Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Saering Grand Cru

Description

Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Saering Grand Cru is made in Alsace by Domaines Schlumberger. Saering is one of 51 Grand Cru vineyards in Alsace and is located in the Haut-Rhin department.

The company was founded in 1810, when Nicolas Schlumberger established his vineyards on the renowned, sunny slopes above the town of Guebwiller. The company is now run by the 6th and 7th generation of the family. With a holding of more than 140 hectares of vineyards, Domaines Schlumberger are not only the largest owners of vineyards in Alsace, but also have the largest Grand Cru area and have 70 Grand Cru vineyards. Their vineyards cover nine kilometres along the south facing slopes of the Vosges Mountains, maximising the sunshine, and include four Grand Cru sites which represent more than 50% of the domaine.

Yields are kept deliberately low, often a necessity on the steeper slopes of light sandy soil which can be as much as 60º. The vines are horizontally planted in rows protected by 50 kilometres of dry-stone walls to prevent soil erosion. The winemaking approach at Domaines Schlumberger combines tradition with modern techniques. The grapes are hand-harvested and carefully sorted to ensure the highest quality. The estate emphasizes sustainable viticulture practices, with a focus on preserving the environment and the health of the vineyards.

The grapes for the Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Saering come from the north-east of Guebwiller where the Grand Cru Saering (The Ring) vineyard faces South-East to East. With a subsoil of sandstone pebbles interspersed with layers of marl, deeper deposits of clay, heavy sandy marl and rocks, the site is ideal for Riesling. Yields of around 30hl/ha produce wines that are known for their intense floral aromas, exotic fruit flavours and slightly spicy character. 

The Riesling grapes are hand-picked and whole bunches are pressed. There is static settling of the lees. The wine is cooled fermented in temperature controlled tuns. After fermentation, the juice is remains in stainless steel tanks for a further 8 months before bottling. After bottling, the wine spends a further month in bottle before release.