Domaine Joseph Cattin Gewurztraminer
The Cattin family, of Swiss descent, can trace their arrival in Alsace to around the year 1720. The family settled in the village of Voegtlinshoffen 10km south of the Alsatian wine capital of Colmar. Being that the region had been famous for its wines since the Middle Ages they immediately planted vines and began the viticultural legacy that continues today. The Domain is named for Joseph Cattin who became renowned for his pioneering work in grafting that, at the end of the 19th century, is widely credited for saving some of Alsace's best vineyards from phylloxera.
Today the Estate is run by Jacques and Jean-Marie Cattin as well as the latest generation, represented by Jacques Jr. They own 50 hectares of vines planted to all the traditional Alsatian varietals and have two separate wineries, one of which is dedicated solely to the production of their incredible cremant wines. The vines are located in the prestigious Upper Rhine and are planted on the mostly SE facing slopes at the base of the Vosges Mountains ranging from 200-400 meters in altitude. The soils vary considerably from compositions of gravel, granite, marl to clay, limestone and sandstone. Most of the Cattin estate vineyards are over 60 years old.
The most special of these vineyards is the Clos Madelon. It was the site of a major battle during WWI during which it was destroyed: the vineyard lay fallow until 2000 when the Cattin family purchased it. It was a mythical vineyard in its day for three reasons. It is among the highest vineyards in Alsace at an altitude of 425 and it is a terroir of red ferruginous soil that isn't found anywhere else in the region. Lastly, all 8.12 hectares were planted solely to Pinot Gris. This was and still is an anomaly among Alsatian vineyards that are typically interplanted with many varietals. The Cattin family wanted to preserve this history and therefore replanted only Pinot Gris in 2000.
