DOMAINE MARCEL DEISS 'Schoenenbourg' Grand Cru White 2016

Grape

Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner, Muscat d'Alsace (white and red), Muscat à Petit Grain, Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Traminer, Chasselas, Chasselas Rose.

Schoenenbourg is the gem of all the Riquewihr vineyards. This site has been the birthplace of the greatest wines in the region and is the reason for Riquewihr’s almost universal renown. The combination of a light, airy topsoil and a fertile clay subsoil, with good water retention, explains why terroir dominates varietal in Schoenenbourg.

Schoenenbourg does another fascinating trick. Among the Deiss wines, Altenberg is the wine we sometimes use to pair with deserts (just the fruit based ones such as pear or apple tarts as it’s not sweet enough for others.) And though Schoenenbourg is higher in residual sugar than Altenberg, routinely around 70 g/l, it doesn’t come across as sweet enough for deserts. This is what the Deiss’ website suggest: Shellfish and food rich in iodine (lobster, spiny lobster). Fattened chickens, capons and noble fishes, and caviar after a decade of aging.

Tasting notes

The wines display an undeniable aptitude for aging, richness, extraordinary body, and a very unique expression: peppered or even smoky nose, a backbone beneath the fullness, a mineral expression that may remain hidden in youth but gives fossilized notes with time. Thanks to the potential for noble rot in this area, residual sugars are usually quite high. Schoenenberg is one of the greatest wines made in the Alsatian terroirs.

Expert Ratings

95+ / 100 Vinous

Luminous golden-yellow. Vibrant aromas of dried apricot, orange oil, tangerine marmalade, menthol and sweet spices. Ripe and glyceral but with enough acidity and spiciness to leave an impression of freshness and grace despite this wine’s outrageous size. Dense and multilayered, this downright sensual wine finishes long with an exotic honeycomb element.

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