Winemaker Notes
Mostly Riesling with a field blend of Alsatian varieties from one of the famed Grand Crus of Alsace.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This Alsace Grand Cru has incredible ripeness and concentration - think baked peach and apricot - but also a strict minerality and northerly freshness that are astonishing for the hot and dry vintage. So precise and pristine at the crystalline finish that extends out towards the distant horizon. A field blend of traditional varieties, based on riesling.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The first vintage, 2017, was declassified to Alsace Riesling. The 2018 Grand Cru Schlossberg was commercially successful but still not at the potential top. But the 2020 Grand Cru Schlossberg hits the goal for Mathieu Deiss. Indeed, the nose, from a big glass, is clear and refined but also very rich, elegant and complex, fruit-intense and lemon-fresh and reveals ripe yellow plum (mirabelle) aromas. Round and elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, pure, crystalline and salty, very intense and finely tannic Riesling with a long finish but a certain reduction of complexity or generosity. However, this is an impressive Schlossberg with power and purity yet a certain lack of texture or mid-palate. The grapes were picked on 18 September and pressed for six hours, and the wine as bottled with 13.5% stated alcohol.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Small but mighty, this picturesque region in northeastern France is renowned for its white wines produced by passionate families whose winemaking roots span generations and even centuries. Nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River, Alsace benefits from a sunny, dry climate and a long growing season. It is one of the most geologically diverse regions in the world — one of the many reasons why Alsace rocks!
Alsace wines include dry, mineral-driven Riesling, earthy Pinot Gris, refreshing Pinot Blanc, exuberant Gewurztraminer, elegant Pinot Noir, and more. From traditional-method sparkling wines to easy-drinking AOC Alsace, to complex Grand Cru bottlings from 51 distinct sites, and rich, late harvest wines, Alsace produces a wine for every occasion. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and are labeled with the grape name. The region is also one of the greenest wine-producing areas in France, with 36% of its vineyard area certified organic.
Riesling, the region’s calling card, is dry, fresh and floral in its youth, developing complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Pinot Blanc is an affable food partner or porch sipper. Pinot Noir, the only red grape in AOC Alsace, is now authorized in three Grand Cru areas and is also used for Crémant d’Alsace sparkling rosé. Any bottle you choose will offer deliciousness, pleasure and value that is unprecedented in other wine regions.