Pinot Gris
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted pork loin, creamy mushroom risotto, smoked trout
✨ Technical Specifications
Schieferkopf, meaning 'slate hill,' represents Michel Chapoutier's exploration of Alsace's rare blue slate terroir around the historic village of Reichsfeld. This unique geological vein, dating back to the Precambrian era, is highly unusual for Alsace and imparts a distinct, vibrant minerality to the vines. Unlike traditional, off-dry Alsatian Pinot Gris, Schieferkopf's rendition is crafted in a bone-dry, precise style. The grapes are gently pressed and fermented using indigenous yeasts, then aged on fine lees in large oak foudres and stainless steel vats. This meticulous approach preserves the grape's natural stone-fruit character while amplifying the intense saline tension, smoky complexity, and structural drive inherited from the ancient blue slate soils.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2006 by Rhône vigneron Michel Chapoutier alongside a circle of wine-loving friends, Domaine de Schieferkopf represents a focused inquiry into the mineral-rich terroirs of the Rhine basin. The estate's core Alsatian plots encompass eight hectares perched at approximately 350 to 380 meters elevation around the communes of Bernardvillé and Reichsfeld. This terroir is celebrated for hosting Alsace’s only vein of Precambrian blue schist, set on steep, south-to-southeast-facing slopes. Viticulture is certified organic, while winemaking in the cellar emphasizes purity and restraint. Following gentle pneumatic pressing and settling, fermentations proceed via indigenous ambient yeasts before aging predominantly in traditional neutral oak foudres. Notably allowing complete malolactic fermentation, Schieferkopf softens taut natural acidity while teasing out extraordinary mineral depth, tension, and maritime salinity. Benchmark bottlings include single-vineyard expressions such as Riesling Lieu-dit Fels, Lieu-dit Berg, Lieu-dit Buehl, and Riesling Via Saint-Jacques.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Pinot Gris
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13-13.5%