Situated in the picturesque village of Eguisheim, 3 miles south of Colmar and in the heart of the Haut-Rhin department of the Alsace wine region, the Charles Baur estate has been a family domaine since the early 18th century. The building that today hosts the cellar and winemaking facility was purchased by Albert Baur in 1930 and, 20 years later, his son Charles begun to bottle under his label and to expanded the vineyard holdings. Arnaud Baur joined the domaine in 2009 and he has been in charge of the vineyard and cellar operations since then.
The domaine’s vineyards cover 17 hectares of land, most of which are concentrated on the gentle slopes encircling Eguisheim and its immediate surroundings. The estate also owns prestigious parcels in the Grand Cru sites of Brand, Eichberg, and Pfersigberg. Alsace is known for the staggering variety of soil types that can be found in short distance from one another - up to 13 - and the plots cultivated by Domaine Charles Baur are no different. The terrains around Eguisheim are predominantly composed of calcareous clayey soils, while Grand Cru Eichberg has a topsoil of clay and an undersoil composed of limestone and sandstone. Pfersigberg, situated on a steep, southeast facing slope is characterized by calcareous marls, and the massive, steep hillside of Brand, in the neighboring village of Turckheim, has soils made up of decomposed granite and sand.
To attest to Arnaud’s respect for the soil and biodiversity, the Domaine has been certified organic since his arrival at the family estate. Each plot is tended in accordance to its specific situation, microclimate, soil composition, and plant material. Mechanization and the use of heavy machinery is limited to extreme situations, when the life of the plants and the health of the crop is at serious risk.
In the cellar, Arnaud’s aim is to obtain wines able to reveal the singularity of each terroir, and combine aromatic complexity with elegance and balance. After being picked, the fruit is placed in small plastic bins to minimize the chance to accidental crushing or bruising. The grapes are sorted twice in the vineyard, and a third time upon arrival at the cellar to make sure that only the best berries will proceed to the next stage of vinification. Fermentations are long and carried out in stainless steel tanks while for aging, depending on the cuvee, steel vats, foudres, and barriques are used.
