Valentin Zusslyn “Ophrys”

ALSACE, FRANCE | 2023

Domaine Valentin Zusslin is based in Orschwihr, in southern Alsace just south of Colmar, where the family’s winemaking history dates back to 1691. The domaine farms about 16 hectares across a mosaic of prized hillside sites, including Bollenberg, their celebrated monopole Clos Liebenberg, and Grand Cru Pfingstberg.

Farming is central to the Zusslin identity. The estate has worked biodynamically since 1996, with an increasing focus on biodiversity as Alsace becomes warmer and more climatically demanding. Birds, bees, native flora, and surrounding woodland are encouraged in and around the vineyards, while horse plowing helps reduce soil compaction and maintain living soils.

The 2022 Domaine Valentin Zusslin “Ophrys” Rouge comes from the limestone-rich Bollenberg hillside, a site also known for its rare wild orchids. Named for the Ophrys genus, including the Bee and Bumblebee orchids that grow there, the cuvée is intended as a tribute to delicacy and finesse. It is made from high-quality fruit selected during sorting for the domaine’s top red wines, chosen for elegance rather than concentration. The grapes are pressed immediately and fermented like a Blanc de Noirs, before the fermenting juice is racked over the marc from Zusslin’s top Pinot Noir lots, creating more of an infusion than a true maceration. Raised in truncated conical tanks rather than barrel, it is pure, supple, fresh, and wonderfully easy to drink, especially with a light chill.