Sophie Schaal Pinot Noir 2024
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The Land
Sophie Schaal is based in Hunawihr, one of the pretty hilltop villages between Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr in the heart of Alsace. This is limestone and clay country in the foothills of the Vosges, whose rain shadow makes Alsace one of the driest, sunniest corners of France. Pinot Noir is the only red grape permitted in AOC Alsace, and on these cool, calcareous soils it takes on a Burgundian cast: red and dark fruit with acidity and lift rather than heat. The combination of limestone and a long, dry ripening season is exactly what gives serious Alsace Pinot Noir its structure.
The Wine
100% Pinot Noir, farmed organically and made in a clean, precise style with little to no new oak. It shows darker fruit than you usually expect from a Pinot at this price: black cherry and plum alongside brighter raspberry, a touch of gentle spice, and a fresh, unforced finish. Light to medium in body, with the clarity you would expect from a Burgundy-trained oenologist. This is a lot of wine for the money, the sort of everyday Pinot Noir that overdelivers. The 2024 vintage was cool and wet across Alsace, which pushed reds toward a fresher, lighter frame with vivid acidity, and this wine wears that style well.
The People
Sophie Schaal was born in Burgundy and earned her national oenology diploma in Dijon, a background that shows in the precision of her wines. A 2013 trip to South Africa changed everything: it broadened her sense of terroir and it is where she met Julien Schaal, an Alsatian winemaker working in the Cape. Married now, the couple splits time between Alsace and South Africa. Sophie farms organically in Alsace, a decision she describes as coming naturally as a producer and a mother focused on long-term vineyard health. Her range covers Riesling, Pinot Gris, and this Pinot Noir.
Food Pairing
An easy, versatile red. Roast chicken with thyme, duck breast with a cherry pan sauce, a mushroom and gruyère tart, or a board of charcuterie and soft cheeses. It also handles grilled salmon and tuna, especially with a light chill on a warm evening. Fresh acidity and modest tannin make it a friendly partner across a wide range of dishes.
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Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
The Alsace wine region is located in northeastern France and is known for producing aromatic white wines. The region benefits from a cool climate with a combination of continental and maritime influences, allowing for the cultivation of grape varieties like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris. Pinot Noir has also been making major strides in this border region.
Alsace
Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned, notoriously difficult-to-grow, low-yielding grape that finds its ancestral home in Burgundy, France, where it produces some of the world's most elegant and nuanced wines. While Burgundy remains its spiritual heartland, Pinot Noir has since traveled the globe, finding success in other cooler climates, notably in California, Oregon, New Zealand, and Germany. This grape is a challenge for any grower, as it requires specific conditions to show its best, and yet the wines it produces are capable of such a captivating and singular character.
