Domaine Roland Schmitt 'Les Bulles de Noemie', Crémant d'Alsace Extra Brut, Alsace, France NV

• Winemaker: Anne-Marie, Julien & Bruno Schmitt
• Farming: Natural farming 
• Variety: Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir

The Schmitt family has been making wine from its vineyards in Bergbieten since the early 17th century, and Roland Schmitt began working them when he was fourteen years old and took over the estate in his early twenties with his young wife Anne-Marie. Together they replanted many of the vineyards and steadily began making a name for themselves locally and all over Europe as producers of excellent, moderately priced German styled white wines. Their village is located in the far northern part of the Bas Rhin province about 25 kilometers east of Strasbourg. Although not as picturesque as the quaint villages further south in the Haut Rhin, Bergbieten produces some of the most remarkable wines in all of Alsace. The soil is gravelly limestone, which provides perfect drainage during wet periods, reflects the sunlight well during cool, sunny weather, and remains moist in dry spells.

The Schmitts vinify their wines in the traditional style. This means a cool fermentation of a hand picked harvest in stainless steel vats, and very little if any residual sugar is left in the wines. They believe that the combination of ripe fruit, exceptional terroir and good acidity produces wines which show remarkable character without being heavy-handed.

Following the death of Roland Schmitt in December 1993, Anne-Marie took over the estate by herself with the help of a trusted long-time employee and her then teen-aged sons. In 1996, she was cited in the prestigious Revue de Vin de France on two separate occasions as being one of the rising stars in the region. It has now been more than 15 years since Anne-Marie was joined by her two grown sons, Julien and Bruno, and their wines, better than ever, are served in all of the top restaurants in Alsace, a region blessed with more Michelin starred restaurants than any other in France.  

The grapes for this wine come from 30+ year old vines grown in the sandy loam soils of Bergbieten. Hand-harvested and pressed from whole clusters, optimum maturity is considered to be at 11% potential alcohol leaving room for the “prise de mousse” in bottle resulting in the fine bubbles which make this wine so intriguing. The wine is bottled in early spring and aged on its lees for a minimum of one year. Gorgeous pin-prick bubbles fill the glass and give this wine beautiful lift. Nice mineral and citrus notes counter the toasty aromas of this fine Crémant. Equal parts Pinot Auxerois, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir; 6% residual sugar after disgorgement.