Amélie & Charles Sparr Pinot Noir Montagne des Roses 2022

From 1981-planted vines on the Rosenberg in Wettolsheim, farmed organically since day one. Whole-bunch fermented and aged in a single 600-liter Stockinger barrel with thin staves, it needs coaxing in the glass, but wild red berries and Ceylon tea emerge with patience. The palate is fine-boned and bright, with a smooth ripeness kept honest by gentle freshness. Tannins are the highlight: black tea astringency, mouth-coating but never coarse. A touch of heat at the finish, Sparr attributes the extra half-degree of alcohol to lower planting density (5,000 vines per hectare), more sun, less canopy shade. Beautiful Alsatian Pinot, bone-dry.