The Cave de Turckheim winegrowers are the current custodians of a long and illustrious history that is steeped in wine. Since 1955 the Cave de Turckheim has brought together the artisan heirs of this distinguished heritage, fortifying the bond that links the men, the earth and the fruits of the vine.
Turckheim benefits from a privileged geographical position. Situated on the double fault line of the Alsace Plain and the Valley of Munster, it possesses an impressive variety of soils and some outstanding lieux dits (named-place vineyard plots). These exceptional terroirs provide the ideal conditions for the great grape varieties of Alsace to flourish, attaining their full potential. Since the founding days of the Cave de Turckheim, we have worked together to select these terroirs and transform this heritage into a wide palette of characters in our wines.
Their working philosophy is based on the belief that all the qualities of the wine are already present in the grapes.
Their oenological approach seeks to draw out these qualities, working in harmony with the grapes. From the crush of the press through the tumult of fermentation to the naissance of the wine, oenologists contrive to sustain the aromatic potential of the grape varieties. To this end, they carry out gentle pressing on whole grapes and our presses are entirely gravity filled without resorting to any mechanical action.
The settling which follows is static. A 24-hour period in vats regulated at 15°C is sufficient for the natural impurities (grape skins and seeds) to settle at the bottom. By simple racking, they can obtain a clear juice that is able to ferment gently.
Fermentation, the tumultuous phase of the vinification process, lasts an average of three to four weeks. The fermentation process is regulated by controlling the temperature which ranges from 15 to 20°C according to the grape variety. At the end of fermentation, the wine is 'racked' to facilitate the ageing process. Contact with the fine lees (inactive fermentation yeasts) during racking enables the wine to become richer and "fatter". The wine slowly clears over three to four months before being carefully filtered and bottled.