Anders Frederik Steen

Anders and Pierre Jancou at Apollo Bar in Copenhagen, May 2024

Anders Frederik Steen’s Poetry is Growing in Our Garden, published by Apartamento, who have had a keen sense of natural wine from a pretty early on point—I’m thinking of the interview between Harry Lester and Patrick Bouju published in 2019 amongst other coverage with key figures—is a heart on sleeve book compiled of diary entries and tasting notes. For anyone interested in first hand notes of some of the key cuvées from producers like Overnoy, Sage, Kagami, and many others, this is an essential read, and it provides a deep glimpse into Steen’s mind and how he thinks about harmony in wine, which I have found quite useful in the development of my own palate since reading it a couple of years ago.

Anders’ own wine has both confused and delighted me over the years and yet no matter what, I’m always interested in his new releases, even if the last bottle of oxidative Gewurztraminer didn’t quite make all that much sense to me. But again, isn’t that sort of the point? Should all wine immediately click in the brain and arouse the pleasure centers on first sip? Of course it’s beautiful when that happens, but I think that we as conscious and critical drinkers and thinkers need to take a step back sometimes, and take things a bit more slowly. Steen’s more meditative wines sometimes ask that of ourselves.

Steen started as a cook in Copenhagen before taking on the limelight as a junior somm at Noma, and after that he opened Manfreds and Relae, all known for their legendary cellars. He soon tired of the city and went on to make wine with Jean-Marc Brignot, and then befriended Gerald Oustric and Laurent Bannwarth, who both have hands in the production of Steen’s wines now; both sharing fruits of their own with Anders, and Bannwarth lending cellar space in Obermorschwihr for Steen’s experiments with longer elévage wines, clearly inspired by Brignot’s work in the Jura during the early 2000s. Steen has talked about cooking as inspiration for his approach in winemaking, and it makes sense when one considers his more improvisatory cuvées—assemblages most wouldn’t have thought of, but in those quick-thinking harvest moments they come together like a flash of lightning. His Alsace wines form an interesting dichotomy with the more rustic Ardeche cuvées, and yet now it seems like it’s all starting to come together as one unique spectral image. 



Should we just rely on luck? 2021
Cinsault, Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noir, Syrah, Merlot
$39





Parfois je monte a l`etage et je me sens un peu perdu 2018
Pinot Noir (Alsace)
$99



C`est dans les yeux qu`on le voi 19
Chardonnay, Grenache Noir
$68



I Was Born in a Small Town 2019
Pinot Gris (Alsace)
$76





Hold me closer 2022
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne
$42



Les Vignes Des Enfants 2019
Petite Sirah
$49