Domaines Schlumberger Pinot Gris Les Princes Abbés
Alsace, France
Vintage:2016 (Current)

Reviews
Vinous Media
89 Points
January 2019, Ian D'Agata
“Bright pale straw-green. The initially reticent nose becomes slightly more expressive with air, offering aromas of peach, pear and truffle. Succulent, fresh and clean, with an easy-to-drink quality to the pomaceous and soft citrus fruit flavors. Long and suave on the aftertaste. Not an especially well-delineated wine, but there’s real fruit density lurking in the background. The back label reads “dry” on Schlumberger’s four-point dry-sweet scale (which runs from dry to medium-dry to medium-sweet to sweet).”
Overview
With a single holding of more than 330 acres in Guebwiller, Domaines Schlumberger is the largest Grands Crus producer in Alsace. All Schlumberger wines are estate-grown. Because of the aridity and steepness of the domains, the yields are about 50 percent of the average for the appellation of Alsace. The resulting grapes are very high quality and have exceptional flavor concentration.
For over 200 years, the Schlumberger family has devoted itself to farming the vineyards with passion, dedication and respect to the environment.
The Les Princes Abbés range is the Schlumberger family’s tribute to the Abbots princes from the local Abbey at Murbach who owned the vineyards in the area until the French Revolution, and who were the first to sell the wines from Guebwiller abroad.
Originally named Tokay d'Alsace, then Tokay Pinot Gris, this type of vine is not related to the Hungarian Tokaji which comes from the Furmint type of vine. In reality it is a pinot from Burgundy that became known in Alsace from the 17th century. The name Pinot Gris is generalized since 2007.
Winemaking
Slow pneumatic pressing, static racking. Fermentation in thermo-‐regulated tuns for one to four months. Maturation on lees from six to eight months.
Tasting Notes
The robe is golden yellow with light reflections, of good intensity. The nose is marked, pleasant and of good intensity. Subtle overripe an fine earthy notes reveal yellow fruits, golden apple, quince, plum, orgeat syrup and the characteristic smokiness. Still a bit retained, the range of scents needs time to express itself. The onset in the mouth is dense and rich. The wine evolves on an edgy medium, marked by a sparkling note. The balance of this wine is compact. Complex and heady, it provides a lot of pleasure.
Food Pairing
Pairs beautifully traditional French cuisine, such as a goose terrine with Armagnac, a blanquette of veal with candied onions, a poultry vol-au-vent with mushrooms or a soft rind-washed cheese such as the Coeur d’Arras. The suggested serving temperature is 54°F.
Technical Information
Varietals: Pinot Gris
Wine Alcohol: 13.48%
Titratable Acidity: 3.71 g/L
Residual Sugar: 9.61 g/L