Kuentz-Bas

Maison Kuentz-Bas was first established by the Kuentz family in 1795, and the domaine as we know it today was forged through a marriage that joined the Kuentz and Bas families in 1895. Nestled in the town of Husseren-les-Châteaux, it sits at one of the highest points in Alsace, and the vineyards stretch out from the village over an area of ten hectares. More than two hundred years of tradition and vineyard pedigree have made these wines perennial favorites, with the grand crus of Eichberg and Pfersigberg earning the highest esteem. However, when the family sold the property to famed vigneron Jean-Baptiste Adam in 2004, many wondered what direction the new team would take. Adam, like the estate’s former owners, has a reputation for being an advocate of Alsatian terroir, and he is the fourteenth generation to continue a family winemaking tradition that began as early as 1614. Eager to restore Kuentz-Bas to its former glory, Adam lowered yields significantly and reverted to natural methods, following organic and biodynamic approaches to vineyard work.

Meticulous attention to detail is the defining characteristic of both the viticulture and the vinification at Maison Kuentz-Bas. Winemaker Olivier Raffin, who took over direction of the cellar after Samuel Tottoli’s departure in 2017, puts a strong emphasis on both terroir and accessibility. The wines are divided into two tiers: Tradition, a fresher collection focusing on fruit character, fermented and aged on the lees in oak foudre for 6-8 months and Trois Châteaux, from the domaine’s finest vineyards. The Trois Châteaux wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel tank, then bottled and held for a year before release. Raffin embraces hard work in the vineyards and minimal work in the cellar. Reduced doses of sulfur allow for a greater expression of fruit, and a drier fermentation yields crisp, mineral-laden wines with less residual sugar. The wines are therefore more open than ever while still reflecting the unmistakable character of the vineyards that clients have come to expect from the Maison Kuentz-Bas. Alsace’s noble terroir shines through like never before in the domaine’s wines, making these among the greatest white wine values to be found.

Technical Information

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area*
Alsace Blanc	varies, see below	25 - 45 years	Loess, Silt, Limestone	2 ha
Crémant d'Alsace	60% Pinot Blanc, 40% Auxerrois	25 - 45 years	Loess, Silt, Limestone	.2 ha
Crémant d’Alsace “Trois Châteaux”	Pinot Noir and Chardonnay	30 years	Clay, Limestone	2 ha
Riesling "Cuvée Jérémy" Sélection de Grains Nobles	Riesling	25 - 45 years	Marl, Limestone	.19 ha
Gewurztraminer "Tradition"	Gewurztraminer	25 - 45 years	Loess, Silt, Limestone	2 ha
Muscat “Tradition”	65% Muscat Ottonel, 35% Muscat d’Alsace	25 - 45 years	Loess, Silt, Limestone	2 ha
Pinot Blanc	70% Pinot Blanc, 30% Auxerrois	25 - 45 years	Loess, Silt, Limestone	4 ha
Pinot Gris “Tradition”	Pinot Gris	25 - 45 years	Clay, Limestone	1.5 ha
Riesling "Tradition"	Riesling	25 - 45 years	Loess, Silt, Limestone	4 ha
Pinot Noir	Pinot Noir	25 - 35 years	Clay, Limestone	1.2 ha
Riesling Grand Cru Geisberg	Riesling	70 years	Limestone, Marl, Sandstone	2 ha
Muscat Grand Cru ”Kirchberg de Ribeauvillé”	50% Muscat d‘Alsace, 50% Muscat Ottonel	Planted in 1998	Limestone, Marl, Sandstone	.3 ha
Sylvaner "Trois Châteaux"	Sylvaner	25 - 45 years	Mainly Limestone	.3 ha
Sylvaner “E” “Trois Châteaux”	Sylvaner	60 years	Clay, Limestone	.2 ha
Auxerrois "Trois Châteaux"	Auxerrois	25 - 45 years	Mainly Limestone	.6 ha
Muscat “Trois Châteaux”	Muscat Ottonel	25 - 45 years	Mainly Limestone	.6 ha
Riesling "Trois Châteaux"	Riesling	25 - 45 years	Mainly Limestone	.6 ha
Riesling "Trois Châteaux" Grand Cru Pfersigberg	Riesling	25 - 45 years	Marl, Limestone	1.2 ha
Riesling “Trois Châteaux” Grand Cru Eichberg	Riesling	48 years	Clay, Limestone	.2 ha
Pinot Gris "Trois Châteaux"	Pinot Gris	25 - 45 years	Mainly Limestone	2 ha
Pinot Gris "Trois Châteaux" Grand Cru Eichberg	Pinot Gris	25 - 45 years	Clay, Limestone, Sandstone, Quartz	.25 ha
Pinot Gris “Trois Châteaux” Grand Cru Florimont	Pinot Gris	42 years	Clay, limestone	.15 ha
Gewurztraminer "Trois Châteaux" Grand Cru Pfersigberg	Gewurztraminer	25 - 45 years	Marl, Limestone	1.1 ha
Pinot Gris "Cuvée Caroline" Vendange Tardive	Pinot Gris	25 - 45 years	Clay, Limestone, Sandstone, Quartz	.3 ha
Gewurztraminer "Cuvée Caroline" Vendange Tardive	Gewurztraminer	25 - 45 years	Marl, Limestone	.2 ha
Pinot Gris "Cuvée Jérémy" Sélection de Grains Nobles	Pinot Gris	25 - 45 years	Clay, Limestone, Sandstone, Quartz	.19 ha
Gewurztraminer "Cuvée Jérémy" Grand Cru Pfersigberg SGN	Gewurztraminer	25 - 45 years	Marl, Limestone	.2 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

