Domaine Loew - Alsace, France

THE BEAUTY OF THE ALSACE NORTH

DOMAINE LOEW: EMPHASIZING THE PURITY OF TERROIR

Etienne Loew works with a delicacy and detail of an Artist. It isn't so easy to describe, but your palate will know: not a "je ne sais quoi", but more a how does he achieve it? Etienne's wines possess a special element akin to Matt Kramer's idea of "somewhereness," they lay claim to our tastebuds. We remembered his wines well nearly ten years after our first visit. When we went back all we remembered was there and strengthened. Even with our almost direct work with Alsatian Masters Jean-Michel Deiss, Jerome Mader and Marie Zusslin, Etienne's new arrivals and wholly irresistible nature made it impossible not too bring them to our shop.

Blame his father for planting vines up in the hills upon some treacherous slopes - in places where the neighbors must have though he was nuts to plant - in choosing extraordinary vineyard terroir. Beside total dedication and diligent care of his vineyards via organic and biodynamic farming, Etienne is in a different place - literally: Westhoffen. Fans know Alsace's top primetime quality vineyards run north-south in a thin seventy-five mile long band, yet most well known producers are in the middle 60% of that strip. Domaine Loew is nearly as far north as can be where a cooler climate combines with his precise, featherlight touch mediates his wines toward ethereal. Combine this distinct quality with his passion for winemaking transparency and wines of unique beauty emerge.