Domaine Muré | Alsace

Saturday 1st February 2-5pm

Domaine Muré | Alsace
Join us for a delightful afternoon as we discover this iconic Alsace estate. 
 
Saturday 1st February
2.00pm-5.00pm
 
Open on the day:
 
NV Domaine Muré Crémant d’Alsace $60
'21 Domaine Muré Pinot Blanc $39
'22 Domaine Muré Pinot Gris $54
'21 Domaine Muré Riesling $56
'19 Domaine Muré Riesling Grand Cru Vorbourg 'Clos St Landelin' $120 
 ​ 
 Enjoy a 10% discount on any three bottles purchased on the day. 
 
Hosted by Ian Barr of Euan McKay Wine Merchant, and free of charge.

Domaine Muré
Biodynamic winemaking excellence handed down through 12 generations. 
 
Tucked away in a corner along the eastern border of France, sits the stunningly beautiful wine region of Alsace. Through history Alsace has often been the chess pawn as spoils of war by the feuding countries of Germany and France. Hence, this history has shaped not just the accents and architecture of the region but also their wines. Alsace is truly a wine-lover’s paradise as these wines tell a story: they demonstrate their heritage and also brilliantly communicate the terroir they come from. 
 
And what a history the Muré family has! It was established by Michel Muré in 1650 in Westhalten, South Alsace. Obviously, when Michel first planted his vineyard, he surely had little idea of the vinous adventure that he was setting in motion for his descendants. Over the centuries their vineyards have come to encompass several Grand Cru in Zinnkoepfle and their crown jewel of Clos Saint Landelin within the Grand Cru of Vorbourg. These areas have been regularly described as the best of Alsace Grand Cru since the 7th Century. And Domaine Muré itself has enjoyed similar acclaim as one of the best wineries in Alsace since the 17th Century. 
 
It was in 1935 that the next generation headed by Alfred Muré further extended the property with the addition of the 12-hectare monopole Clos Saint Landelin, foreseeing already its potential for exceptional quality. He replanted the terraces, ideally situated with their sunny exposure and shelter from the rain. Then in 1966, brothers Oscar and Armand Muré moved the family winery site from Westhalten to Rouffach.
Nowadays, it is Alfred’s grandson René Muré, (the 11th generation) who took over the domaine in 1976 and who continues to be involved, offering advice and much valued help to Alfred’s great grandchildren Véronique and Thomas, the 12th generation of the family, who are now responsible for running this exceptional monopole vineyard and its neighbouring terroirs. 
 
The young guard is now Thomas Muré who studied viticulture and oenology in Beaujolais. He divides his time between the cellar and the domaine’s 25 hectares of vines, whilst Veronique did a degree in agronomy. She is responsible for the commercial and administrative side of the domaine. The grand family traditions continue…

In the Vineyard - The Muré Philosophy:
“I found that at Muré the terroir really shines through” – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
 
This is a winery that has meticulous attention to detail and an historic commitment to quality. Such traditions meant that it was a no-brainer for the estate’s 28 hectares to become both biodynamic and organic certified, demonstrating that no chemical or synthetic products are used.
Most of us know about organics, but less so about biodynamics – here’s a quick overview on biodynamic farming. It was started by Austrian philosopher, Rudolf Steiner, in the 1920s. Worldwide, it has become the catch call for numerous top-quality winemakers and producers. Biodynamic wine production uses organic farming methods (for example, natural compost as fertilizer and avoiding chemical pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc.) while also employing natural soil supplements prepared according to Steiner’s formulas. Further, they follow a planting and harvesting calendar that depends upon astrological and lunar cycles – in short, they are ecologically self-sufficient in which they treat their vineyard as a living and interconnected ecosystem.
 
Domaine Murés total production is not vast but it is still considered sizeable for the Alsace region. The 70 acres of family estates have been farmed organically since 1999, with priority given to hand tilling and to dense planting (about 10,000 plants per hectare or 2.5 acres), which encourages the vines to put down deep roots and stimulates biological activity in the soil.
Thanks to their deep roots, the vines absorb precious mineral elements from the subsoil. These bear the unique imprint of the terroir and contribute to the pronounced minerality of the Muré estate wines. Additionally, these vines are low yielding (from 30-45 hl/ha), which is another contributory factor in allowing the grapes to confer on the wine the true expression of their terroir. Harvesting is done entirely by hand and grapes are manually sorted in the vineyard. They are then transported in crates no bigger than 20kg capacity to avoid squashing. The whole bunches are then tipped gently (without crushing or destemming) into the press.
This extra care in applying biodynamic practices throughout the vineyards contributes to healthy, well aerated soils, quality fruit, as well as to increased flora and fauna and the general well-being of the vines. All resulting in remarkable harmony and balance which characterizes the wines of Domaine Muré.

The Muré Terroir - Their Vineyards:
“We have to stay in contact with the climate and the terroir.” – René Muré
 
Situated at the warmer southern end of the Alsace wine-growing region (10 miles south of the town of Colmar), the Rouffach vineyards and their environs have been famous since Roman times.
The Vosges ranges protect this subregion from rain and snow-bearing west winds, resulting in an exceptionally sunny, dry climate – with just 500mm of rain, amazingly, the annual precipitation rate is less than that of Nice and half that of neighboring German wine regions.
To this can be added the richness of the clay-limestone soils and calcareous sandstone subsoils, which are equally suited to each of the seven different permitted Alsace grape varieties: Riesling, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc.
Clos Saint Landelin covers 25 acres on the south-facing slopes. Benefiting from a hot and dry climate, this limestone hillside has been a vineyard since the eighth century, when it belonged to the influential Bishop of Strasbourg. The Bishop bequeathed the site to the monks of Saint-Landelin abbey. It remained in their tenure until the French revolution.
The walled vineyard (Clos) is situated in the southern part of the 73 hectare  Vorbourg Grand Cru vineyard just southwest of the town of Rouffach. As such, it qualifies for the Alsace Grand Cru title and wines from the Clos may feature the Vorbourg name on the label as well as that of the Clos. The site boasts a number of terraces cultivated in order to aid soil retention of the rocky, clay-limestone slope. Although the lower slopes contain more calcareous sandstone, the Clos’ geology is generally similar to that of the wider Vorbourg with multiple clay-marl layers.
Though situated only 500 metres away from Clos Saint Landelin, the plots in the Grand Cru Vorbourg vineyard are richer in clay. They produce powerful, velvety wines, elegant expressions of fruit aromas with good acidity on the finish.

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