With a philosophy based on the concept of ‘terroir’ and continuing to uphold the family wine traditions that began in 1808, ‘M. Chapoutier’ has become the most admired and most recognized brand names in French wines worldwide. Michel Chapoutier, a passionate hard-working winemaker and charismatic figure from France’s Northern Rhône valley, took over the business in 1990. He has achieved world recognition for his work of excellence and relentless search for the finest terroirs, as well as for pioneering biodynamic viticulture in the Rhône Valley.
In 2006, Michel Chapoutier announced his intention to produce a great Riesling in Alsace. After searching for the perfect terroir and vineyard site location for three years, Michel settled on the Lieu-dit Schieferberg in Bernardvillé in the Bas-Rhin department along the east side of the Rhine River. He purchased 5 hectares on the only strip of blue schist, dating back to Précambrien period some 542 millions years, in Alsace. The vineyards are on steep South-East facing hillsides of the Vosges mountains at 380m, perfect for balancing acidity and minerality in Alsatian Riesling. In 2011, he launched the first vintages of 2009 under the Schieferkopf name.
Searching for granite soils in Germany, Michel and his team set their sights on the other side of the Rhine River in Baden, which offers Riesling characteristic mineral notes, coupled with an intensely floral style. Baden is also the warmest region in Germany and its climate is the closest to that of their vineyards in Alsace. Their vineyards in Germany have south exposure offering maximum sunshine and a mosaic of complex soils bringing subtlety to the grapes.
Schieferkopf Rieslings by M. Chapoutier are a perfect expression of the terroirs of the Rhine Valley.
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