The wines of Biecher & Schaal, Alsace, France

Biecher & Schaal
Impressive wines from this relatively new Alsace producer

Julien Schaal (above) is from Alsace, and is based in the village of Saint Hippolyte, near Colmar.

In 2003 he did a vintage in Hemel en Aarde, South Africa, with Bouchard Finlayson. He became friends with the Newton Johnsons, and began making wine in their cellar. From 2011, he has been working with Paul Cluver in Elgin and now makes his South African wines there. He’s now farming 8 hectares in South Africa, in addition to his 12 hectares in Alsace.

In Alsace, he has partnered with a larger producer, Biecher, to produce a small, high-quality negociant – Biecher & Schaal – focusing on Grand Cru vineyard sites, and with a strong emphasis on Riesling. The venture is based in a 17^th Century cellar, and the first vintage was 2011.

Some technical details: Julien likes working with the GE7 yeast, which comes from Alsace. It takes 3 months for alcoholic fermentation, and this takes the wine to 12% alcohol. He then adds another yeast that eats fructose, which extends fermentation by a further month. He changed his winemaking style in 2013 and now adds no sulfur dioxide at the juice stage.

These are superb wines: I really liked the style.

THE WINES

Biecher & Schaal Riesling ‘Les Arčnes Grantiques’ Sommerberg Grand Cru 2012 Alsace, France
Wonderfully bright and mineral with some nutty notes. Vivid and dry with keen acidity: a lovely precise wine. 92/100

Biecher & Schaal Riesling ‘Les Arčnes Grantiques’ Sommerberg Grand Cru 2013 Alsace, France
Very bright, pure and focused with notes of mineral and tangerine, as well as some lemons. Precise with wonderful focus. 94/100

Biecher & Schaal Riesling ‘Les Roches Calcaires’ Rosacker Grand Cru 2012 Alsace, France
From pure limestone. Very fresh and mineral in a dry style. Nice citrus and herb notes. Lively and focused with good acidity. 92/100

Biecher & Schaal Riesling ‘Les Roches Calcaires’ Rosacker Grand Cru 2013 Alsace, France
Precise and fresh with melon, citrus and pear fruit, and a bit of tangerine, too. Clean, pure and primary. 94/100

Biecher & Schaal Riesling ‘Les Schistes Bleus’ Kastelberg Grand Cru 2012 Alsace, France
From 45 year old vines. Stony, mineral nose is focused and fresh. Lively and vivid with herbs, citrus and pear. Fruity and intense with good acidity. 92/100

Biecher & Schaal Riesling ‘Les Schistes Bleus’ Kastelberg Grand Cru 2013 Alsace, France
So lively, pure and precise with vivid pear and citrus fruit. Clean with some grapefruit freshness. 93/100

Biecher & Schaal Riesling ‘Les Riches Volcaniques’ Rangen Grand Cru 2011 Alsace, France
Lively, fresh and fruity with apricot, tangerine, citrus and some sweetness. Lovely weight here. Attractive and pure. 93/100

Biecher & Schaal Gewurztraminer ‘Les Roches Calcaires’ Steinert Grand Cru 2013 Alsace, France
From 65 year old vines. Fresh and focused with lovely lychee, grape, pear and spice notes. Linear, in an off-dry style, with lovely precision. 93/100

Biecher & Schaal Gewurztraminer ‘Les Roches Calcaires’ Steinert Grand Cru 2012 Alsace, France
Textured with spice and some apricot notes, as well as lychee, pear and grapes. A rich wine, but with lovely focus. 93/100

Biecher & Schaal Gewurztraminer ‘Les Roches Calcaires’ Steinert Grand Cru 2011 Alsace, France
Textured, broad and off-dry with lovely lychee, spice and pear fruit. Concentrated and delicious. 93/100