Schalentier

A terroir-driven Riesling, from old vines deeply rooted in rocky and steep slate slopes, Grand Cru position, manually harvested and briefly fermented on the skins – 22 months aged in tank – organically grown and vinified by Susanne Conrad

100%

Riesling
Slate slope Grand Cru position
Old vines gently pruned

0

Wood
Residual sugar
Compromises

360°

Organically grown and vinified
Mindfulness

  • «Innovative Moselle rarity: symphony of aromas, fermented with skin contact, from old vines of Grand Cru (GG) site.» 19/20 points.

    MAX GERSTL WEINSELEKTIONEN (CH)

  • «Grandiose play between lively fruit, racy acidity and spicy minerality. A wine for connoisseurs.»

    ANDRE MACIONGA (D)

  • «What a wine!»

    VINVAERKET (DK)

  • «Full of character and expressive: a passionate Riesling from a passionate winemaker.»

    ZIA (I)

  • “Phantastic dry Riesling with noble tannins from GG site. Great wine&dine companion.”

    HARDANGER HOUSE (NOR)

  • «A very exciting wine — with every smell you discover something new. On the palate: aromas rich in extracts, salty hint, flowing finish.»

    SILVIA ZUBERBÜHLER (CH)

  • «Exciting aromas, great length: Love it!»

    WIJNHUIS AMSTERDAM (NL)

  • «Fascinating journey into another world of Riesling: Riesling Schalentier - rich texture on the palate, noble tannins, vivid acidity, beautiful extracts, long finish.»
    Read article

    NZZ (CH)

We …

… are Susanne, Matthias and Martin, three dynamic and curious minds who have Riesling in our DNA. We love wines and especially authentic Rieslings which express their terroir in a straightforward way and a rich character. Rieslings in which the typicity of the grape variety – the interplay between vivid fruit, racy acidity and spicy minerality – is clearly recognizable. Rieslings which are cool and precise as well as royal.

As humans and responsible winegrowers, we are also very connected to nature and the environment and have therefore focused on an ecologically sensible, sustainable balance between vineyard care and environmental protection from the very beginning - also with regard to future generations.

And we are curious people who like to explore limits with sensitivity and expertise - and who, almost ten years ago, in the thin mountain air at 2000 meters above sea level, were fascinated by the question: what other characteristic nuances can the Riesling with its depth and complexity still leave behind? elicit that makes it unique and authentic?

Organic viticulture & noble tannins

Luckily, we couldn't let go of these questions — and so began our journey together into the realm of Rterroir-driven Riesling, tannins and careful fermentation on the skins, based on biological principles of viticulture and vinification — and supplemented with fresh knowledge from the universities of Geisenheim (D) and Wädenswil ( CH) as well as practical assignments with successful winegrowers in their vineyards and cellars.

Since then, our vines, which are over 40 years old, have been given the so-called «gentle pruning» according to the Simonit & Sirch method. Only small cuts are inflicted on the vines when they are pruned in winter in order to ensure that the juice in the vines flows unhindered. The Riesling vines thus show more vitality and resistance to any fungal infestation, possible viral infections and stressful situations. This technique requires a great deal of foresight and intensive manual work — see the short film here for more information. In return, our Riesling vines thank us over many decades with aromatic, ripe and healthy grapes for first-class wines.

Organic viticulture continues seamlessly in the cellar through sustainable vine and soil care as well as careful hand selection during the harvest. For example, we do not add any pure yeast or enzymes during vinification in order to emphasize the authenticity and unique character of our wines.

Since 2016, the concept for the viticulture and vinification of our unique steep-slope Riesling (GG site) «Schalentier» has matured. Since then, the good climatic conditions in the Grosse-Gewächs-site Kestener Paulinshofberg (directly adjacent to Brauneberger Juffer) with its deep-rooted vines have ensured physiologically ripe and healthy grapes, which we select by hand early in the morning and bring to our cellar at an optimal temperature. Separated from the stems, we begin to gently macerate the berries in the cellar, manually and without applying pressure with a pigéage stick, and let them start to ferment briefly on the skins so that the noble tannins can optimally separate from the skin and develop their elegance.

The result: «Schalentier» Riesling — our characterful dry terroir Riesling with precise tannin emphasis and brilliant acidity, complex, with a good grip and an «edge». In a limited edition of around a thousand bottles, fermented spontaneously, matured for 22 months in steel tanks, individually numbered.

«Everything happens for a Riesling,» they say. This applies in particular to the rocky, rocky steep slopes in the Moselle, where predatory armored fish and snail forms romped about and fed in the primeval ocean as early as 400 million years ago. Incidentally, their fossils were the inspiration for our wine label. Here the old vines are rooted 10—15 meters deep in the finely weathered, kilometer-deep Devonian slate and protected microclimate of the Moselle valley with its warm days and mild nights. This is the home of our «Schalentier» Riesling.

