Domaines Schlumberger

An estate nestled in the hills of Guebwiller in Southern Alsace, carefully managed and expanded by the Schlumberger family since 1810. Thanks to the foresight of Ernest Schlumberger at the turn of the 19th Century, the family lands increased from just 20ha to 140ha. Ernest purchased phylloxera-ravaged vineyards, replanting and resurrecting as he went. Over half of these vineyards are classified as Grand Cru sites, producing steely mineral led wines from the four famous Grand Crus of Guebwiller: Saering, Kitterle, Kessler and Spiegel. The wines have longevity and life, not just from these steep stony sites but from a deep rooted culture of organics, sustainability and on 30ha, biodynamic farming. Séverine Beydon-Schlumberger and her brother Thomas now run the company with their Uncle Alain Freyburger making the wines in tandem with nature.

Alsace

FRANCE

For the great wines of future generations: a preserved environment

The Schlumberger domains operate and vinify 140 hectares of vines, half of which are spread over 4 Grands Crus, Kitterlé, Kessler, Saering and Spiegel since 1810.

They are estate winegrowers who exclusively harvest and produce our own wines. They do not buy any grapes nor juice or wine (Alsatians winegrowers represents only 22% of the regional production).

A family vineyard established since 1810, nowadays, Thomas and Severine Schlumberger represent the 7th Generation in charge of the family estate.

This vineyard is unique in Alsace : 130 hectares with 70 hectares classified as Grands Crus composed of 4 “terroirs” : Kitterlé, Kessler, Saering, Spiegel.

An exeptional location. Situated on the steep hillsides of the Vosges, the vineyard benefits from the best exposures (southwest, south, southeast); its slopes can reach 50°.

Viticulture

We are 100 % estate winegrowers, we vinify exclusively our own harvest. We buy neither grapes, nor juice, nor wines (Alsatians winegrowers represents only 22% of the regional production). Located on the dizzy heights of the hills of Guebwiller, in southern Alsace, with slopes reaching 50° and at an altitude going from 250 to 390 metres, our mountain-side vineyard is surely one of the most breathtaking in Alsace. Its excellent southwest, south, south east exposure ensures it perfect sun exposure.. Guebwiller is the only spot in Alsace producing 4 Grands Crus. Half of our vineyard, that is to say 70 hectares, consists of these unique “terroirs”. The wines of our Grands Crus portray, from year to year, the ancient memory of the stones of our land. The Vosges sandstone, on the edge of the mountain,produces subtle nuances: plots located anly a few meters from each other can produce very different wines.

Winemaking

After having been harvested, the grapes are sent to the cellar in crates. Our last-generation pneumatic presses allow very smooth pressing, ensuring the purity of the aromas. We have 120 old oak casks (they are more than one hundred years old to avoid oak taste in the wines). These monuments in or cellar are equipped with a thermoregulation system. They are the perfect symbol of the synthesis of tradition and innovation. We also have 80 stainless steel vats allowing strict selection by plots and producing rare cuvées. This way, freshness and fruit are perfectly maintained. The grapes are harvested during the first days of Autumnand transported within less than 2 hours to the cellar. No stripping (except for the Pinot Noir), the entire grapes are conveyed to the presses. Slow and regular pneumatic pressing provides almost limpid juices. The juices are clarified using static sludge removal. A perfectly limpid juice is put to ferment for 6 to 12 weeks, at a controlled temperature between 20°C and 23°C, in over one hundread year old aok casks. The new wine is then racked, and it rests then for 8 to 9 months on fine lees inside the tuns. A filtration ends this first stage of wine making at the beginning of summer. The wine is then refined, at constant temperature, for 12 to 18 months in a stainless steel vat, and eventually, then prepared for bottling. Wines are bottled at the winery with the bottle line equipped with electropneumatic nozzle injecting nitrogen. This considerably reduces the addition of SO2 (sulfites) to wines while retaining their aromatic richness and their radiant color. 4 sample bottles are taken during each bottling session for analysis by an independent laboratory in order to guarantee the perfect quality of our wines to every customer. All our wine bottles are corked with natural cork, which we select ourselves from the same suppliers we have been using for more than 50 years. The bottled wine, stored in pallet containers, is stored in our wine storehouses for several months, before being labelled, then dispatched throughout the world. All of our cellar work is controlled by ECOCERT once a year. The traceability of our wines is checked from the vine to the bottling.