Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru 2018

Wine Description for Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru 2018 from Trapet Alsace

Colour & Appearance

Pale straw yellow with brilliant, luminous reflections in the glass – a visual promise of freshness and concentration.

Nose

Generous and expansive, this Grand Cru presents itself with impressive complexity. Ripe pome fruit – particularly yellow apples – meets vibrant citrus notes of orange zest and green mandarin. These are joined by the scent of a freshly mown summer meadow, a hint of acacia honey and a bouquet of white blossoms. The mineral foundation reveals itself in notes of wet pebbles – multi-layered and demanding. In its youth, this wine requires air, ideally through vigorous decanting.

Palate

Expansive, generous, enormously powerful – this is how the Schlossberg presents itself on the palate. The youthful reserve cannot disguise the pulsating structure beneath. The acidity is elegantly woven into the overall texture, whilst a fine phenolic structure lends the wine razor-sharp contours. The profound minerality runs through the entire flavour profile and underscores its origin from the steep granite soils.

Finish

Long, saline and characterised by mineral precision. The aftertaste reveals the full complexity of this Grand Cru and invites another sip – or better still: several years of cellar ageing.

Terroir & Origin

The Schlossberg Grand Cru near Kientzheim extends between 230 and 350 metres altitude across 80 hectares of terraced steep slopes. The soils of greywacke sandstone, Devonian slate and intrusive granite lend the Riesling its characteristic minerality and longevity. The biodynamic cultivation since 1997 by Jean-Louis and Andrée Trapet focuses on low yields and maximum terroir expression.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Pumpkin gnocchi with walnuts in sage butter, rockfish tagine with preserved lemons and aubergines or roast kid leg with lemon, young garlic and thyme – this versatile Riesling accompanies both vegetarian and robust meat dishes with aplomb.

Special Features

A wine that demands and rewards patience. The combination of Burgundian precision and Alsatian generosity makes this Grand Cru an exceptional candidate for ageing. Unfined, unfiltered and with the potential for at least a decade of development.