Dopff & Irion

Based in the Hansel and Gretal-like village of Riquewihr in the heart of Alsace, this 27 ha, highly respected producer, created by the marriage of two of Alsace’s wine families, was established in 1945. The historic Château de Riquewihr which dates back to the 16th Century, now Dopff & Irion’s cellar and tasting room, was once owned by the Princes of Wurtemberg. There is a very focused and environmentally friendly vineyard regime in place, all grapes are handpicked and a great deal of investment has gone into the winery in recent years.

Light golden in appearance with silver tints, transparent and luminous. Sophisticated notes of apple and almost floral hints. The palate is fresh and supple, with refined citrus notes, fruit and almond on the finish.

Perfect as an aperitif with dried fruit, or at the dinner table with salmon rillettes, prawns, Carpaccio of sea bream with basil, sushi, tabouleh, vegetable terrine, grilled sole with lemon. It goes wonderfully well with fresh goat’s cheese. Equally worth trying at dessert time with vacherin and cheesecake.

The entire bunches of grapes are placed into a press via a conveyor belt, so as not to damage the fruit. The wine is carefully made at a controlled temperature. The obtained base wine is matured in vats for about 6 months before bottling and the addition of yeast to produce carbon dioxide. This is done by adding a tirage liqueur made from yeast and sugar, in view of achieving a second fermentation inside the bottle. Our wines are matured on laths for 12 to 15 months, before being disgorged (to eliminate the deposits of accumulated yeast). This period of time is more than the 9- month minimum requirement for this appellation. All of our Crémants are “Brut”. Indeed, when the disgorging is undertaken, the added sweet liqueur (called expedition) is limited to a concentration of less than 15 g/l of sugar to produce Crémants with a dry and elegant style. Along the lines of Champagne, the wines are not derived from a single vintage, thereby allowing us to blend the production of various years, depending upon their characteristics. The objective is that of obtaining an even standard of quality, despite the differences from one year to the next.

Jancis Robinson, The Financial Times, November 2022: "Mostly Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois and made by the Pfaffenheim co-op that has taken over the house of Dopff & Irion, based at Riquewihr. Some autolysis on the nose. Really well made. There’s fruit, rather than sweetness, and it’s very refreshing."