The estate owns 10 hectares of vineyards that are certified biodynamic and 6 hectares are organic, with vines ranging in age from 25 to 45 years. The total production comes from 30 hectares on the steep slopes in and around the village of Husseren-les-Châteaux. All grapes are hand-harvested.

Still White Wines:
• Whole grapes are pressed slowly (generally 4-6 hours) in a pneumatic press, then the must is chilled to 52° F while the heavy lees settle
• For Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, and Riesling slow fermentation (1-3 months for entry-level wines and up to 6 months for others) takes place in oak foudres over 100 years old
• Gewurztraminer and Muscat are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel
• Wines are aged on the fine lees and racked in the springtime, according to the cycles of the moon
• Wines are generally bottled in May

Alsace Blanc:
• 2021 blend: 65% Pinot Blanc, 15% Muscat, 14% Riesling, 6% Gewurztraminer
• 2018 blend: 50% Sylvaner, 15% Pinot Blanc, 10% Muscat, 10% Gewurztraminer, 10% Pinot Gris, 5% Chasselas
• Aged for 6 months in hundred-year-old foudre

Pinot Noir:
• Grapes are fermented naturally in foudre over 2 to 3 weeks with daily pumpovers
• Aged for 8 months in foudre
• Bottled unfiltered and aged for 1 year before release

Trois Châteaux Wines:
The following wines ferment 4 to 8 weeks in stainless steel tank and are aged in stainless steel for 7 to 8 months sur lie.

Riesling Grand Cru Eichberg Trois Châteaux
Riesling Grand Cru Geisberg
Riesling Grand Cru Pfersigberg Trois Châteaux
Riesling “E” Trois Châteaux
Riesling Trois Châteaux
Sylvaner Trois Châteaux
Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Pfersigberg Trois Châteaux
Pinot Gris Grand Cru Florimont Trois Châteaux
Muscat Grand Cru Kirchberg de Ribeauvillé
Muscat Trois Châteaux

The following wines ferment 4 to 8 weeks in foudre and are aged in foudrefor 7 to 8 months sur lie.

