2022 Sur la Peau

Kaja Kohv is a sommelier from Estonia, who after a detour to Australia took work in Moselle Luxembourgeoise for five years. In 2020, this is also exactly where she decided to start her own project – right next to Upper Moselle – under the name of Racines Rebelles. Kaja has neither an education in viticulture nor was she born into a wine family, yet her dream has come true due to a good mix of talent, passion, dedication and Rebellious Roots. We are both impressed by the remarkable quality that she has shown from the very beginning and thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with wine from little Luxembourg.

Racines Rebelles has a modest 0.8 hectares of leased vineyards that are under biodynamic and organic conversion. The 25-40-year-old vines grow on the steep slopes of Grevenmacher and Dreiborn with the local variety Elbling as well as Riesling and Pinot Blanc. The soil consists of pure limestone. Kaja also produces cider from a 100-year-old apple orchard that has never seen any treatments. The orchard helps to increase biodiversity, just as many different plants are used to strengthen the natural defence of the vines through biodynamic methods. The overriding purpose is to create the healthiest grapes possible to keep intervention to a minimum during vinification.

Apart from her low-intervention approach, Kaja uses old acacia and oak barrels as well as stainless steel to let the limestone minerality shine through. Only a bit of sulphur is added before bottling to stabilize the wine. In total, Kaja produces a few thousand bottles annually, but she does so with a clear aim and an enormous focus in both the vineyard and the cellar. Racines Rebelles produces light and vibrant terroir wines with a clear minerality, complexity and a certain feminine elegance.