Zeyssolff
(Cantina in Alsazia)

Cantina e Vini

TRADITION & QUALITY

Passionate about travelling and and architecture, we have visited many family-owned wine cellars, some of them showing exceptional originality. All have a common aim : to democratise one of the most beautiful parts of French heritage : wine.

We no longer want to use our winery solely as a work tool, but also as a place of exchange, where the story of wine is told through a familial and regional history.

We are privileged guardians of a rich history and heritage. To this day we have created a place of sharing, where those passionate about wine or those less so, leave feeling enriched. We want to bring not only a cultural but also an emotional wealth to our visitors. 

JUDICIOUS CHOICE OF GRAPE VARIETALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AREA AND QUALITY OF THE SOIL.

Each one has specific qualities, the expression of which can vary depending on the terroir (climate and soil) and the cultivation technique adopted. In Scherwiller to the South (granitic terroir), for example, we prioritise the production of 2 grape varietals : the Riesling, because it is an excellent representative of the terroir, and the Pinot Noir for its resistance to heat.

All our new plantations over the last 20 years have been made with plants which have been phenotypically selected to promote biodiversity, genetic diversity and the heritage of plants. 

The specific requirements of grape varietals is reflective of their need for warmth and water, which will determine the timing of their maturity. We are focusing our efforts increasingly on the changing climate. In the coming years, we are considering more Mediterranean grape varietals, resistant to drought and heat. Even if this sadly means leaving the AOC!

 

 

DELIBERATE LIMITATION OF YIELDS

As soon as the vine is pruned in winter, we prioritise the harmony of each grape varietal as well as the expression of the terroir. We also produce harvests “en vert” (the process of delegating the vine from green clusters to facilitate the maturation of the remaining clusters in order to reduce the yield of a harvest). The wine will therefore be more concentrated and the yields will be reduced. It is a personal choice to prioritise quality over quantity. This limitation will be even more pronounced for Cuvées Z and Grands Crus. 

 

CONVERSION TO ORGANIC VITICULTURE

Phytosanitary control is done using only natural methods and products approved by organic controls. Treatments are spaced out as much as possible.

We have completely redesigned our crop monitoring: tillage, seeding and the use of herbal teas and plant decoctions are used to enhance the vine’s immunity and help it fight diseases naturally.

Work in the cellar is carried out without chemical input and the use of sulphur is limited during bottling.

 

MANUAL GRAPE HARVESTS

All our grapes are hand-picked by a team of twenty seasonal workers, supported by our permanent team. The grapes are rigorously sorted as soon as the harvest begins. The chosen grapes are then transported in boxes of 25kgs to the cellar as quickly as possible.

A second careful sorting of the grapes is repeated upon arrival at the press.

 

VINIFICATION AND AGEING OF WINES

THE FIRST VINIFICATION STAGE CONSISTS OF PRESSING THE GRAPES. 

Pressing is always done pneumatically so as to avoid spoilage and oxidation of the grapes. A pressing cycle lasts between three and a half and sixteen hours for the “Sélections des Grains Nobles”.  The juices descend by gravity into our cellar, located below our press.

The juices are then cooled to 12°C to facilitate static settling (deposits of suspended material at the bottom of the tank). 

 

THE SECOND STAGE IS THE ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION OF THE WINES, UNDER THERMAL REGULATION

The clarified must is housed in oak barrels to ferment. Numerous daily density and temperature controls are carried out to monitor the evolution of fermentation. When the wine has reached its sugar/acidity/alcohol balance, it is extracted with its fine lees. It is then cooled and stabilized.

We do not carry out any malolactic fermentation on our white wines, only on our Pinot Noirs.

THE THIRD STAGE, THE MOST METICULOUS STAGE, IS THE BREEDING ON LEES

THE LAST STAGE IS THE BOTTLING OF THE WINES IN OUR WINE CELLAR AFTER STERILE FILTRATION.

It runs from spring till late August for barrel farms. The bottles are then stored for at least 3-6 months before being sold. This gives the wine the opportunity to age and to refine itself.

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Cantine da visitare in Alsazia