Pierres Sauvages

Mathieu Deiss: Pursuing his grandfather’s dream

Son of Jean-Michel, Mathieu Deiss, in addition to managing the famous Marcel Deiss wine estate with his father (which is an institution in Alsace!), inherits some plots in the commune of Bennwihr from his maternal uncle, himself having inherited it from his father. It is a bit the area where with his partner Emmanuelle Milan (yes yes from the family of the Henri Milan estate in Provence) he can feel more free, try things (skin contact wine, without added sulphites, aging in amphorae, etc.) and to extend the dream of his maternal grandfather: to fight for his independence and his creativity. This is why he names his domain: Le Vignoble du Rêveur (The Dreamer’s Vineyard). It is “a tribute to this struggle, to this ideal, and an extension of his Dream”, he says.

Le Vignoble du Rêveur : the Respect of Nature

For Mathieu Deiss, there is no doubt. Nature does things well. It is a guide. From the beginning, he converted the whole estate to organic and then to Biodynamic farming. Loving his terroir, his vines, the herbs that grow there, observing the insects and the life in the soil, you will not find any chemical products in this little corner of paradise.

The Wines of Mathieu Deiss

The vines are planted on quaternary gravel soils, which are perfect for youthful, fresh wines. But his wines are much more than just fresh juice. Full of energy, complex, playing with textures, Vignoble du Rêveur is definitely one of our favorite estates in Alsace. They are unlike anything else we’ve tasted. Some of the vintages are without added sulphites, which is an ideal for our protagonist to achieve.