Domaine Pierre Frick Chasselas 2009, Alsace France

Domaine Pierre Frick Chasselas 2009 a wine from Alsace in France and unlike many French wines it shows the grape variety - this is quite typical in this region of east France. The wine wass supplied by Caves de Pyrene at a cost of £10.50. This Cave supplies alot of Natural wines and called Vin Naturel which are often organic. Alsace is a dry region of France due to its location and protection from the Vosges mountains, it also often has long warm autumns, these two factors mean that cultivating without the use of many chemicals is not as difficult as in some marginal regions of France where ther is higher rainfall and less late season sun! Biodynamic production is also very popular here, and this is grown under these conditions, in addition no sulphur is used.
Generally alot of the terminology used in Alsace is Germanic, and when examining the history of the region you can see at various points Alsace has been under German rule, and even now the wines are considered to be German with a French twist, or put another way - sweet with a dry finish! 90% of the grapes are white grapes and produce 90% white wine of which about 70% is still white, and the remaining 20% is sparking Cremant.
Chasselas ( pronounced Chass -la) is a grape that is believed to be Swiss in origin but now also grown in France ( Alsace and Loire) as well as Portugal, New Zealand, Germany and Hungary.
The wine is medium gold in colour and when swirled no legs are apparent. Wow is it aromatic - volatile grape and apricot aromas as well as florality, touch of galia melon and slightly cidery appley - and it draws you in.
This is a fresh wine with keen acidity and great fruit expression including green and ripe red apples and apricots followed by a yeasty finish, It is vivacious and fresh - a lovely wine to have as an aperitif! The highly reputable Caves de Pyrene are the suppliers of this wine at £10.50.