Jean-Baptiste Adam
Pinot Gris Selection de Grains Nobles – 2017
Region: FRANCE - ALSACE
Jean-Baptiste Adam
For more than 400 years, Jean-Baptiste Adam and his family have been grape growers and winemakers in Ammerschwihr. Throughout the centuries the Adam family has farmed vineyards, 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 and disease.
Jean-Batiste V joined the winery in 1982, at the age of 21, after finishing his studies of wine, enology, and marketing. In 1996, Jean-Baptiste took over full management of the property from his father, Jean-Marie. Soon after taking charge of the company, he modernized the winery and created a processing and storage facility for the production of Crémant. In 2003, he converted the vineyards to biodynamic agriculture wholeheartedly and they are DEMETER certified since 2007. Today, he is considered a leader of biodynamic farming practices in Alsace.
Jean-Baptiste’s daughter, Laure, is 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 all winery, viticulture and trade operations.
Jean-Baptiste Adam produces wines of elegance, balance, minerality and longevity.
The Wine
Vineyard Profile
Estate Letzenberg parcel in Ammerschwihr, Alsace A.O.P.
- Soil: Clay and limestone
Harvest Notes
- Harvest delayed to concentrate sugars in fruit
- Botrytized grapes (“noble rot”)
- Crushed, destremmed and pressed right away
- Very slow, careful fermentation at 68ºF/20ºC in stainless steel vats until an interesting sugar/alcohol balance is achieved
- Aged at least a year in tank and 4 years in bottle
Winemaker's Notes
These grapes historically were called “Tokay Pinot Gris” in the 1970s, following lore dating back to 1375 when an Alsatian baron brought vines from Hungary. This sweet and luscious apperitif wine is a powerful greenish yellow. Penetrating aromas of ripe apricot, pineapple, pear, quince combine with and subtle notes of bergamots. A smooth and ample attack in the mouth. Candied sugar notes develop and hints of dried fruits complete the beautiful finish.
Wine Summary
100% Pinot Gris; alcohol: 12%; estate Letzenberg parcel in Ammerschwihr, Alsace AOP; clay and limestone soils; grapes left on vine to concentrate sugar and encourage development of botrytis; quickly hand picked, destemmed and crushed; long, slow fermentation in stainless steel tanks at 68ºF until perfect sugar/alcohol balance achieved; aged at least a year in tank and 4 years in bottle.
Technical Information
- 100% Pinot Gris
- Alcohol: 12%
- Total Acidity: 4.9 g/l
- Residual Sugar: 171.4 g/l
Reviews
94 Points
Racy acidity frames this rich, dessert wine, which is creamy in texture and exhibits poached pear, apricot jam, passion fruit and candied orange peel. A chalky undercurrent flows beneath the sweet core, adding a smoky note and warm spices. The finish is very long and multifaceted. Drink now–2037.
Wine Enthusiast, December, 2023
96 Points
Round and infatuatingly rich when first opened, this wine has a luscious flavor of ripe Bosc pear and beautiful clarity to its structure. By the next day, it’s completely delicious, its texture a weave of silks and satins. With scents of beeswax, honey and pollen, it tastes of the earth taken to the sky by flowers and bees.
Wine and Spirits, April, 2023
95 Points
The 2017 Pinot Gris Séléction de Grains Nobles was made from botrytized grapes only. It was picked from the Letzenberg parcel on the 17th of October. It is golden in hue and smells of honeyed pear, with a slight lift that portrays dried sultana and lemon peel. The palate is concentrated, with the rich, honeyed mouthfeel of botrytis, almost with a touch of maple syrup spice. It’s rich and smooth in that honeyed depth with something of quince jelly. This is very pure and scented. This boasts around 150-160 g/L of residual sugar. (Luscious) 2027 – 2050
Vinous, April, 2025
General Info
| 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, Laure Adam |
| Founded | 1614 |
| Winemaker | Mathilde Jaegler and Philippe Ruhlmann |
| Annual Production | 50,000 to 66,000 9L cases |
| Farming (Sustainable, organic, biodynamic) | Farmed using organic principles, DEMETER certified biodynamic since 2007. In France, certified organic by EcoCert France. |