2007 Schoenenbourg
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Tasting notes
From a mosaic of small parcels in this gypsum-rich Grand Cru planted in the 1930s to Pinot Gris, Riesling (both “red” or “black” variants!), Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Sylvaner, Deiss’ 2007 Schoenenbourg smells bittersweetly of iris, freesia, fennel pollen, crystallized ginger, and candied orange rind. Hugely rich and carrying a load of sugar, it nevertheless displays uncanny transparency to inner-mouth floral nuances, subtle spices, and alkaline, chalky mineral notes. This shows less finishing sweetness than the 2006 and displays kaleidoscopic flavor interaction. Expect it to dazzle for the next quarter century. Jean-Michel Deiss has been officially tasked with assisting his fellow Alsace growers in the drafting of new regional regulations and labeling conventions, in keeping with both France’s proposed move to a higher-order French appellation “d’Origine Protegee” and with the potential regional autonomy provided for (if inchoately) by recent EU legislation. As readers can imagine, Deiss’s vision involves a drastically diminished scope and roll for varietal bottling, analogous to his conception of Alsace crus as being best expressed by a blending of multiple cepages. (For more on the evolution of Deiss’s approach, consult my report in issue 175). Two things are indubitable: Alsace could use fresh approaches to labeling and marketing; and any Deiss proposal will have been thought-through all the way down to its historical and metaphysical levels. Deiss’s own line and labeling have been further simplified: beginning with 2006 his lower tier of wines is being bottled without village designations, leaving him more flexibility in blending. Although Deiss did not bottle a full compliment of his crus from the rot-challenged 2006 vintage, he said he was loath to pull back by settling his musts more aggressively of bottling earlier, “because the lees are the megaphone for the terroir.” Fair enough in principle, but the results were to say the least decidedly mixed, whereas Deiss’s 2007s represent a resounding success. (Deiss did not show me his lower-tier 2006s and I did not have chance to ferret any of them out from the marketplace.) Importer: Vintus, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000
Critic scores
Average Score
David Schildknecht, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Very pale yellow. Captivating, high-pitched aromas of ginger, curry powder, botanical herbs, licorice and lichee, with stony minerality underneath. Dense, tactile and spice, with outstanding clarity and cut to its pungent spice and mineral flavors. Pure, soil-driven wine with bracing acidity and outstanding persistence. But barely hinting at its personality today. This wine, too, is likely to rate a higher score a decade down the road.
From a mosaic of small parcels in this gypsum-rich Grand Cru planted in the 1930s to Pinot Gris, Riesling (both “red” or “black” variants!), Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Sylvaner, Deiss’ 2007 Schoenenbourg smells bittersweetly of iris, freesia, fennel pollen, crystallized ginger, and candied orange rind. Hugely rich and carrying a load of sugar, it nevertheless displays uncanny transparency to inner-mouth floral nuances, subtle spices, and alkaline, chalky mineral notes. This shows less finishing sweetness than the 2006 and displays kaleidoscopic flavor interaction. Expect it to dazzle for the next quarter century. Apr 2010, www.robertparker.com