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Domaine Maurice Schoech

The Schoech family can trace its roots in the vineyards of Ammerschwihr back to 1650.


The Schoech family can trace its roots in the vineyards of Ammerschwihr back to 1650. Artifacts from their heritage are on proud display in their cellar in the village of Ammerschwihr. The current estate was established in 1971 on the edge of the village and retains the name Maurice Schoech, although today the domaine is run by his sons, Jean-Léon and Sebastien Schoech.

The estate produces 25 different cuvées from 11 hectares of vines, 70% of which are located in prime hillside locations and harvested manually. All of the parcels are in and around Ammerschwihr except for one 0.5 ha plot in the famed Rangen de Thann vineyard, which is 15km south of the village. Including this little gem, a total of four hectares are planted in Grand Cru vineyards, with about 2.5 hectares in Kaefferkopf and 1 hectare in Mambourg.

Schoech holding wine textured background of dirt

The current estate was established in 1971 on the edge of the village and retains the name Maurice Schoech, although today the domaine is run by his sons, Jean-Léon and Sebastien Schoech.

The renown of the Kaefferkopf vineyard can be traced back to 1832, when the first bottles bearing its name were produced. It was not designated “Grand Cru” until 2007, when it became the 51st vineyard in Alsace to receive this classification. It is one of only two Grand Cru vineyards where a blend of grape varieties is permitted, along with the Altenberg site in Bergheim. The domaine’s Rangen de Thann plot is, in fact, planted to Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Riesling; the wine is a blend of those varieties and therefore the wine is not labeled Grand Cru, bearing simply the proprietary name “Harmonie R” instead.

Farming

Certified organic by Ecocert since 2014, with some biodynamic practices, practicing organic long before certification

Treatments

Only copper sulfate

Ploughing

Annual mechanical ploughing

Soils

A panoply of soils, reflecting the geological and topographic diversity of Alsace: mostly limestone-marl, with significant granite, sandstone, and the volcanic Rangen de Thann

Vines

All trained in Guyot, mostly planted between 5,000-5,500 vines/ha. Vine age ranges from 10-50 years old.

Yields

Deleafing and debudding, no green harvesting

Harvest

All by hand, harvest usually ranges from the beginning to the end of September.

PURCHASING

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

All spontaneous (except the Côtes d’Ammerschwihr and Pinot Auxerrois), and all in stainless steel. Fermentation lasts 1-3 months.

Extraction

Wines see no maceration and very little bâtonnage during ageing.

Chaptalization

None

Pressing

Direct, whole-cluster, pneumatic pressing

PRESS WINE

Ferments with vin de goutte

Malolactic Fermentation

Very rarely occurs, controlled by temperature

Élevage

All wines rest between 6-12 months in stainless steel tanks; grand cru wines age for 2 years in bottle.

LEeS

All wines rest sur lie for the majority of their élevages

FINING & FILTRATION

No fining, kieselguhr (diatomaceous earth) and plate filtration

SULFUR

Applied after fermentation and at bottling. < 100 mg/l total and 30 mg/l free.

Farming

Certified organic by Ecocert since 2014, with some biodynamic practices, practicing organic long before certification

Treatments

Only copper sulfate

Ploughing

Annual mechanical ploughing

Soils

A panoply of soils, reflecting the geological and topographic diversity of Alsace: mostly limestone-marl, with significant granite, sandstone, and the volcanic Rangen de Thann

Vines

All trained in Guyot, mostly planted between 5,000-5,500 vines/ha. Vine age ranges from 10-50 years old.

Yields

Deleafing and debudding, no green harvesting

Harvest

All by hand, harvest usually ranges from the beginning to the end of September.

PURCHASING

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

All spontaneous (except the Côtes d’Ammerschwihr and Pinot Auxerrois), and all in stainless steel. Fermentation lasts 1-3 months.

Extraction

Wines see no maceration and very little bâtonnage during ageing.

Chaptalization

None

Pressing

Direct, whole-cluster, pneumatic pressing

PRESS WINE

Ferments with vin de goutte

Malolactic Fermentation

Very rarely occurs, controlled by temperature

Élevage

All wines rest between 6-12 months in stainless steel tanks; grand cru wines age for 2 years in bottle.

Lees

All wines rest sur lie for the majority of their élevages

Fining & Filtration

No fining, kieselguhr (diatomaceous earth) and plate filtration

Sulfur

Applied after fermentation and at bottling. < 100 mg/l total and 30 mg/l free.

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