Pinot Gris Trois Châteaux
Auxerrois Trois Châteaux

The following wines ferment 4 to 8 weeks in 350L barrique and are aged for 7 to 8 months sur lie.

Sylvaner “E” Trois Châteaux
Pinot Gris Grand Cru Eichberg Trois Châteaux

The Pinot Noir Trois Châteaux ferments for 6 weeks in stainless steel tank and are aged in 350L barrique for 12 months sur lie.

The Eichberg Grand Cru Vineyard:
This south/southeast-facing vineyard sits at an altitude of 340 meters (1,115 feet) above sea level in a dry, warm microclimate that is well protected by the Vosges Mountains. Sandstone rocks can be found throughout the clay and limestone soil, and parts of the vineyard have significant deposits of white quartzite. The soil is well aerated and rich in minerals and gives powerful wines with complex aromatics and substantial body supported by good acidity. These grand cru wines age beautifully.

The Pfersigberg Grand Cru Vineyard:
Sheltered by the Alsatian massif, the southeast-facing Pfersigberg vineyard sits on a marl and limestone soil that is also rich in fossils and various types of stones dating from the Jurassic period. Grapes ripen rather early here, and the resulting wines are very mineral, with bright acidity and good aging potential.

The Geisberg Grand Cru Vineyard:
The Geisberg vineyard is one of Alsace’s top crus, known for producing razor sharp, high acid, long-lived Rieslings. Only three growers producer wine from this complex terroir of limestone, marl, and sandstone. “Geisberg” means “Goat mountain.”

The Vineyards of Husseren-les-Châteaux:
The south- and southeast-facing vineyards in and around Husseren-les-Châteaux have porous soils that are rich in loess and silt, with some sand and limestone.

The Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles:
The late harvest and SGN wines are sourced mainly from the grand cru vineyards of Eichberg, Pfersigberg, and Florimont, which enjoy maximum sun exposure and therefore produce very concentrated fruit. The harvest is highly selective, and the gentle pressing can last up to 24 hours. The wines are aged on the fine lees in stainless steel cuve for 8 months. These wines are made only in years when the weather produces overripe or raisinated grapes and favors the development of noble rot.

Crémant d’Alsace “Tradition”:
The grapes are pressed in a pneumatic press and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The still wines age on the fine lees for at least six months and are racked the following summer according to the cycles of the moon before being bottled for the second fermentation. The bottles are stored for at least ten months, during which the second fermentation is completed and the wine continues to gain complexity and roundness from the contact with its fine lees. Dosage is .75 grams/liter with a residual sugar of 8 grams per liter.

MISCELLANEA

AOC Alsace Explained

AOC Alsace wines are generally varietal wines. The wines in which the grape variety appears on the label are 100% the stated variety.

The permitted grapes are the four noble grapes: Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Riesling, and Pinot Gris, completed with Auxerrois (also known as Klevner), Chasselas, Pinot Blanc, Savagnin rosé, Sylvaner, and Pinot Noir.

When no grape variety indicated on the label, the wine is typically a blend.

Depending on which varieties are used in the blend, the producer can label the wine as AOC Alsace, AOC Alsace “Edelzwicker,” or AOC Alsace “Gentil d’Alsace.”

AOC Alsace blends and “Edelzwicker” can be a blend of any grapes allowed within the AOC. There is no grape minimum; the different varieties may be vinified together or separately. The mention of vintage is optional. There is no technical difference between the composition of AOC Alsace blends and “Edelzwicker”—it is at the producer’s discretion as to how they would like to label their wine.

The denomination “Gentil d’Alsace” is reserved for AOC Alsace wines that fit within the standards of a superior quality blend. This blend must consist of a minimum of 50% of noble grapes: Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and/or Gewurztraminer, the rest made up of Sylvaner, Chasselas, Pinot Blanc, and/or Auxerrois. Before blending, each grape variety must be vinified separately and must officially qualify as an AOC Alsace wine.