A rainy Saturday in May and a trip to Hunawihr with two ladies. We'd been recommended Sipp-Mack by a friend, but we got there at lunchtime. Nothing for it but to take a quick lunch just down the road in what to all intents and purposes is a converted cellar - nice too. At 2:30pm back up the road...
Hunawihr is nice little village set on the side of a hill 12km north of Colmar and a couple of kilometers south of the more touristy Ribeauville. The village began life in the seventh century as a wine making estate with two owners - Huno and Huna - later to be Saint Huna and commemorated by a 16th century fountain in the village which took his name. A fortified fifteenth century church is set just to the side of the village and was shared by catholics and protestants - catholics in the choir and protestants in the knave - the fountain is here by the church.
Domaine Sipp-Mack
1 rue des Vosges
68150 Hunawihr
+33 3 89 73 61 88 - tel
+33 3 89 73 36 70 - fax
sippmack@sippmack.com
A very good website by the way!
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2002 Riesling Tradition (€5.40)
The nose is a little subdued with faintly yeasty fruit. On the palate the fruit has surprising intensity, good acidity and even a little minerality. This is a nice 'entry-level' wine.
2000 Riesling Vieille Vigne (€7.40)
A little deeper colour. The nose has more intense mineraly agrumes. The palate is full with nicely intense fruit and very good acidity. Very good - and a purchase. Subsequently drunk at home shows a bit young and sweet, we'll see how it develops.
2001 Riesling Grand Cru Osterberg (€13.20)
Apparently, because Osterberg has a limestone & sandstone base it usually has higher acidity than Rosacker which is all limestone - there's a museum of geology in Thann where you can go into a bit more depth(!) Pale-medium yellow. Seems much fatter than the vieilles vignes and slightly lower acidity. Very citrussy fruit - lots of agrumes. Very young, but good potential - a purchase.
Sipp-Mack are to be found at the top of the village where the road peters out and heads off into the vines. An unannounced knock on the door is enough to summon a bright smiley face - this in Vincent (and the girls were already impressed!) who ushers us in to taste some wines and switches effortlessly between French and very good English.
This 20 hectare domaine can trace its origins as far back as 1698 and to one Frédéric Mack; a barrel cooper who decided to make his own wines. It takes 8 generations before we get the Sipp involvement with the marriage of a Ribeauville vigneron - François Sipp - to Marie-Louise Mack in 1959. Today it is the sons of this union, Jacques and Vincent doing most of the work with their respective wives; Laura and Isabelle. Jacques who spent a couple of years winemaking in the U.S. looks after the cellar and the marketing and Vincent who studied agriculture in Switzerland looks after the 'organic' vineyards. It's a team effort at the domaine though, Californian Laura is a graduate in Enology from U.C. Davis and looks after the commercial aspects of the business. Isabelle gets involved in gastronomic marketing events and we shouldn't forget the young boys of Vincent and Isabelle pleading to wash-up the tasting glasses and precariously climbing up on chairs to put them away in cupboard!
In their grandfather's day the wines were all sold through négociants but in the 1960's they started bottling their own and selling mainly to the cafes of Strasbourg. They have some well-placed vines, 1.30ha in Grand Cru Rosacker and 3ha in Grand Cru Osterberg. I tasted mainly the rieslings and found medium-plus intensity, pure and flavourful wines and bought a few. As to the ladies, they bought the wines just because Vincent had a nice smile...(!)
2002 Riesling Grand Cru Rosacker (€13.20)
The nose is deep but relatively closed shows a slight melon note. Deep fruit with super acidity and very good length. Very different to the Osterberg and needs 4+ years in the cellar - another(!) purchase.
1999 Riesling Grand Cru Osterberg Vendanges Tardives (€13.20 - 50cl)
Golden. Nose showing faint kerosene and mineral notes. The palate has good fat and the sweetness pairs very well with the acidity. There's almost a marmalade aspect to this wine. Tasty and balanced.
