Kientzler Grand Cru Schoenenbourg Riesling 2021

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

‘Osterberg is the most classic Grand Cru in our portfolio’

Eric Kientzler

Located in the village of Riquewihr just south of Ribeauville facing south to south-east at an altitude of 265-380 metres. Covering 53.4 hectares the soil comprises dolomite gypsum and marl overlaid with fine layers of Vosges sandstone and Muschelkalk with outcrops of Lias marl limestone towards the eastern extremity. Riesling is the best performer in this vineyard.

‘Voltaire once owned part of this vineyard, which was renowned in the middle ages and gained fame throughout Europe by the 16th century.’

Tom Stevenson – The Wines of Alsace.

2021 Kientzler Riesling Grand Cru Schoenenbourg

Just 300 bottles produced in a good vintage from this tiny 0.3 ha site of 60 yo vines in this south facing vineyard with notable gypsum in the soil. This site located further south in Riquewihr was purchased in 2009 by Eric Kientzler and is quickly proving to be one of the most distinguished Rieslings in the fabulous line-up of spectacularly dry and mineral Rieslings at this address.

Elegant fruity bouquet. The texture is round and complex held by a nice acidity. Large minerality brings complexity and length. Super fine and detailed in 2021. Eric Kientzler notes that this site is “really cool, one of the last Rieslings we pick each harvest”. 13.0% Alc/Vol; 3.29 g/l RS; 9.21 g/l TA.

Between umami and yuzu, Schoenenbourg Riesling overflows with a thousand pointillist flavours: its scope and its substance signify the singularity of terroir.

Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France, La Revue du Vin de France, 2024 95 Points

About Kientzler

For five generations, the Kientzler family has been based in Alsace, perpetuating a love for great dry wines and the local gastronomy.

As early as 1866, Dominique Alphonse Kientzler had inherited vines from his father and grandfather and in 1895 was involved in the creation of France’s first winemaking cooperative in Ribeauvillé, in addition to running the local grocery shop. His son Alphonse carried on the grocery business while also tending to the vines; he eventually became the Mayor of Ribeauvillé either side of World War II.

It was Alphonse’s son François though, who was the first to fully concentrate on wine production, moving to Switzerland to study viticulture. By the 1970s, he was joined by his son André in the wine business and the pair undertook a massive replanting program to replace much of the old Chasselas with the noble Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer varieties.

Today, the estate encompasses 13.8 hectares, of which 4.4 are Grand Crus sites spread across the villages of Ribeauvillé, Bergheim, Hunawihr and Riquewihr, including significant parcels in the Grand Crus of Geisberg, Osterberg and Kirchberg. And in turn André handed over the reins to his sons in 2009; Thierry looks after the winemaking and Eric the commercial side of the business. The wines are crafted with the greatest respect for the land and its surrounds

‘One of the most talented Winemakers in Alsace…..he has Riesling and Gewürztraminer growing in prime sites and it is what he manages to do with these that ranks his wines among the very best in Alsace. Although his generic Riesling has great class and finesse, his Grand Cru Geisberg and Grand Cru Osterberg are very much finer. The Geisberg is the riper and more opulent, with a wisp of smokiness to the fruit, the Osterberg is more classic and flinty, requiring longer in bottle.’

Tom Stevenson, The Wines of Alsace

Learn more about the Kientzler estate with the current winemaker, Eric Kientzler, in the video below.

In the Vineyard

The Mulhforst lieu-dit is located in the village of Hunawihr, also the home of Trimbach’s Clos Ste Hune! The town is pretty much smack-bang in the middle of Alsace, a 75km strip in the North-East on France bordering Germany.

In recent years they have replanted many of their vineyards with old massal selections and created an experimental vineyard in the Mulhforst lieu-dit (0.3 hectares) to better follow and study specific grapevines and their behavior and have better genetic material at hand when replanting becomes necessary.

In the Winery

The wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel to guarantee the clear and elegant Kientzler character.

The 2021 Vintage at Kientzler

A vintage like in “the old time”. Picking from 20th Sept until 21 October. So the vintage was fresh and humid, with rains almost every day so it was a challenging vintage to cure the vintage. The yield was low and very low for all Pinot family. Fortunately the weather was good for the picking. It results a vintage with really high acidity level and freshness (Alc is around 13%). The wine are sharp and pure.

Eric Kientzler

Where in the World is Kientzler?

Kientzler is based in Ribeauvillé in Alsace.