La Louve Wines

What makes this range special

French for “she-wolf” recalling the myth of Romulus and Remus, the Wolfberger La Louve Alsatian wines are unique for their name and the big bottles from bygone days. They are also unique because of the winemaking method: aging in small oak barrels that endow finesse, elegance and astonishing taste qualities to our Alsace varietals. The barrels provide an oaky touch along with interesting notes of natural minerals. For this range, fermenting is done in bourguignonnes (barrels from Burgundy) made of French oak or, more specifically, Merrain oak, the benchmark for this kind of winemaking. This fermentation is done in order to get all the tannins and develop the taste potential, as opposed to simply aging the wine in barrels. Battonage, the practice of stirring the lees, is also used to perfect the results of big as well as small volumes.

20 years experience

Wolfberger has more than 20 years experience in the surprising and successful coupling of Alsace varietals with wood. The reds, from the Pinot Noir grape, are the spearhead of this range. Wolfberger has learned steadily over the years, optimizing quality by working with carefully designed parcels. The vines grow primarily in limestone soil and the output is limited to 55 HL/HA (hectoliters by hectare) in order to best concentrate the taste and aroma of the grapes. The berries are separated from the bunches and undergo maceration in order to get the deepest color. Vinification and aging are done in Burgundy barrels to get all the tannins and the subtle vanilla aroma. For the whites, Wolfberger has chosen a beautiful balance of qualities and good aging potential. This way, the oak casking completes each palette of aromas without masking any of them.