Sophie Schall
Her Vivacious and Joyful Alsatian Whites and Reds
June 23, 2025
“A series of fine, elegant and fruity single-varietal wines.
These are vibrant "palate pleasers.” Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
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Sophie Schaal and her husband, Julian, are among the exciting new generation of wine makers in Alsace. In March, she brought a very impressive quartet to the store. They had a verve and character, absent in more humdrum Alsatian wines..
Stephan Reinhardt had tasted them a year earlier. His notes are in quotes below. He was entranced by the Pinot Gris, where I was struck by the character of the Gewurztraminer, which a year later seemed more composed than it had to him. De gustibus.
The Schaals do everything right. They farm organically and vinify as simply as possible. The handpicked grapes are pressed whole bunch or macerated ,long and softly pressed, and fermented cool and slow with natural yeasts for three months, followed by a few months of aging and minimal sulfur at bottling. All in all, in the best way they do as little as possible
I thought these wines were wonderful, especially at their very low prices, and strongly recommend them.
White
2023 Pinot Gris
Mainly from the Grand Cru Osterberg, in Ribeauvillé 13% alcohol
Reinhardt -“the wine shows ripe and elegant fruit with saline, mineral notes. On the palate, this is a full-bodied, round and intense, remarkably textured Pinot Gris with saline notes of finely crushed stones intermingled with fine tannins. This is a warming and generous but precise and stimulating Pinot Gris with a long and intense finish.”
Aroma: light fresh, heady sweet aroma; Mouth: firm mineral, intense smooth, flinty, rather firm, intense ; Very Good Plus $21; Case, $17.99
2023 Alsace Riesling
Mostly from the grand cru Osterberg, 12.5% alcohol.
“The nose is precise, fresh and elegant as well as citrusy and indicates a serious mineral structure. Full-bodied, elegant and refined on the palate, this is a very intense, textured and tightly woven dry Riesling with serious grip and a long, intense and saline/mineral finish.”
Aroma: heady and light, light fresh airy; Mouth: clean firm, mineral with soft intense flavor, firm very dry, clean and airy, ; Very Good Plus $21; Case, $17.99
2023 Gewurztraminer
From the limestone soils of Hunawihr, 19 g sugar 13%
"clear, fresh and savory on the nose, showing citrus rather than tropical fruit aromas. Round and smooth on the palate, this is a dense, rich and structured Gewürztraminer with a noble texture. The wine tastes a bit sweetish at this stage but has structure and character, yet it is a little dryish on the positively bitter finish..
Aroma: light fresh, mineral spice, restrained, fine mineral, acid; Mouth: not sweet, sedate as gewurz goes, fleshy light in its feet, clean, finely delineated, good acidity, long; Very Good - Excellent $21; Case, $17.99
Red
2023 Pinot Noir
from the Osterberg's clay-limestone soils, 45+ years old vines. 12.5%
“very clear, fresh and finely aromatic on the precise and rather reductive-styled nose that shows ripe cherry aromas. Round and lush on the palate, this is a tight and tensioned as well as lush and generous, refreshing and fruity Pinot Noir with fine, ripe and crunchy tannins. “
Aroma: heady very rich very intense heady mineral and intense; Mouth: very clean mineral, intense, fine acid rounded, fleshy, firm; Very Good Plus $23.99; Case, $20.49
Sophie Schall’s Sampler, three each of the wines $225, 18.75 per bottle
or
Mix any twelve or more bottles at their case prices
Len Rothenberg
FREE DELIVERY!
downtown on orders more than $75;
in Greater Boston on orders more than $199
