Julien Schaal - Alsace Schiste Grand Cru Kastelberg 2023
Alsace
White
Sold individually
Drink or Keep
97-98/100
Yves Beck
"A great wine in the making (Yves Beck)".
"The bouquet reveals subtle fruity notes with nuances of apricot, vine peach, peppermint and lemongrass. The classic flinty notes are also present, like a foundation, with the aim of ensuring the olfactory backbone. On the palate, the wine adopts a progressive, cautious attitude. It can count on the incisive, structuring character of its acidity, but it hardly wants to hurry. Why should it? It's built to last a few decades. Bitterness also plays a key role in this wine's configuration. It provides the backdrop for the taste, conferring vigor and boosting aromatic expression, both in terms of intensity and persistence. The wine knows exactly where it wants to go, but it doesn't yet know how! All the necessary elements are in place to get there, so it logically opts for patience and time". (Yves Beck 2024)
Features
Estate
Julien et Sophie Schaal
Cuvée
Schiste Grand Cru Kastelberg
Vintage
2023
Designation
Alsace Grand Cru Kastelberg
Region
Alsace
Grape varieties
100% Riesling
Terroirs
Blue schist, very stony, well-drained soil, 50-year-old vines
Viticulture
Wine made from grapes or juice purchased from partner producers
Harvest
Manual
Winemaking
Prolonged pressing for 8 hours, decanting at low temperature, alcoholic fermentation with indigenous yeasts.
Breeding
In stainless steel vats for 4 months
Tasting & pairing
Eye
Pale gold with green highlights
Nose
Elegant, virile, with a delicate, discreet bouquet, lemony and mineral, aromas of jasmine and acacia, lemon, peach, green apple, gunflint, damp chalk.
Mouth
Mineral and fresh, with a dry and nervous character, elegant structure, exotic notes, stone fruit, citrus fruit.
Serve
Between 9 and 11°C
Drink before
2050+
Guard
10 to 15 years
Food and wine pairing
Oysters, mussels, crabs, shrimps, Asian dishes, fish with crushed tomato and peppermint, salads with citrus fruit...
Julien and Sophie Schaal
Alsace
Expert opinion
Bettane & Desseauve
Domain rated 2*Stars (A serious and recommendable production, but a little more regular and homogeneous than the previous one)
About the domain :
In 2011, Julien Schaal set up his own Alsatian structure in parallel with a trading venture in South Africa, a highly original venture since it is based exclusively on the purchase of Grand Cru grapes. There are currently nine grands crus on the menu, covering just about every soil type in the region, and only Riesling is offered, with the exception of a gewurzt from Osterberg and a blend from Altenberg de Bergheim. A blind tasting of his 2017s blew us away. Hats off to him!
Jancis Robinson
Rated Domaine (2023 guide) Recommended
James Suckling
Rated Domaine (2023 guide) Recommended
Yves Beck
Wine rated (2024 guide) 97-98/100
About the wine:
Riesling and schist have a long history of love, agreement, fraternity and unshakeable understanding. It's also a story of character and confrontation. The two have to come to an agreement, and that's not always easy, but ambition for excellence usually clears the hurdles. The bouquet reveals subtle fruity notes with nuances of apricot, vine peach, peppermint and lemongrass. The classic flinty notes are also present, like a foundation, with the aim of ensuring the olfactory rear. On the palate, the wine adopts a progressive, cautious attitude. It can count on the incisive, structuring character of its acidity, but it hardly wants to hurry. Why should it? It's built to last a few decades. Bitterness also plays a key role in this wine's configuration. It takes the back seat in terms of taste, imparting vigor and enhancing aromatic expression, both in terms of intensity and persistence. The wine knows exactly where it wants to go, but it doesn't yet know how! All the necessary elements are there to get there, so it logically opts for patience and time. A great wine in the making. 2030-2060
Customer reviews
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