{"id":4762,"date":"2025-01-26T11:53:46","date_gmt":"2025-01-26T10:53:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vinovonk.com\/?p=4762"},"modified":"2025-01-28T20:54:54","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T19:54:54","slug":"les-jardins-en-chantants-waar-kunst-en-landbouw-elkaar-ontmoeten-in-de-alsace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vinovonk.com\/nl\/les-jardins-en-chantants-where-art-meets-agriculture-in-alsace\/","title":{"rendered":"Les Jardins En-Chantants: Waar kunst en landbouw elkaar ontmoeten in de Elzas"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Three bottles from Les Jardins En-Chantants have recently arrived at my tasting table, prompting me to rethink everything I thought I knew about Alsatian wine. This small, dynamic estate near Colmar, operated by L\u00e9a and Gabriel Willem, embodies a fascinating new wave in French winemaking\u2014one where the boundaries between art, agriculture, and winemaking blend into something entirely fresh and exciting.<\/p>\n

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A Natural Approach to Winemaking<\/h2>\n

The wines I’m tasting today showcase Les Jardins En-Chantants’ commitment to absolutely natural winemaking. Their orange wine “La Griffe de Gniff” 2022 is a fascinating blend of Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris, while their “Pet’Gab’La” 2023 is a p\u00e9tillant naturel made from 100% Pinot Auxerrois. Completing the trilogy is their “Ranyoot” 2023, a vivacious red wine made from 100% Pinot Noir using semi-carbonic maceration. All three wines are produced without any additions \u2013 no sulfites, filtering, or fining.<\/p>\n

What’s particularly interesting is their use of an ancestral ratchet press, which they operate manually over many hours. The juice flows by gravity directly into the cellar, embodying their minimal intervention philosophy. Each wine showcases different maceration techniques: 21 days for La Griffe de Gniff’s orange wine character, and 29 days of semi-carbonic maceration for the Ranyoot, allowing each variety to express itself fully.<\/p>\n

The Artist-Farmers’ Philosophy<\/h2>\n

“We claim to be complete artists, mixing culture and agriculture,” the Willems state and this philosophy permeates every aspect of their operation. They’ve established what they call a “micro family farm,” approaching viticulture with the sensibility of artists rather than just producers. Their commitment to natural winemaking isn’t just about technique \u2013 it’s a statement about biodiversity and life itself.<\/p>\n

As neo-vignerons (new winegrowers), they’ve faced significant challenges in acquiring venin in the highly competitive Colmar region. Starting from zero, they’ve gradually built their dream, acquiring parcels in various locations\u2014some as far as 300km away, others closer to home. Their approach shows remarkable patience and adaptability. They’ve taken over abandoned hillside plots that larger producers have left behind in favor of more easily mechanized sites.<\/p>\n

The Vineyards: A Mosaic of Terroirs<\/h2>\n

Their vineyards present a fascinating patchwork of terroirs. The parcels for La Griffe de Gniff are spread across Zellenberg, Nothalten, Winzenheim, Blienschschwihr, and Rouffach, with soils varying between limestone, clay, and loam. These diverse terroirs contribute to the complexity of their wines, while their newest venture in Quinci\u00e9-en-Beaujolais, at 450 meters altitude, adds Gamay to their repertoire.<\/p>\n

For their Ranyoot Pinot Noir, they’ve selected parcels that showcase the variety’s elegant side, working with older vines that provide depth and complexity to the final wine. The Pet’Gab’La comes from Nothalten’s Sommerain lieu-dit, where sandy-limestone soils impart a distinctive mineral character to the Pinot Auxerrois.<\/p>\n

Tasting Notes<\/h2>\n

With these three wines in front of me, the orange wine attracted me the most because of its color. The Pet Nat was still slightly bubbly, so I worried it might explode when I opened it\u2014but it didn’t.<\/p>\n

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La Griffe de Gniff 2022 (Orange Wine)<\/h3>\n