Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Grand Cru Kessler
Alsace, France
Vintage:2017 (Current)
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- JR
Reviews
JancisRobinson.com 17/20 Points
“Greenish gold. Intense nose of maturing Riesling with real concentration. Lime juice and breadth. Dry finish but lots of richness on the way there. Real undertow. Drinking very well now. Food wine. This would be great with all sorts of cured meats, salami and hams. Very long and reverberant. I'd say underpriced.”
Overview
With a single holding of more than 300 acres at 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 themselves to farming the vineyards with passion, dedication and respect to the environment.
The Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Grand Cru Kessler originates from the Grand Cru Kessler plot, first distinguished in 1394. Domaines Schlumberger owns 22 hectares of the 29-hectare plot, which lies on a bedrock of Vosges sandstone. A limestone outcrop gives the soil a clay character.
Winemaking
Manual harvest, whole grape pressing. Following static racking, fermentation took place in thermocontrolled tuns for one to four months. The wine was aged on the lees for eight months.
Tasting Notes
The robe is lemon yellow with light green reflections of medium intensity. The disk is bright, limpid and trnsparent. The wine shows youth. The nose is marked, pleasant, of good intensity. Sophisticated, we perceive a dominant of fruity (citrus fruits, lime) and spicy (ginger) scents as well as white flowers. It reveals a ripe and exotic personality: star fruit, white pepper, delicate vegetal and fennel. The onset in the mouth is mederately ample, chiseled with a full-bodied alcohol support. The wine evolves on an incisive and lively medium, marked by a sparking note. The balance shows a lively, precise and vertical structure.
Food Pairing
This wine can be paired with Japanese cuisine, such as smoked eel sushi, but also crayfish salad, avocado, grapefruit or a spicy salmon gravlax. Perfect with a fresh Crottin de Chavignol. Serve at a temperature of 54°F.
Technical Information
Varietals: 100% Riesling
Wine Alcohol: 13.76%
Titratable Acidity: 5.16 g/L
Residual Sugar: 4.54 g/L