Soil Therapy, the aptly named project from Thomas Larmoyer, was founded with terroir in mind. Located in Alsace, Larmoyer vinifies grapes harvested from four distinct lieu-dits – each with different soil makeups. His cuvees, various blends or single vineyard expressions are made from four different white varietals – Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois – which are vinified separately before any blending takes place. Thomas’s wines are an honest reflection of his own unique path into winemaking. 

Thomas was born and grew up outside of Alsace in a family with no connection to wine. He left home to study and work in the wine industry, accumulating a variety of experiences in both sales and production. Along the way, Thomas developed a strong passion for terroir-driven wines with a strong identity. He was particularly inspired by the different biodynamic producers with whom he worked, including 9 years spent at the iconic Alsacian estate of Domaine Ostertag. So when Thomas decided to set out on his own, it was natural that he chose to return to Alsace, a region known for its diverse terroir and great potential across multi-varietals, all of which he celebrates.

Soil Therapy began as a negociant project. Thomas partnered with 7 organic and biodynamic growers across Alsace with an especially hands-on approach, farming the plots throughout the season, doing treatments, and hand harvesting. After settling in his own cellar in Soultzmatt, he began managing a few plots of his own and now farms just over 1 hectare in domaine vineyards.

Thomas uses 100% biodynamic practices. During fermentation, he opts for a low-intervention approach –  using natural yeasts and spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Sylvaner is pre-fermented using a 24-hour period of skin contact before grapes are pressed very gently for 6 to 8 hours to allow maximum extraction of phenolics and aromatics. For the single-vineyard expressions, fermentation is conducted in oak barrels, where the wines rest for one year on the lees before they are transferred to steel tanks with the fine lees for an extra 6 to 9 months time. 

As Thomas delves deeper into his craft, he plans to add new parcels to his estate vineyards and experiment with different vinification techniques, and varied lengths of elevage. Built on the foundation of intentional winemaking, and a clear, terroir-driven mission, the future is bright for Soil Therapy and Thomas’ pride as an Alsatian winemaker makes this even more apparent.