Pierre Frick Crémant d'Alsace 2018
- Region
- France » Alsace » Crémant d'Alsace AOC
- Type
- white traditional sparkling, brut
- Producer
- Vintage
- 2018
- Disgorged
- N/A
- On lees
- N/A
- Grapes
- Auxerrois blanc
- Alcohol
- 13
- Volume
- 750 mL
- Cellar
- not available
Ratings
Solid as ever. Intense and bright style. Honey, bruised apples, croissants with butter, almond and a small number of pickles (much less than before). Almost full-bodied, fresh, and rich.
Low intervention bubbles with no chaptalisation and no correction. Powerful oxidative style that explodes with honey, wax, baked apples, almond and pickles. Such a bright style leaves no room to stay indifferent, it's a love or hate story. And while I like oxidative bubbles, this one lacks complexity and delicacy, I wonder if time will tame its raw vigor.
Oh, and it's also my first Auxerrois. Happy me.
About Producer
At a Glance
- Natural Winemaking Pioneer: Pierre Frick is a trailblazer in natural and biodynamic winemaking in Alsace, with a family legacy deeply rooted in organic practices since the 1970s and biodynamic cultivation from 1981.
- Diverse and Expressive Terroirs: The Frick estate boasts a rich mosaic of limestone terrains across Alsace, producing wines that vividly articulate the unique characteristics of their Grand Cru sites and other distinguished plots.
- Innovation and Authenticity: Committed to authenticity and quality, Pierre Frick's wines are notable for their no added sulphur approach and innovative bottling practices, offering a pure and unfiltered experience of Alsace's varietal richness.
Pierre Frick, a name synonymous with the avant-garde of natural winemaking in Alsace, France, has cemented his legacy over twelve generations, cultivating an indelible connection to the vine. With a sprawling estate of 12 hectares meticulously overseen by Jean-Pierre, Chantal Frick, and their son Thomas, the Frick family has become a beacon of organic and biodynamic viticulture since the early 1970s. Pierre and his wife Annette were early adopters of organic farming, a commitment that extended to biodynamic practices in 1981, well ahead of the curve, ensuring the health of their soil, vines, and the wines they produce.
The Frick vineyards span a variety of limestone terrains across a 15 km expanse, featuring distinguished plots like the Grand Cru Steiner (Pfaffenheim), Grand Cru Vorburg (Ruffach), and Grand Cru Eichberg (Eguisheim), among others. These diverse terroirs, varying in soil composition and exposure, are the foundation upon which the Fricks build their remarkable wines, celebrated for their purity, vitality, and expression of place. Notably, Pierre Frick's wines are renowned for their no added sulphur variants, a testament to their dedication to producing wines that are as natural as they are expressive. Since 1999, the Fricks have vinified and bottled wines without the addition of sulphites, offering an unadulterated taste of Alsace's varietal spectrum, including the elusive Blanc de Noir and sweet wines, capturing the essence of the vineyard's fruit.
Pierre Frick's commitment to natural winemaking extends beyond the vineyard and cellar practices to include innovations like the use of bottle caps instead of corks, a decision aimed at reducing the loss associated with corked wines. This pragmatic yet pioneering approach has not only preserved the integrity of their wines but also highlighted the Fricks' forward-thinking ethos. As a result, Pierre Frick's wines, especially his age-worthy Rieslings, Pinot Gris macerations, and exquisite Crémants, stand as a hallmark of excellence in natural winemaking, inspiring wine enthusiasts and winemakers worldwide with their elegance, complexity, and unwavering authenticity.