Winemaker Notes
A great white wine for laying down, semi-dry to mellow. Often displays impressive levels of richness, concentration and mineral expression, with a purity that commands respect. Noble rot almost always present. Peppery, even smoky nose. Verticality masked by the body, mineral expression.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
What an extraordinary and polarizing expression of the great Schoenenbourg site. The interplay of the floral honey and dark earthy character of this wine is off the scale. This great masterpiece of Alsace white wine stubbornly refuses to conform to the simple categories of dry and off-dry white wine. In the finish the richness and salty minerality collide. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Grand Cru Schoenenbourg is deep, precise and intense yet also refined and saline on the complex yet pure nose that shows bitter orange as well as ripe apricot (kernel) and black tea aromas. Full-bodied, generously rich yet refined on the palate, provided with remarkably fine tannins and a sustainable salinity, this is a powerful, deep, complex and structured yet elegant and persistently long Schoenenbourg that is beautifully balanced and seriously long. 14% stated alcohol with 15.7 grams per liter of residual sugar. Natural cork.
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Vinous
The 2020 Schlossberg Grand Cru grows on granite with very little topsoil and is a blend of Riesling with just a touch of Pinot Gris and Muscat. The nose is of ripe, golden pear, with overtones of dried pear and chamomile. The palate has the clean-cut linearity of granite, is arrow-straight and yet manages to carry real and generous richness and bundle power in its unremitting directness and saltiness. The finish shimmers with dried apricot skin and makes the mouth water. Laser-like. (Bone-dry)
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.