Winemakers: Domaine Lissner

Spanning ten hectares around the historical village of Wolxheim—thirty mintues west of Strasbourg—Domaine Lissner cultivates vines situated on six distinctive terroirs. Ascending to the area’s highest elevations and viewpoint, the plots are located on a unique fault zone composed of limestone and sandstone, with a number of them encircled by forests.  Founded in 1848 by Clément Lissner, the domain was taken over by his nephew, agronomist and activist Bruno Schloegel, in 2001. His middle son, Théo, joined in 2014, following the completion of a degree in biodiversity from the university in Strasbourg. Self-proclaimed “wild, free and alive,” an unparalleled precedence is given to the thriving native flora and fauna and inherent biodiversity of the vineyard, forming the basis of their iconic hands-off approach. The soil is never ploughed or otherwise distrubed, and no compost or cover crops are ever used,  promoting the natural equilibrium of the plants and wildlife and thus the inherent resilience of the vines. Along with the trees, grass and wildflowers, the vineyards are a haven for deer, birds and insects.

 Grapes are harvested at peak maturity—and often at what could be considered by some as  “overripeness”—allowing for the ultimate expression of each unique terroir and vintage, and balance of sugar, acidity, minerality, and salinity. Bunches are meticulously selected during harvest and again verified before slow (8-10 hour) pneumatic pressing. Everything in the cellar is done by gravity, and the juices are left to long elevations on lees in traditional Alsatian foudres (and the occasional stainless steel) without any intervention apart from the rare addition of sulfur during or immediately following fermentation.

 The domain’s long-term approach and return to pre-conventional farming practices vary tremendously from the predominant methods in the area and have been widely advocated for by Bruno and Théo. They have heavily petitioned for and defended the Appellation Alsace Contrôlée classification for both their own cuvées and those of other low-intervention winemakers in the region. All wines are classified as Appellation Alsace Contrôlée/Alsace Grand Cru Protégée.