Located in Epfig, in the Lower-Rhine, the Domaine Ostertag ("Easter Day") has raised itself to the top of the hierarchy of Alsace properties in just two generations. Adolphe Ostertag created the Domaine in 1966. His son André took over in 1980, helped by his sister Annie. There are 15 hectares of vines, consisting of a hundred plots spread over five different terroirs. André Ostertag is in the habit of talking of the 80 gardens that he tends.
Trained in Burgundy, André has made quality his priority. Controlled yields, careful management of the vines, meticulous vinification, and ageing partially in barrels (for the Pinot Gris). In 1997, he converted the vineyard to organic farming (with AB certification) and then to biodynamic methods (without certification). Riesling, of which André Ostertag is a big fan, accounts for nearly 50% of the property's vines. The other varieties, in decreasing proportions, are Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Sylvaner, Pinot Noir and Muscat. Different combinations of terroirs, grape varieties and levels of ripeness enable the Domaine to produce about twenty cuvées each year. André Ostertag classifies them in three main families: fruit wines (expressing the variety and grape flavours); stone wines (expressing the terroir); and vins de temps (which involve both meanings of the French word "temps" i.e. "weather" and "time", resulting in late ripening or noble rot).

If you don’t already know the wine Les Aventures de l’Agneau Masqué, it’s time that changed. Arthur Ostertag describes it on the label as an “utopian wine” crafted from Gewurztraminer. When creating each of his wines, he takes a different approach and with this one, he left the skins to macerate with the juice. It’s best that we let the winemaker himself to describe this orange wine. “The idea was simple: to create a dry Gewurztraminer that is full of energy, balanced and overflowing with flavour.”
Following the 3rd edition “Le Grand Bain 2019", the 4th is called “Le Bal des Masqués” (the ball of the masked). The bottle's label, so full of colour and humour, was created by the winemaker’s mother, Christine Colin. Hi father André also played a role in the range, having released the first Les Aventures du Mouton Masqué in 1990 to begin the series of atypical wines with labels of masked sheep. As homage to his father, Arthur baptised his series “agneau masque” or “the masked lamb” in English.
This is an atypical wine that you should discover as soon as possible and enjoy with friends.