Sylvaner
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
onion tart, grilled river fish, goat cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
The Schieferkopf Sylvaner is a remarkable expression of a grape variety that has historically been undervalued in Alsace. Grown on the rare, highly coveted blue slate (schiste) soils of Reichsfeld—a geological anomaly in a region dominated by limestone and granite—this wine redefines Sylvaner's potential. The vines are cultivated using organic and biodynamic practices, forcing their roots deep into the fractured slate to extract intense minerality. Historically, Sylvaner was the workhorse of Alsace, but in this unique terroir, it achieves a noble, crystalline purity. The wine is vinified with minimal intervention, preserving its striking saline tension, vibrant acidity, and subtle herbal complexity.
🍾 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.
🍇 Grapes
Sylvaner
🍷 ABV
12%