Lieu dit Fels Riesling Schieferkopf by Chapoutier 2015

Lieu-dit-Fels Riesling Schieferkopf by Chapoutier, Alsace, 2015 

Grape: 100% organic (from 2015) Riesling, hand harvested, aged for 15 months in big casks (foudres) 

A great golden colour. The nose is refined with mineral notes and citrus aromas and lemon. The palate is racy and nervous with a lot of minerality. The finale has salty notes with a great length and texture. 

Located in the village of Bernardvillé, just a short distance from one of the Compostelle routes, this plot’s vines are planted on the only strip of blue schist in Alsace, a unique subsoil that dates back to the Precambrian (over 542 million years ago). The plot’s shallow soils (20-30 cm) lend the wines their exceptional mineral structure. The gradient of the hillside (30%), its southeast exposure and its windy microclimate give the wine from the Fels vineyard its elegant, round and taut character.

Vinification starts with a long pressing, then a static cold settling is carried out. Fermentation takes place thanks to native yeasts. Malolactic fermentation is complete. The wines from Domaine de Schieferkopf undergo full malolactic fermentation and are characterized by their late ripening terroir which enhances the complexity and round structure of aged our wines. The malolactic fermentation brings out the minerality from the blue schist terroir.  

"The nose is fresh and offers juicy as well as minerality. It reveals notes of kumquat, ripe mandarin and small notes of ripe / fresh zest associated with a hint of fleshy peach, racy minerality and an imperceptible hint of beeswax (in the background). The palate is fruity, well-balanced and offers a fine mineral frame, finesse / delicacy, a fine acidity (citrus), a fine suavity, a good definition as well as dynamism. On the palate this wine expresses notes of lemon, lemon zest, ripe pineapple, grapefruit and racy minerality associated with a touch of quenette, fleshy peach, rose as well as subtle / discreet hints of papaya (in the background). Good length. Beautiful persistence with touches of zest."

91-92/100 points, VertedeVin, Belgium

Food pairings: Ideal as an aperitif and at the end of the meal. You can enjoy it with a seafood platter or Bresse poultry.