Meyer-Fonné
Strangely enough, Kermit came upon the Meyer-Fonné wines for the
first time at his home down in Provence. He was tasting with Daniel Ravier, the
winemaker at Domaine Tempier, and the two were blown away at the first,
dazzling sip; now that we’ve all gotten to know the domaine, we understand why.
Félix Meyer is a rising star in Alsace and has an evident instinct for his
craft. He is the third generation in his family to be making wine since his
grandfather founded the domaine in the late 19th century. Since taking over in
1992, Félix has already left his own mark, modernizing equipment in the winery,
developing export sales, and now expanding the family’s holdings in many of
Alsace’s great vineyard sites, including several grand crus.
It’s all about the details at Meyer-Fonné, with an emphasis on
tradition and respect for terroir.
The winery and family home is in the village of Katzenthal, known for its
distinctive granite soils. Meyer is a master at the art of blending and
astutely applies this skill in mixing the wine from various parcels into
complex, balanced cuvées. He also believes in raising his wines on fine lees in
large, older foudres, as was the
tradition in Alsace. All of Meyer’s bottlings are characterized by stunning
aromatics and a signature backbone of minerality and nerve. Racy and elegant,
his wines are difficult to resist young but have all the right qualities for
the cellar. For aromatic and textural seductiveness, no one in Alsace can top
Meyer-Fonné.

It’s all about the details at Meyer-Fonné, with an emphasis on tradition and respect for terroir. The winery and family home is in the village of Katzenthal, known for its distinctive granite soils. Meyer is a master at the art of blending and astutely applies this skill in mixing the wine from various parcels into complex, balanced cuvées. He also believes in raising his wines on fine lees in large, older foudres, as was the tradition in Alsace. All of Meyer’s bottlings are characterized by stunning aromatics and a signature backbone of minerality and nerve. Racy and elegant, his wines are difficult to resist young but have all the right qualities for the cellar. For aromatic and textural seductiveness, no one in Alsace can top Meyer-Fonné.
Technical Information
Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Crémant d'Alsace |
60% Pinot Auxerrois, 20% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Blanc, 5% Pinot Noir | Planted in 1972 and 2009 | Granitic Colluvium, Alluvium | 1 ha |
Edelzwicker |
Varies by vintage, see below | Planted between 1982 and 2015 | Granitic Colluvium, Alluvium | N/A |
Gentil |
50% Riesling, 25% Muscat, 20% Pinot Blanc, 5% Sylvaner and Pinot Gris | Planted between 1976 and 2010 | Granitic Colluvium, Alluvium | N/A |
Gewurztraminer “Réserve” |
Gewurztraminer | Planted in 1969 and 1999 | Limestone, Sandstone, Marl | .8 ha (plus declassified Grand Cru and Lieux-dits fruit) |
Muscat Vignoble de Katzenthal |
33.3% Muscat d'Alsace, 66.6% Muscat Ottonel | Planted in 1969, 1975, 1990, and 2005 | Granite with Mica, Calcareous Marl | .69 ha |
Muscat “Réserve” |
35% Muscat Ottonel, 65% Muscat d’Alsace | Planted in 1988, 1992, 2012 | Granitic colluvium, limestone | .17 ha |
Pinot Blanc Vieilles Vignes |
65% Pinot Auxerrois, 20% Pinot Blanc, 15% Pinot Gris | Planted in 1965 and 1978 | N/A | 2.5 ha |
Sylvaner “Oolithe” |
Sylvaner | Planted in 1983, 1987 | Oolitic limestone | .12 ha |
Pinot Gris "Réserve" |
Pinot Gris | Planted in 1988 and 2008 | Marly Limestone | .55 ha (plus declassified Grand Cru and Lieux-dits fruit) |
Pinot Noir “Reserve” |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1975 | Limestone, Gray Marl, Granite | .3 ha |
Pinot Noir “Gallus 1732” |
Pinot Noir | 27 years old | Sandstone, marl | .15 ha |
Pinot Noir Altenbourg |
Pinot Noir | Planted in 1996 | Marly Limestone | .7 ha |
Riesling “Reserve” |
Riesling | Planted in 1969 and 2006 | Gray Marl, Granitic Colluvium, Alluvium, Limestone | .8 ha (plus declassified Grand Cru and Lieux-dits fruit) |
Gewurztraminer Dorfburg VV |
Gewurztraminer | Planted in 1965 | Oolitic Calcareous Marl | .4 ha |
Riesling Vignoble de Katzenthal |
Riesling | Planted in 1985 and 2009 | Granite with Mica, Calcareous Marl | .8 ha (plus declassified Grand Cru and Lieux-dits fruit) |
Syrah “Le Samson” |
Syrah | Planted in 2019 and 2021 | Granite with Mica | .1 ha |
Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Kaefferkopf |
Gewurztraminer | Planted in 1965 | Clay, Limestone | .4 ha |
Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Sporen |
Gewurztraminer | Planted in 1975 and 1979 | Marly Limestone | .31 ha |
Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg |
