Pierre Frick

History of Domaine Pierre Frick

The history of the domaine is inseparable from that of Pfaffenheim, where the Frick family has been cultivating vines for twelve generations. As early as 1970, Pierre and Annette Frick converted the domaine to organic farming, excluding herbicides, soluble fertilizers and synthetic chemical treatments, with an overarching vision of soil, plant and consumer health. In 1981, Jean-Pierre took over and went a step further by transitioning to biodynamics, certified Demeter, making the domaine one of the oldest and most emblematic practitioners of this approach in France.

There will never be any going back. Since 1999, in continuity with the work carried out both in the vineyard and in the cellar, Jean-Pierre Frick has been producing cuvées vinified and bottled without any sulfite additions, gathered under the Purs Vins, Zéro Sulfite Ajouté range. To preserve the purity of the wine, the cork stopper was even replaced as early as 2002 by a stainless-steel capsule inspired by Champagne, guaranteeing homogeneous maturation and good ageing potential. Today supported by his wife Chantal and their son Thomas, the domaine sells its entire production and does justice, vintage after vintage, to the great terroirs of Alsace.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Pierre Frick

The domaine's 12 hectares are spread across a dozen highly diverse terroirs, varying in soil and exposure, up to 15 kilometres apart at their furthest, around Pfaffenheim, Rouffach, Eguisheim and Westhalten. Among them are three Grands Crus: the Steinert at Pfaffenheim, with its dry, well-draining calcareous soils; the Vorbourg at Rouffach, a marl-limestone terroir with a dry and sunny climate conducive to noble rot; and the Eichberg at Eguisheim, renowned for its calcareous conglomerates and warm microclimate. These are complemented by fine lieu-dits such as Bihl, Rot Murlé, Bergweingarten, Lerchenberg, Carrières and Strangenberg.

This mosaic allows the domaine de to produce the full range of Alsatian grape varieties: Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir. Each plot is cultivated biodynamically, in harmony with lunar and planetary rhythms, with extreme care given to soil life. Biodiversity is encouraged through the planting of hedgerows and the preservation of natural spaces, and the harvest is exclusively manual, a guarantee of raw material of exemplary purity.

Winemaking at Domaine Pierre Frick

The philosophy of the house can be summed up in a single sentence: in the cellar, we do not manufacture — we raise authentic, healthy and living wines. The grapes, hand-picked, are whole-cluster pressed, without crushing, in a pneumatic press. The juices ferment through their own indigenous yeasts alone, without temperature control, without chaptalization and without acidity correction, so that each wine expresses the initial balance born of the terroir and the vintage.

Ageing on fine lees takes place in old 3,000-litre oak foudres, some of which are over one hundred years old. The wines are not fined and, ideally, receive no sulfite additions before bottling. The domaine has also made a speciality of maceration wines — whites aged in contact with the skins — as well as a wide range of wines with no added sulfur covering all grape varieties, through to Blanc de Noir and sweet wines. The result is wines that are pure, airy and of a striking aromatic transparency, capable of living and evolving long after opening.

The Cuvées of Domaine Pierre Frick

Cuvée Voyages: an emblematic blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Sylvaner, this cuvée is a true aromatic journey through the diversity of the domaine's terroirs and grape varieties. Pure and airy, it accurately expresses the full philosophy of the house.

Sylvaner: long underestimated, this grape variety finds here a noble expression, particularly with the Sylvaner Bergweingarten, sourced from the vineyard garden on the hill adjacent to the Steinert and holding a Premier Cru classification. Notes of white peach, white flowers and citrus, with a touch of natural sweetness, make it an ideal table companion.

Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois: sourced notably from the Carrière plots, on a rare yellow sandstone, they offer two interpretations of a little-known grape variety, with the Auxerrois in a classic version and in a Macération version, more textured and original.

Riesling: the king grape variety of Alsace, it expresses itself across several great cuvées. The Riesling Grand Cru Steinert shows mineral, upright and deep character with exceptional ageing potential, while the Grand Cru Vorbourg gains in richness, complemented by fine single-plot wines such as Bihl, with its unusual west-facing exposure, Rot Murlé and Carrière.

Muscat Grand Cru Steinert: grown on a dry, well-draining calcareous soil, it offers a rare profile for this grape variety — entirely dry, far removed from the usual sweet muscats. The nose, explosive, evokes fresh grapes and flowers, in a pure and mineral expression of the stony terroir.

Pinot Gris: the Pinot Gris Rot Murlé stands out for its density, salinity and great energy, while the Pinot Gris Grand Cru Vorbourg, marked by noble rot, reveals itself as ample, rich and complex, with a remarkable balance between power and freshness. The Pinot Gris Macération, with its surprising morello cherry-coloured robe, unveils aromas of redcurrant and pomegranate.

Gewurztraminer: this grape variety is expressed across several prestigious cuvées. The Gewurztraminer Bihl asserts itself as dry, peppery and structured, far from varietal clichés; the Gewurztraminer Carrière is born from a yellow sandstone soil; and the Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Eichberg comes from a terroir of calcareous conglomerates and marls with a warm and dry microclimate.

Pinot Noir: the Pinot Noir Strangenberg, sourced from a limestone hill with Mediterranean flora reaching 320 metres in altitude, is a natural red wine of great finesse and purity, built for ageing. It is complemented by other interpretations such as the Pinot Noir Rot Murlé and the Pinot Noir Grosstein, on the clay soils of Westhalten.

Blanc de Noir: made from Pinot Noir pressed as a white wine and often offered in a zero added sulfite version, it delivers a delicate, taut and original expression of a red grape variety vinified as a white.

Crémant d'Alsace: sourced notably from the Lerchenberg terroir, which holds a Premier Cru classification dedicated to sparkling wines, it brings together Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir for a fine, fresh and distinguished bubble, in the purest biodynamic spirit.

Sweet wines: in great vintages, the domaine produces sweet cuvées and late-harvest wines, including without added sulfur, where the noble rot of the Vorbourg and Eichberg terroirs brings richness, depth and a beautifully preserved freshness.

The Purs Vins, Zéro Sulfite Ajouté range: beyond the single-plot cuvées, the domaine offers its full range of grape varieties in a version with no added sulfites whatsoever, from the driest to the sweetest, as well as a rich palette of maceration wines. These cuvées, true fermented grape juice with no additives, embody the quintessence of Jean-Pierre Frick's work and surprise with the originality and purity of their expression.