Lambert Spielmann is not your typical Alsace vigneron. He spent his twenties traveling, playing in bands and working in the social sector before wine caught him in the Loire and pulled him home to Alsace, where he now bottles some of the region's most free-spirited natural cuvees.
Backstory
Unlike most Alsace growers, Spielmann was not born into a winemaking family. He trained in part with Yves Amberg in Epfig and worked with Christophe Lindenlaub before launching Domaine in Black in 2019.
The Region
Domaine in Black farms in the northern Bas-Rhin of Alsace, with parcels scattered across the villages of Dambach-la-Ville, Epfig, Nothalten, Obernai and Reichsfeld.
Vineyards and Farming
The Domaine in Black holdings amount to nearly three hectares spread over small plots on varied terroirs, with vines that have been certified organic since 1997. He tends them by hand, following biodynamic principles and the lunar calendar but applying them with his own freedom, using little more than copper, sulfur and plant teas in the vineyard.
Winemaking
Spielmann makes Domaine in Black in a makeshift cellar beneath his home, fermenting spontaneously and intervening as little as possible. He makes white, orange, red, rose and sparkling wines from Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Sylvaner, Gewurztraminer and Muscat.
The Wines
His love of punk and rock runs through the Domaine in Black cuvee names, and a bottle often comes with a suggested soundtrack. Evolution d'Octobre, built mostly on Pinot Gris with Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, sees a gentle maceration and spontaneous fermentation.