Gewurztraminer | Planted in 1959 and 1999 | Granite with Mica | .48 ha |
Pinot Gris Dorfburg |
Pinot Gris | Planted in 1994 | Oolitic Calcareous Marl | .35 ha |
Pinot Gris Hinterburg de Katzenthal |
Pinot Gris | Planted in 1982 and 1997 | Granite with Mica, Calcareous Marl | .75 ha |
Pinot Gris Grand Cru Kaefferkopf |
Pinot Gris | 1997 | Clay, Limestone, Sandstone | N/A |
Riesling Grand Cru Kaefferkopf |
Riesling | Planted in 1978 | Clay, Limestone, Sandstone | .32 ha |
Riesling Pfoeller |
Riesling | Planted in 1982 | Limestone rich in fossils “muschelkalk” | .5 ha |
Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg |
Riesling | Planted in 1995 | Marl “marne verte de keuper” | .14 ha |
Riesling Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg |
Riesling | Planted in 1958 and 2010 | Granite with Mica | 1 ha |
Riesling Grand Cru Mandelberg |
Riesling | Planted in 1974, 2016 | Limestone | .24 ha |
Gewurztraminer Dorfburg VV SGN |
Gewurztraminer | Planted in 1965 | Oolitic Calcareous Marl | .4 ha |
Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Furstentum VT |
Gewurztraminer | Planted in 1969 and 2008 | Limestone, Marl | .45 ha |
Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Sporen SGN |
Gewurztraminer | Planted in 1975 and 1979 | Marly Limestone | .31 ha |
Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg VV VT |
Gewurztraminer | Planted in 1959 and 1999 | Granite with Mica | .48 ha |
Pinot Gris Hinterburg de Katzenthal SGN |
Pinot Gris | Planted in 1982 and 1997 | Granite with Mica, Calcareous Marl | .75 ha |
Pinot Gris Hinterburg de Katzenthal VT |
Pinot Gris | Planted in 1982 and 1997 | Granite with Mica, Calcareous Marl | .75 ha |
Riesling Pfoeller VT |
Riesling | Planted in 1982 | Limestone rich in fossils “muschelkalk” | .5 ha |
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres |
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
Félix is increasingly interested in organic farming and uses no
synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides to treat the vines. Cover
crops are planted in every other row in the vineyards. Some vineyards are
plowed, but certain parcels can be plowed only once a year because any more
would erode the soils. He treats the grapes with the same individualized care,
harvesting by hand and gently loading them into the press. The use of native
yeasts during fermentation makes the process longer and slower, creating a more
lush texture.
Vineyard Work:
Vineyards are planted at densities of 4500-5000 vines per hectare and can reach up to 8000 vines per hectare in the steepest vineyard sites. Guyot training is used but may be double or simple depending on each individual vine. Meticulous de-budding helps control yields, so green harvesting is rarely necessary. Sulfur, copper, and other organic products are used to treat the vineyards, and homemade compost from byproducts of organic agriculture is used to fertilize the poorest soils.
“Classic” White Wines:
• Grapes are are gently pressed in a pneumatic press for 4-10 hours, and then the must is left for 24-36 hours to allow the heavy lees to settle.
• Fermented 1-3 months in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks or oak barrels
• Wines are racked two weeks after the fermentation has completed, and kept on the fine lees until the mid-May bottling.
• 2022 Edelzwicker blend: 31% Pinot Blanc, 29% Riesling, 20 % Muscat, 15% Sylvaner, 15% Gewurztraminer
• 2021 Edelzwicker blend: 25% Pinot Blanc, 25% Sylvaner, 10 % Riesling, 15% Muscat, 5% Gewurztraminer, 20% Pinot Gris
• 2020 Edelzwicker blend: Pinot Blanc 45%, Sylvaner 20%, Riesling 15%, Muscat 15%, Chasselas 5%
Grand Cru & Lieux-Dits Wines:
• Grapes are gently pressed in a pneumatic press for 4-10 hours, and then the must is left for 24-36 hours to allow the heavy lees to settle.
• Fermented 1-3 months in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks or oak barrels
• Wines are racked two weeks after the fermentation has completed, and kept on the fine lees until the September bottling.
Crémant d’Alsace “Brut Extra”:
• Grapes are harvested at a potential alcohol of around 11% and vinified in the méthode champenoise.
• Around mid-March, the first fermentation is finished and the wine is bottled for the second fermentation, which lasts two to three months.
• Left in bottle for at least twelve months before disgorging, when a minimum of dosage is added.
Pinot Noir “Gallus 1732” & Altenbourg:
• Fermented in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts
• Aged 15 months in neutral oak barrels, then 3 months in tank before bottling
• Bottled unfiltered
• “Gallus” is the name of the vineyard, named for Gallus Meyer, the first Meyer who arrived in Katzenthal, and 1732 is his birth year.
