Producer: Jean-Marc Dreyer

Jean-Marc Dreyer

Alsace grape varieties vinified through maceration, expressing all the minerality of the terroir without residual sugar: such is the alchemy that Jean-Marc Dreyer achieves with his beautiful range of natural vintages.

Tous ses vins

10 products

Finisterra vin naturel blanc 2019 jean marc dreyer 1
Jean-Marc Dreyer

Finisterra White 2019

€32,90

Pink Pong Rosé 2022
Jean-Marc Dreyer

Pink Pong Rosé 2022

€35,90

Gewurztraminer Origin White 2022
Jean-Marc Dreyer

Gewurztraminer Origin White 2022

€32,90

Sylvaner Siggi White 2017
Jean-Marc Dreyer

Sylvaner Siggi White 2017

€29,00

Sylvaner Origin Blanc 2018 1
Jean-Marc Dreyer

Sylvaner Origin White 2020

€29,90

Riesling Origin White 2022
Jean-Marc Dreyer

Riesling Origin White 2022

€33,00

Magnum Elios Red 2022
Jean-Marc Dreyer

Magnum Elios Red 2022

€96,00

Magnum Gauthier White 2022
Jean-Marc Dreyer

Magnum Gauthier White 2022

€95,90

Auxerrois Origin White 2022
Jean-Marc Dreyer

Auxerrois Origin White 2022

€30,50

Tri-Aux White 2022
Jean-Marc Dreyer

Tri-Aux White 2022

€35,90

Where?

The Dreyer & Fils estate, between Obernai and Molsheim, has existed since 1830. Jean-Marc, succeeding several generations of Dreyers, took it over in 2003, after completing his BTS (Higher National Diploma) at the Obernai oenology school and completing an installation internship in Nothalten, with Patrick Meyer, one of the pioneers of natural wine in Alsace. Once in his vineyards, he adopted biodynamics but hesitated for a while between several methods: "At first, I made oaky wines. I bought new barrels and practiced stirring. Then, I had a sweet period; I had residual sugar in all my wines. Now, I can't stand sugar anymore." In 2008, he made his first sulfur-free vintages: a Crémant d'Alsace and a Pinot Noir. He continued to divide his production between adding and not adding sulfur until Mireille, Patrick Meyer's wife, told him: "When you're tired of being stuck between two stools, everything will be better." The following winter, he made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (the route of which crosses one of his Pinot Gris plots), and upon his return, announced: "Zero sulfur. I won't add anything anymore." Once this decision was made, the Dreyer style was quickly confirmed, defined by the skin maceration of Alsatian grape varieties in a region that has made direct pressing a standard. He denies breaking the codes or following a trend: "Maceration? But it's a tradition! Direct pressing is a modern invention, linked to the advent of electricity. The ancients worked by hand, letting the grapes macerate before sending the marc to the press. "We have short memories, after all!" recalls Bertrand Bohn, another Alsatian winemaker. "I have an uncle who harvested all his grapes, and the pressing took place at the end of the harvest, after maceration."

Terroir, plots, and grape varieties

The vineyard covers six hectares in twenty-five plots scattered across the hills surrounding the village of Rosheim. The Way of St. James passes through one of them, planted with Pinot Gris. The soils are predominantly clay-limestone. No new plots have been replanted for about fifteen years: the focus is instead on the harmonious development of the existing vines. The grape varieties are strictly native and typically Alsatian, with the feel of an ampelographic museum, as nothing is missing: Sylvaner, Auxerrois, Riesling, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris... Even old and forgotten varieties like Abondance.

Growing Methods

The estate was converted to biodynamic farming in 2003, when Jean-Marc took over. Organic farming certification was achieved in 2014. The vines are worked by horse on certain plots, and Jean-Marc intends to extend this approach to the entire estate. The remarkable health of the soil is transmitted to the vines and the grapes (maceration requires impeccable grapes). The harvest is manual, no chemical inputs are added to the vineyard, and viticultural experiments are attempted, such as planting trees among the vines or not pruning every third row.

Vinification

Whole-bunch maceration is Jean-Marc Dreyer's signature method and accounts for 85% of the estate's production. It has several advantages, facilitating fermentation and softening the solid parts of the grapes, making the pomace easier to press. Above all, it allows all the fermentable sugars to be converted into alcohol, resulting in dry wines. "I had a problem with Gewurztraminer," says Jean-Marc. "Its aromatic and rich character is too exuberant for my taste. With maceration, I finally found the solution to my problem!" » The harvest generally macerates in covered vats for ten to twenty days before being transferred to a vertical press. The grapes undergo direct pressing and are transferred to a pneumatic press. The musts are fermented and aged in tuns, more rarely in barrels, for a year of aging. The containers are not topped up, whether for white or red wines, which provides a touch of controlled oxidation that varies in intensity depending on the vintage. No sulfur is added, no filtration, and no fining is used.

The Wines

Jean-Marc Dreyer's vintages are mostly macerated whites made from Alsatian grape varieties, to which two Pinot Noir reds must be added. These wines are extremely precise, mineral, savory, and possess impressive energy. Lively and dynamic, they evolve in the glass from minute to minute, revealing surprising notes. These are great wines for laying down that are recommended for waiting, but are perfectly drinkable young. Made from grape varieties known for their colorlessness, the macerated whites boast a magnificent amber, orange, or pink color, and their varietal aroma is revealed through an invigorating dryness. At once earthy and celestial, they are a sort of quintessential Alsatian: the grape varieties express themselves clearly and recognizably, but are not distorted by any sweet notes. Among the finest examples, the Gewurztraminer Origin offers the aromatic sensuality of the grape variety without any syrupy notes. The Elios and Anigma reds display all the sensations of Pinot Noir, revealing a layered structure that is all too rare in the presence of this variety.

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