A hidden gem nestled in the village of Bernardswiller, the wine of Anne-Laure Laengel has arrived quietly on the scene yet is poised to make waves for generations to come. Now in her early thirties, Anne-Laure came into winemaking in 2019 after inheriting a hectare of beautiful vines from her late father. Pristine clusters of 40 yr old Sylvaner and 20 yr old Muscat sat waiting like an invitation, and luckily for us, she accepted.

We first tasted these wines in the cellar she shares with her partner, Christophe Lindenlaub, who in turn shares it with his father, Jacques. This wood-clad room, lined with old crates and even older family photos, sets the stage for generations to collide. Warm, amber light dances around furtively, and whole eras of time are elided into a few square meters of floor space. Save for some small windows in the next room letting in slivers of moonlight, it’s impossible to tell whether it’s night or day. Over hearty plates of choucroute de poisson, these wines unfurl their elegant layers, multifaceted in their desires and intentions. They feel at once medieval and completely modern, at peace with the place.

As we depart the next afternoon, rain has blanketed the Alsatian countryside. The clouds break, revealing opulent pinks and yellows, shot through with sun beams piercing the landscape. It feels like we’re exiting a fairy tale, a land shrouded in mystery. All evidence of our revelry is gone into the wind that circles the Vosges. And yet, months later, when we uncork Anne-Laure’s wines across the ocean, we’re transported back.

ANNE LAURE LAENGEL

Country: France

Region: Alsace

Sub-region or Appellation: Bernardswiller

Winemakers: Anne-Laure Laengel

Viticulture: Organic

Terroir: Clay, limestone

Size: 1 hectare

ANNE LAURE LAENGEL :: Dans le Pif

Brimming with quiet energy, this wine is more than meets the eye. To understand it, you must imagine the feeling of liquid time, of long hours spent with friends, of several conversations over several bottles of wine, of open windows blowing in temperate breezes, of dishes in disarray, remnants of time well spent. Is it night? Is it morning? Does it matter? You are dans le pif.

Vintage: 2021
Varieties: Sylvaner, Auxerrois
Style: White Wine
ABV: 12%
Region: Alsace
Sub-Region or Appellation: Bernardswiller
Viticulture: Organic
Age of Vines: 40 years for Sylvaner, 20 years old for Auxerrois
Soils: Clay, Limestone
Yeasts: Indigenous
Vinification: Sylvaner and a portion of Auxerrois are direct-pressed, the remaining Auxerrois undergoes three days of maceration before blending.
Aging: Stainless steel
Fining or Filtering: None
Sulfur: None added