Syrah “Le Samson”:
• Old-vine, selection massalle, serine planted in the Grand Cru of Wineck Schlossberg, for it’s particularly steep slope and southerly exposure.
• 50% of grapes are destemmed
• Ages for 15 months in barrel, no new oak
• The parcel on the hillside where the vines are planted is referred to by locals as “Samson,” though this is not a name on the cadastral map
Vineyard Work:
Vineyards are planted at densities of 4500-5000 vines per hectare and can reach up to 8000 vines per hectare in the steepest vineyard sites. Guyot training is used but may be double or simple depending on each individual vine. Meticulous de-budding helps control yields, so green harvesting is rarely necessary. Sulfur, copper, and other organic products are used to treat the vineyards, and homemade compost from byproducts of organic agriculture is used to fertilize the poorest soils.
“Classic” White Wines:
• Grapes are are gently pressed in a pneumatic press for 4-10 hours, and then the must is left for 24-36 hours to allow the heavy lees to settle.
• Fermented 1-3 months in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks or oak barrels
• Wines are racked two weeks after the fermentation has completed, and kept on the fine lees until the mid-May bottling.
• 2022 Edelzwicker blend: 31% Pinot Blanc, 29% Riesling, 20 % Muscat, 15% Sylvaner, 15% Gewurztraminer
• 2021 Edelzwicker blend: 25% Pinot Blanc, 25% Sylvaner, 10 % Riesling, 15% Muscat, 5% Gewurztraminer, 20% Pinot Gris
• 2020 Edelzwicker blend: Pinot Blanc 45%, Sylvaner 20%, Riesling 15%, Muscat 15%, Chasselas 5%
Grand Cru & Lieux-Dits Wines:
• Grapes are gently pressed in a pneumatic press for 4-10 hours, and then the must is left for 24-36 hours to allow the heavy lees to settle.
• Fermented 1-3 months in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks or oak barrels
• Wines are racked two weeks after the fermentation has completed, and kept on the fine lees until the September bottling.
Crémant d’Alsace “Brut Extra”:
• Grapes are harvested at a potential alcohol of around 11% and vinified in the méthode champenoise.
• Around mid-March, the first fermentation is finished and the wine is bottled for the second fermentation, which lasts two to three months.
• Left in bottle for at least twelve months before disgorging, when a minimum of dosage is added.
Pinot Noir “Gallus 1732” & Altenbourg:
• Fermented in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts
• Aged 15 months in neutral oak barrels, then 3 months in tank before bottling
• Bottled unfiltered
• “Gallus” is the name of the vineyard, named for Gallus Meyer, the first Meyer who arrived in Katzenthal, and 1732 is his birth year.
Syrah “Le Samson”:
• Old-vine, selection massalle, serine planted in the Grand Cru of Wineck Schlossberg, for it’s particularly steep slope and southerly exposure.
• 50% of grapes are destemmed
• Ages for 15 months in barrel, no new oak
• The parcel on the hillside where the vines are planted is referred to by locals as “Samson,” though this is not a name on the cadastral map
MISCELLANEA
Then, one day at my
place in the south of France, in the company of Domaine Tempier’s Daniel
Ravier, I was tasting through an assortment of samples from all over the
country. We lowered our noses into glasses of a Pinot Blanc. Hmm, old vines, who’s
that? Meyer-Fon . . . We looked up at
each other, eyes widening. HEY, that smells great. Wow, the stuff wine
dreams are made of. We continued through
the domaine’s samples with huge smiles and oohs and aahs, enjoying that rare
thrill of recognition that you experience when you discover something crucial
in your glass.
Kermit Lynch on his first tasting of Meyer-Fonné’s wines
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.
Kermit Lynch on his first tasting of Meyer-Fonné’s wines
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.
General Information
- Country
- France
- Region
- Alsace
- Appellation(s)
- Alsace, Crémant d'Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
- Producer
- François & Félix Meyer
- Founded
- Late 19th Century
- Annual Production
- 7,000 - 7,500 cases
- Farming
- Organic (practicing)
- Website
- http://www.meyer-fonne.com
Downloads & Links
Tech Sheet: Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Crémant d'Alsace - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Edelzwicker - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Gentil - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Gewurztraminer "Dorfburg" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Gewurztraminer "Kaefferkopf" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Gewurztraminer "Réserve" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Gewurztraminer "Schlossberg" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Gewurztraminer "Sporen" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Muscat - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Pinot Blanc "Vieilles Vignes" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Pinot Gris "Dorfburg" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Pinot Gris "Hinterburg de Katzenthal" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Pinot Gris "Réserve" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Pinot Noir "Réserve" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Pinot Noir - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Riesling "Kaefferkopf" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Riesling "Pfoeller" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Riesling "Réserve" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Riesling "Schoenenbourg" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Riesling "Vignoble de Katzenthal" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talker: Riesling "Wineck-Schlossberg" - Meyer-Fonné
Shelf-Talkers: Zip File All - Meyer-Fonné