill of the sun) gained fame among fans. In March 2017, we returned to Alsace, always with the excitement of the beginners, for the wines and the cognitive challenge of better exploring the mosaic of land and parcels that each winegrower approaches as if he were a natural person. The trip started well with the first visit scheduled at the Domaine Boxler, something that apparently was not so easy to achieve. A firm and observant person, his feet firmly on the granite, Jean returned from the vineyards that dominate the small cellar, worked by hand and with the “treuil”. He immediately started serving wines, heating up with the Pinot blanc before going on to the main production with the Riesling and ending with Pinot gris and Gewurztraminer and because he was in a good mood or curious about our reaction, a Pinot noir trial to finish. We quickly learned that in the Boxler style, malolactic is not appreciated, especially when you notice it on the palate. We discovered different variants of Sommerberg, where it isolates more recent vines (30-something years) from the older vines or from the highest part (Eckberg). The wines have density and firmness, almost tannin sensation and expression of roots, with some bitterness that rocks the Riesling fruit well. Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer from Sommerberg and Grand Cru Brand (in the village of Turckheim) are not far behind. Deep wines and at the same time relaxed in their expressiveness that allow them to be enjoyed without having to project themselves into a hypothetical future …