Domaine Trapet Alsace

Alsace is a very picturesque region. It is protected by the Vosges mountains to the west and the Black forest to the east. The mountains protect the vineyards from the rain so the region is warmer and drier than one might expect, continental, with cold winters and hot summers, allowing grapes to ripen in this marginal latitude. Allied to this very particular geography are mind-boggling geological complexity and an extremely complex history. The region has been subjected, over centuries, to territorial conflict resulting in elements of both its German and French heritage whilst remaining uniquely and resolutely Alsace – a region like no other.

We were delighted to gain a foothold here when our friends the Trapet family of Gevrey-Chambertin, Jean-Louis Trapet and his wife Andrée decided to take over Andrée's family’s vineyards in Alsace, in the more southerly Haut-Rhin, applying the same biodynamic disciplines as they exercise in Burgundy. From the 2 hectares they took over, in 2002, they have expanded to 15.5ha, including Grand Crus – all tremendous sites with excellent sun exposure. They are based in Riquewihr, north of Colmar but also have vines in Kientzheim and Beblenheim.