Riesling Schoenenbourg Grand Cru 2022 Meyer-Fonné | Alsace

Domaine Meyer-Fonné 's Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg is a masterful interpretation of one ofAlsace's most renowned terroirs. Situated between 270 and 380 meters above sea level, on the south-facing slopes of the prestigious Grand Cru Schoenenbourg, the parcel farmed by Domaine Meyer-Fonné lies on a complex geology typical of the Riquewihr area. Green Keuper marl, enriched with gypsum, dolomite and clay, gives the wine its fullness, marked salinity and great depth of structure. This heavy, rich terroir, which takes a long time to warm up, allows the Riesling to mature slowly, and favors the production of long-keeping wines with a strong personality. As always at Meyer-Fonné, viticulture is a question of respect: organic cultivation, limited yields, hand harvesting. In the cellar, the wine estate avoids any invasive intervention: grapes are pressed slowly, then vinified by natural fermentation, using indigenous yeasts. The wine is then aged for at least twelve months in old oak foudres, on fine lees, without stirring or adding new wood. This gentle method aims to reveal the essence of the cru: full body, vibrant acidity, saline texture and a long, uncluttered finish, with no make-up.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin: Meyer-Fonné 's Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg is a monumental wine, in the noblest sense of the word. It combines power and precision, rich texture and straightforward minerality. In the wine estate's range, it is probably the broadest and most saline expression of Riesling, a wine for gastronomy and long ageing, and undoubtedly one of Alsace's greatest dry wines.

Discreet on opening, the nose blossoms after aeration with notes of ripe white fruit, where pear and apple outline a promising aromatic richness after a few years' cellaring. Smoky nuances reminiscent of gunflint evoke the delicate, saline minerality typical of this cru.

The palate is rich and ample, with generous flesh. Flavors of ripe citrus fruit and softly candied white fruits meet with a marked salinity and elegant bitters. The body remains taut, underpinned by vibrant acidity that stretches the terroir's saline, slightly smoky finish.