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AFS It's the Smell of the Pine Trees by the Sea that I Prefer 2019

Name: AFS It's the Smell of the Pine Trees by the Sea that I Prefer 2019
Brand: Anders Frederik Steen
SKU: AFS-PINETREE
Price: 110.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

$110.00

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Style: Dry, medium-bodied oxidative white; the four-plus years in barrel without topping up give the wine a deliberately aged, flor-influenced character — saline, complex, and crystalline rather than rich or fruit-forward; designed for slow, contemplative drinking rather than casual consumption
Grapes & terroir: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer; Domaine Laurent Bannwarth vineyards, Obermorschwihr, Alsace; approximately 50-year-old vines on clay-sandstone marl, limestone conglomerates, and loess soils; certified organic (Ecocert since 2004) and biodynamic (Demeter since 2013); hand-harvested
Winemaking: Each variety vinified separately with a brief 2–3 day maceration before pressing to old barrels; spontaneous fermentation; four-plus years of oxidative aging in barrel without topping up; the three barrels assembled before bottling in spring 2024; no added sulfites; unfined; unfiltered; 500ml bottle
Serving temperature & decanting: Serve at 55–59°F; a short 15-minute decant helps integrate the oxidative notes; also works well slightly chilled; drink over a few hours once opened as the wine opens slowly
Pairing: Aged Comté (Jura mountain cheese)

Tasting notes

Anders Frederik Steen is a Danish winemaker based in Valvignères, in the Ardèche region of southern France. Before turning to winemaking, he trained as a chef and then as a sommelier, working at some of the most influential restaurants in Copenhagen — first as sommelier at Noma, then at Relae and its natural wine bar Manfreds, where he built one of the first fully natural wine lists in Scandinavia. These years in the kitchen and at the wine pass shaped his approach to winemaking: an instinctive, vintage-driven method that starts by tasting the grapes and only then decides what wine to make. He began making wine in 2013 alongside the legendary Jura vigneron Jean-Marc Brignot, initially purchasing fruit from producers he trusted and vinifying it with minimal intervention. After Brignot left in 2015, Anders settled permanently in Valvignères with his partner Anne Bruun Blauert and their family. The couple works both from their home base in the Ardèche — where they farm their own vines at Valgrand, alongside grapes sourced from the neighbouring Oustric family at Le Mazel — and from a dedicated cellar in Alsace, where they vinify fruit sourced from the Bannwarth family in Obermorschwihr. No two AFS wines are ever identical across vintages; names, blends, and formats change every year in response to what each harvest produces. Anders vinifies outdoors, allowing spontaneous fermentation in open vessels, old barrels, and fiberglass tanks, always without added sulfites, fining agents, or filtration. The oxidative wines from Alsace — including the Pine Trees — represent one strand of his range: slow, contemplative wines built for patience. Explore more AFS wines at Primal Wine: Weightless Fingers, Should We Just Rely on Luck?, In the End All That Is Left Is What We Give, Aging a Wildflower on the Last Page of My Favorite Book 2013, and Tout Ce Qui Est Beau Revient White. Browse our best-selling natural wines for more from producers like Anders Frederik Steen.

Food pairings

Aged Comté, Japanese miso soup with tofu, roasted bone marrow, oysters with mignonette, tête de veau, salt-cured anchovies, charcuterie.

Product description

AFS It's the Smell of the Pine Trees by the Sea that I Prefer 2019 is a dry white wine made from a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer sourced from the biodynamically farmed vineyards of the Bannwarth family in Obermorschwihr, Alsace. Produced by Anders Frederik Steen, operating from Valvignères in the Ardèche, the three varieties were vinified separately, then assembled before bottling in spring 2024 after over four years of oxidative aging in old barrels without topping up. AFS It's the Smell of the Pine Trees by the Sea that I Prefer 2019 contains no added sulfites, fining, or filtration. 13.25% ABV. 500ml. Vin de France.

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, White
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer.
Farming:, Organic
Vintage:, 2019
Alcohol:, 13.25%
Country:, France
Region:, Ardèche
Appellation:, NA
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Low Sugar, Zero Added Sugar

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Producer profile

Anders Frederik Steen

Anders Frederik Steen is a Danish winemaker who formerly worked as a chef and sommelier at some of the best restaurants in Denmark, most notably Noma, where he was the sommelier, Manfreds, and Relae. This previous life was essential in shaping his winemaking approach, which explicitly eschews every established rule and seeks the unexpected from every vintage.

Anders’ approach starts in the vineyards, from the grapes, which he uses as a source of inspiration for the type of wine that he will make. He sources his grapes at Jocelyne & Gérald Oustric’s farm, Le Mazel, in the village of Valvignères, Ardèche region. The vineyards have been farmed organically for a long time and yield healthy grapes, which Anders has been experimenting with for a few vintages.

Anders Frederik Steen’s wines all have a distinct personality. The reds, mostly Grenache-based, are pressed directly or destemmed by hand, fermented spontaneously, bottled unfined and unfiltered; the whites are pressed with an old-school wooden press and made as naturally as possible with no additions. Ardèche shines through in all of Anders’ wines; they are authentic terroir-driven wines.

Wine region

Ardèche, France

The Ardèche wine region is located in southern France, covering the Ardèche department and extending into the northern Gard department. It sits on the western banks of the Rhône River, bridging the northern and southern Rhône vineyards. The region is known for its diverse landscapes and climates, making it ideal for vine growing.

Ardèche wines have a long history, with evidence of viticulture dating back to antiquity. The region produces a variety of wines under the IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) Ardèche designation, which was formerly known as Vin de Pays. This classification covers red, white, and rosé wines. Notable grape varieties include Grenache, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, the indigenous Chatus for reds, and Chardonnay and Viognier for whites. Other varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussanne are also cultivated.

The Ardèche region is characterized by its varied terroirs, including the mountainous central west, the high plateaux of the Haut-Vivarais and Cévennes, the Bas-Vivarais plains, and the volcanic Coiron plateau. The climate is predominantly Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and mild winters. The Mistral wind from the north and sea breezes from the south influence the region's weather, contributing to sudden heavy rainfall in spring and autumn. Soils are typically limestone and sandstone, with pebbly, thin soils in vineyard areas that promote good grape concentration.

The production in Ardèche is dominated by cooperatives, which account for 80-95% of the total output. The Union des Vignerons des Coteaux de l'Ardèche (UVICA) oversees 12 cooperatives, with additional independent cooperatives and private producers contributing to the region's wine diversity. Ardèche wines range from fresh and balanced whites to robust and tannic reds, with Chatus being a standout variety.

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Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

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