PINOT GRIS Grand Cru HENGST - Vendange Tardive 1999

After a cold winter, a wet spring, and a warm summer, the vines took advantage of a sunny anddry time from August 23 to September 20. Subsequently a wet and dreary weather forced us to delay theharvest.After a timid beginning on September 27, the real harvest began on October 4. The health status of theharvest is correct but it requires some sorting. The year looks bright and normal in quantity and quality. Thewines seem firmer and denser than those of 1998. Dry, with good richness and a nice acid structure, theygive themselves with poise.

The soil of the 360 meter high slope which dominates this vineyard is essentially a mixture oflimestone from the Vosges, chalky marl (14% active) and layers of red, brown, green and beige sedimenthundreds of meters thick. The mother rock is of an orange - yellow hue. Dating as far back as the Jurassicperiod the elements vary in density from very fine to very course. The Ph factor is within 7.8 to 8.3. ThisGrand Cru is 130.95 acres (53,02 Ha) of vines. The combined calcareous and marl soils tend to produce richfull bodied wines. In their youth they have an untamed character, reminiscent of the vineyard's name -"stallion". They slowly mature to astonishing aromatics and fabulous richness.

The grapes were hand picked and whole-bunch pressed very slowly and gently in pneumaticpresses over 5-8 hours to give a clean must and a beneficial amount of skin contact. Transferred to thermoregulatedstainless steel tanks the juice then began a natural fermentation using only its own natural yeastwhich lasted for one month. The fermentation was initially temperature controlled but was eventuallyallowed to proceed at its own pace to allow the wine to develop its own character and complexity. The winestabilized in stainless steel tanks naturally during the winter season and, following a very gentle filtering,was bottled in March 2007 before the heat of summer to preserve the natural carbonic gas (a natural antioxidant).Malolactic fermentation is always avoided at Josmeyer and no chaptalization takes place.