What I Learned

Rosheim and Ottrott are small, but significant wine villages. Both these communes lie in the Bas Rhin department, in the Molsheim canton, in the northern part of Alsace.

Northern Alsace has a great viticultural and vinicultural tradition. Six main white varietals grow throughout Alsace: Riesling, Silvaner, Gewuerztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and the only red varietal: Pinot Noir.

Alsatian Pinot Noir wines tend to be lighter, but very fruit-forward Pinot Noir wines. They are, of course, different from Burgundian Pinot Noir wines, from which tradition they derive. Early in the 12th century monks from Burgundy headed into Alsace, bringing vine plantings with them.

Over time, the red wine from that area became well known, and today is often bottled as Rouge d’Ottrott (Ottrott Red). Ottrott wine makers may include their commune’s name on the label on their Appellation Alsace Controlee red wines, the only town in Alsace to have that privilege.

In the Bas Rhin, five Grands Crus are in the Canton of Molsheim, just north of Rosheim and Ottrott, and the remaining Bas Rhin Grands Crus are south of this area, with the closest being the Grand Cru Kirchberg de Barr, in the neighboring town of Barr. Neither Rosheim  nor Ottrott have Grands Crus, although they do  have some well-sited vineyards, favored with good slope and sun and wind exposure, and a passion for creating their wines. In spite of the lack of Grands Crus, these communes produce not only good wines, but a unique red and interesting white wines that definitely make this area worth a stop along the Alsatian Wine Route.

 

What I Tasted

2017 Pinot Noir, Rouge d’Ottrott, Le Romy, Appellation Rouge d’Ottrott Controlee, Domaine Schoettel (Ottrott): A dry red wine with medium plus garnet color; a dried cherry nose, with vanilla, cherry and slight nutmeg flavors; medium tannins, with a smooth finish. 

2016 Pinot Gris, Cuvee St Charles, Appellation Alsace Controlee, Charles Maetz (Rosheim): A dry white wine with medium plus gold color; spice and floral notes on the nose, with toasted nuts and candied ripe stone and tropical fruits flavors; medium acidity.

2014 Riesling, Westerberg, Appellation Alsace Protegee, Kumpf & Meyer (Rosheim): A dry white wine with medium plus gold color; Nose of bruised apples, and bruised apple, spice and toasted nuts flavors; medium plus acidity (and contained no sulfites)

2014 Pinot Noir, Rouge d’Ottrott, AOC Alsace Tradition; Eber (Bischoffsheim): A dry red wine with dark reddish purple color; fruity nose, with a trace of prune; flavors of prunes, spices and red berries; high tannins, but smooth overall.

2014 Pinot Noir, Rouge d’Ottrott, Jean-Charles Vonville et Fils (Ottrott):  A dry red wine with light red color; slight cherry nose, with cherry flavor and a trace of pepper on the finish; medium-high tannins, smooth.

2009 Cremant d’Alsace, Brut, Domaine Bliemerose (Rosheim) : A dry white sparkling wine cuvee (Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Riesling) with fine lively perlage, and pale white-gold color; fruity and toasted brioche nose, with toasted nuts, and fruity flavors, with an infinitesimal hint of turpentine; Medium plus acidity; A unique, (and presumably rare in 2019), sparkling wine.