The story of Laurent Barth is a dear one, because the honoring
of a family legacy and terroir is done in large part by a strong commitment to
restoring the soil with the eradication of chemicals.
"I have a link to my family's land, and I'm proud it
finally has the Barth name on it. The idea was always to make wine from my
village."
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| Laurent Barth |
Laurent Barth went to wine school in Burgundy, as many sons
whose fathers grow grapes in France tend to do, and so he set off
around the world in search of a true path, living and working on estates
in Libya, South Africa, the US (California), India, and even Australia, before
returning home. Barth honored his father's existing contracts for a few years,
selling grapes to the local co-op, in the meanwhile fostering his vineyards
with organic techniques he learned to improve the soil and health of the vines.
His first vintage of estate bottling was 2004. Each year
thereafter he began to experiment more and more with biodynamic techniques in
the vineyard and cellar, always aiming to integrate what he'd learned with the
specific realities he encountered as well as those reflected in the larger
events written into the biodynamic calender. Restoring the proper use of
sulfur, which had for years been abused--it has so completely damaged the
reputation of Alsatian wines that to this day one sees a preference for Austrian
or German whites from all but the most discriminating sommeliers. Another
imperative for him is to use only indigenous yeasts; not for doctrinaire
reasons, but "if the grapes are clean, if they are well selected at
harvest, you get much more substance," says Barth.
Just as he was patient to transform his father's vines into his
own, Barth has been equally patient in his cellar, allowing for fermentation to
take its time, a small "price to pay for complexity" in the wine that
comes out of it. We're offering proof of the payoff of Barth's wanderings and
patient arrival back in his hometown of Bennwihr in the form of a cornucopia of
old-vine cuvées.
While many 2011 wines have been long on the market (now 2012s
are even showing up!), Barth is just now releasing his 2011s as their élevage
has brought them to a stage where soif (thirst) meets sagesse (wisdom),
reminding us quietly that Alsatian wine can be some of the most pleasantly
drinkable wine on Earth. We're clearing off a major portion on our shelves to
make room for these wines--because these are wines that will transport you to a
place that's somewhere special. Bennwihr, north of Colmar in Alsace, is where
you'll be.
Barth Gewurtztraminer Les Clos des Trois Chemins 2010, $25
Barth Pinot [Blanc] d'Alsace 2011, $15
Barth Pinot Noir 2011, $23
Barth Pinot Noir M 2011, $31
Barth Racines Metisses 2011, $17
Barth Riesling Vieilles Vignes 2011, $24
Try all six for only $125 or save 10%
off eight or more! Click here to order
some.
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