DOMAINE MARCEL DEISS Gruenspiel 1er Cru White 2017

Grape

Riesling, Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer

Tasting Notes

A masterful blend of Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Gewurztraminer, this wine delivers remarkable intensity and layered complexity. Bursting with notes of orange peel, yellow stone fruits, star anise, vanilla, tobacco, and graphite, it shows impressive length, structure, and power. The palate is both radiant and commanding—driven by a taut mineral acidity that evolves into a racy, unctuous texture, accented by refined phenolic bitterness and subtle oxidative nuances. Built for longevity, this wine promises decades of graceful aging.

About the Winery

Domaine Deiss produces some of the most captivating and thought-provoking wines in Alsace. Pioneering the use of field blends—where multiple grape varieties are planted, harvested, and vinified together—Deiss has shifted the regional focus from varietal wines to expressions of terroir. This philosophy, once radical in a region historically tied to single-variety bottlings, has become central to the domaine’s identity.

For many years, the portfolio included the approachable 'Alsace' blend at the entry level, followed by a range of terroir-driven wines from specific sites that Jean-Michel Deiss referred to as his “Premier Cru level.” Recently, with the expansion of the estate from 27 to 40 hectares, a new tier of ‘village-level’ wines has been introduced. These, too, follow the field blend approach and offer compelling, site-specific character.

Each of these wines is distinct and rewarding in its own right—among our personal favourites are Zellenberg at the village level and Engelgarten among the Premier Cru equivalents. As with Burgundy, the beauty lies in the diversity; rather than seeking simplification, it’s best to taste widely and discover your own preferences within the mosaic of terroirs.

Jean-Michel Deiss himself may be seen as an iconoclast, occasionally at odds with regional norms, but the quality and originality of his wines speak volumes. The domaine’s original vineyards are fully certified organic and biodynamic, while the newly acquired plots are in transition. All wines are suitable for vegetarians, though they are not officially certified as such.