Location
Kestener Paulinshofberg (Grand-Cru position)
Slate content of the soil
55—60%
Gradient
60—75%
Alignment
S—SO

We wish you a delightful experience and great enjoyment with the 2017, 2018, 2019 - and soon also 2020 - Schalentier, 100% organic viticulture, vegan vinified and from the 2022 vintage onwards certified Organic Wines.

Best wishes,
Susanne (winemaker) & Team

Follow me on Instagram @schalentierwein and @susanneh.conrad

Schalentier 2021

Kestener Paulinshofberg (Grand-cru position)
Riesling dry (22 months aged in tank)
organically grown and vinified
12,0 % vol alcohol, 5,7 g/l acidity,
0,6 g/l residual sugar
Limited edition (0,75 l): 658 bottles,
individually numbered, € 42.00
(Magnum 1,5 l upon request)

NZZ: «Fascinating journey into another world of Riesling: Riesling Schalentier - rich texture on the palate, noble tannins, vivid acidity, beautiful extracts, long finish.»
GERSTL WEINE CH: 19/20 Points

Online available
shop.martinnconrad.de
gerstl.ch
flaschenpost.ch

Schalentier 2020 - S O L D O U T

Kestener Paulinshofberg (Grand-cru position)
Riesling dry (22 months aged in tank)
organically grown and vinified
12,5 % vol alcohol, 5,5 g/l acidity,
0,3 g/l residual sugar
Limited edition (0,75 l): 853 bottles,
individually numbered, € 42.00
(Magnum 1,5 l upon request)

Online available
shop.martinconrad.de
gerstl.ch
flaschenpost.ch

Schalentier 2019

Kestener Paulinshofberg (Grand-cru position)
Riesling dry (22 months aged in tank)
organically grown and vinified
12,5 % vol alcohol, 5,5 g/l acidity,
0,6 g/l residual sugar
Limited edition (0,75 l): 671 bottles,
individually numbered, € 42.00
(Magnum 1,5 l upon request)

VINVAERKET DK: «What a wine!»

Online available
shop.martinconrad.de
vinvaerket.dk
gerstl.ch

New in stock & ready to order:

Wijnhuis.Amsterdam (info@wijnhuis.amsterdam)

Schalentier 2018

Kestener Paulinshofberg (Grand-cru position)
Riesling dry (22 months aged in tank)
organically grown and vinified
12,5 % vol alcohol, 6 g/l acidity,
0,8 g/l residual sugar
Limited edition (0,75l): 1.253 bottles,
individually numbered, € 39.00
(Magnum 1,5 l upon request)

«A symphony of aromas with noble tannins from skin contact.»
GERSTL WEINE CH: 19/20 Points

Online available
shop.martinconrad.de
vinvaerket.dk
gerstl.ch

New in stock & ready to order:

Wijnhuis.Amsterdam (info@wijnhuis.amsterdam) and Planet Wein Berlin (info@planet-weinhandel.de)

Schalentier 2018 «S»

Kestener Paulinshofberg (Grand-cru position)
Riesling («Sauternes-style»)
organically grown and vinified
13,5 % vol alcohol, 7,3 g/l acidity,
53 g/l residual sugar
Limited edition (0,375 l): 291 bottles,
individually numbered, € 41.00

«Mosel-Sauternes - sophisticated and unique.»
GERSTL WEINE CH: 18+/20 Points

Online available
shop.martinconrad.de
gerstl.ch

Schalentier 2017 - S O L D O U T

Kestener Paulinshofberg (Grand-cru position)
Riesling dry (22 months aged in tank)
organically grown and vinified
11,5 % vol alcohol, 7 g/l acidity,
0,8 g/l residual sugar
Limited edition (0,75l): 927 bottles,
individually numbered, € 34.00
(Magnum 1,5 l upon request)

ANDRE MACIONGA D: «Outstanding!»

Online available
shop.martinconrad.de (only few bottles left in winery - please write directly to susanne@schalentier-wein.de)
buehlerweine.ch
vinvaerket.dk
walterundbenjamin.de

New in stock:

Wijnhuis.Amsterdam (info@wijnhuis.amsterdam)


Schalentier Riesling dry — ideal at 11-12 degrees celsius in a burgundy glass.

You can reach me by e-mail

  • Pure, clean, well balanced and fresh. Well-made and very enjoyable to drink. All in all, a pleasant drinking experience with plenty of true Riesling character.

    Paul Liversedge (Master of Wine)

  • This is an exciting project.
    In the case of red wine, it is clear that many aromas come from the grape skin. Strangely enough, with white wine practically nobody pays any attention to this. On the palate, the power comes from the grapes, here too, fruit and terroir aromas form a unity. A bundle of power, with elegance and a slim figure. This is not an everyday wine: give it some attention and you will get a lot in return.

    Max Gerstl, leading Swiss wine distributor - 19/20 points