Grower Website Jean-Baptiste Adam Region: FRANCE - ALSACE

In May 2014, Jean-Baptiste Adam and his family celebrated the 400th anniversary of their family being grape growers and winemakers in Ammerschwihr.

Throughout the centuries the family of Adam grew grapes, made wine, sold wine locally and sold wine in foreign lands. They survived the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), the Valois and Bourbon dynasties, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic wars, annexation by Germany and back to France, WWI, WWII, famine, disease, you name it. The family has a history of being leaders in their little hamlet, from nearly all of them serving on the town council to some of them elected Mayor of Ammerschwihr.

Taking the reins from his father, Jean-Marie, in 1996, Jean-Baptiste V began managing the winery. He started working at the winery in 1982, at the age of 21, after finishing studies of wine, enology, and marketing. Soon after taking charge of the company, he modernized the winery and expanded it to create a processing and storage facility for the production of Crémant. In 2003, he embraced the practices of biodynamic agriculture wholeheartedly. In keeping with the family tradition of leading, Jean-Baptiste is now considered one of the leaders of biodynamic farming practices in Alsace.

Jean-Baptiste’s daughter, Laure, is now the 15th generation to work in the family business. Armed with a BS in Viticulture and Enology, a Wine and Commerce license, and a Master’s degree in Wine Management & Marketing, she is an integral part of the business. She manages all things marketing for the winery.

Jean-Baptiste Adam produces wines of elegance, balance, minerality and longevity.

Country	France
Region	ALSACE
Appellation(s)	AOP ALSACE – AOP CREMANT D’ALSACE- AOP ALSACE GRAND CRU -AOP VENDANDES TARDIVES- AOP SELECTION DE GRAINS NOBLES
Proprietors	JEAN-BAPTISTE ADAM
Founded	1614
Winemaker	JEAN-BAPTISTE ADAM
Annual Production	600 000 to 800 000 BOTTLES
Farming (Sustainable, organic, biodynamic)	ORGANIC AND BIODYNAMIC CERTIFIED ORAGNIC AND DEMETER

The winery owns 17 hectares (42 acres) and farms another 4 hectares (10 acres) of vineyards, all farmed biodynamically. The grapes from the vineyards they farm go into the les Natures and Le Grands Vins selections.

Their vineyards are well established as biodynamic, including the famed Grand Cru, Kaefferkopf. This vineyard sits on a steep slope just south of Ammerschwihr. From Kaefferkopf grapes, Adam makes a revered wine of elegance, balance and minerality with excellent aging potential. At 38 years of age, the 1976 was still drinking beautifully at the 400th anniversary. Adam’s finest wines come from the Kaefferkopf vineyard.

WINERY
With an annual average total production of 54,000 cases of still wine and 11,000 cases of Crémant, JB Adam offers a range of price and quality levels, Les Traditions, Les Réserves, Le Cuvées Jean-Baptiste Adam, les Natures, Le Grands Vins de Jean-Baptiste Adam, and Les Vendanges Tardives and Sélection Grains Nobles.

All grapes are hand harvested. Fermentations are all from naturally occurring yeast. In an effort to maintain the purity of the fruit in his wines, Jean-Baptiste discards the first and last parts of pressing the grapes, retaining only the juice from the cour (heart) of the pressing.

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area ha or acres

				Total = 88 acres
Pinot Blanc Nature	Pinot Blanc	Planted 1975 – 2010	Granite	7 acres
Pinot Blanc Reserve	Pinot Blanc	Planted 1975 – 2010	Chalk & Granite	10 acres
Riesling Nature	Riesling	Planted 1975 – 2010	Granite	5 acres
Riesling Reserve	Riesling	Planted 1975 – 2010	Granite & Loess	9 acres
Pinot Gris Nature	Pinot Gris	Planted 1975 – 2010	Granite	4.5 acres
Pinot Gris Reserve	Pinot Gris	Planted 1975 – 2010	Granite & Loess	9 acres
Gewurztraminer Nature	Gewurztraminer	Planted 1975 – 2010	Granite	3.5 acres
Gewurztraminer Reserve	Gewurztraminer	Planted 1975 – 2010	Granite & Loess	9 acres
Pinot Noir Nature	Pinot Noir	Planted 1975 – 2010	Granite	3 acres
Cremant d’Alsace “les Natures”	Pinot Blanc (40%), Chardonnay (30%), Pinot Blanc (30%)	Planted 1975 – 2010	Granite	2 acres
Cremant d’Alsace Rosé	Pinot Noir	Planted 1975 – 2010	Granite	6 acres
Cremant d’Alsace Brut	Pinot Blanc (90%), Pinot Noir (10%)	Planted 1975 – 2010	Clay & limestone	10 acres
Cremant d’Alsace Emotion Brut	Chardonnay (95%), Pinot Noir (5%)	Planted 1975 – 2010	Clay & limestone	2 acres
Pinot l’Auxerrois Vieilles Vignes	Pinot Auxerrois	Planted 1959, 1970	Granite & clay	2.5 acres
Riesling Kaefferkopf Grand Cru	Riesling	Planted 1955, 1956	Granite & limestone	3.4 acres
Riesling Letzenberg	Riesling	Planted 1984	Heavy clay with limestone gravel and limestone sub-soil	3 acres
Riesling Wineck Schlossberg Grand Cru	Riesling	Planted 1976	Granite (muscovite & biotite micas)	0.5 acres
Pinot Gris Letzenberg	Pinot Gris	Planted 1985	Clay & limestone	2.2 acres
Gewurztraminer Kaefferkopf Vieilles Vignes	Gewurztraminer	Planted 1955, 1965	Granite & limestone	3 acres
Pinot Gris Vendanges Tardive	Pinot Gris	Planted 1985	Clay & limestone	N/A
Pinot Gris SGN	Pinot Gris	Planted 1985	Clay & limestone	N/A