This Winemaker Will Have You Reaching for Pinot Noir From Alsace

Known for acclaimed Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer, Alsace has been garnering an increasing amount of attention for its Pinot Noir, which accounts for only about 10 percent of its total production. Besides the fact that it is good in and of itself, one of the reasons Pinot Noir from this region in northwest France is gaining traction is the rising prices of its sibling from Burgundy. With 720 wineries producing 132 million bottles a year of white, red, sparkling, and sweet wine from 38,500 acres of vineyards in 53 appellations, Alsace has seen an increase of almost 8 percent on exports of its Pinot Noir to the United States from 2023 to 2024.

Alsatian Pinot Noir is made in a style that’s clearly French, but because its less famous than its nearby Burgundy counterparts, the barrier for entry is lower. An unscientific search of Pinot Noir from Alsace online shows that a wide range of bottles average in the mid to upper $20 range, with many hovering around $35 and some fetching up to $50. “Pinot Noir from Alsace is light and lively with good acidity and fruit structure,” consultant and wine educator Carrie Lyn Strong says. “These are perfect red wines for warm summer months, delicious for outdoor picnics and barbeques.”

Domaine Schlumberger proprietors Thomas and Séverine Schlumberger are breaking out of the mold with the release of their first Pinot Noir into the United States, which has a suggested price of $100. Grown in the single vineyard lieu dit “Stein” atop the Bollenburg hill, Domaine Schlumberger 2022 Stein Pinot Noir is a shining example of Alsace Pinot Noir. This single-vineyard expression is not from one of the recently crowned Pinot Noir Grand Cru terroirs of Kirchberg de Barr in the Bas-Rhin or Hengst in Wintzenheim in the Haut-Rhin. Thomas tells Robb Report that Stein’s location, the Bollenberg hill, is said to be the driest limestone hill in France. Stein derives from the word stone in German and refers to the stony soils found in this vineyard.

While comparisons to Burgundy flow freely among wine experts, Schlumberger does not want to compete with that region, the Loire Valley, or anywhere else in the world that Pinot Noir is grown. “Alsace has a great history with Pinot Noir which goes back to Roman times,” he says. With a strong identity as a cold-climate region, Alsace is ideal for the cultivation of the grape, and as the effects of climate change become more evident, Schlumberger says that he “can take advantage of increasing temperature in the region to produce wine with depth, structure, and concentration.”

Schlumberger and winemaker Alain Freyburger explored the possibilities of Pinot Noir for 15 years before determining that Domaine Schlumberger 2022 Stein Pinot Noir was ready for its closeup in the U.S. market. Having also made wine in Switzerland and Champagne, Freyberger has 30 harvests in Alsace under his belt and has worked with Pinot Noir since the beginning of this century. In recent years he has worked closely with renowned consulting winemaker Claude Gros, and together they have “completely rethought” vine cultivation, vinification, and maturing of Pinot Noir. He explains that he uses barrels made in Beaune with oak from the Haguenau and Bercé forests that undergo gentle and controlled toasting to “bring complexity but allow the terroir and grape variety to flourish.”

While its $100 price tag places Schlumberger Stein at the top of the Alsace Pinot Noir pyramid, it’s still pretty affordable compared to Pinots around the globe. However, the price is justified by the quality of the wine and the time and effort that went into perfecting it. “We spent the last 15 years experimenting, changing our habits, and challenging ourselves to reach the level of quality we had in mind,” Schlumberger says. The 2022 season in Alsace was marked by extreme climatic conditions, including a pronounced summer drought and high temperatures. “This vintage shows that Pinot Noir has also a great ability to handle heat, revealing more structure and body, without losing the essence of the varietal and expressing a lot of finesse and elegance,” he says.  

Black cherry in color, Domaine Schlumberger 2022 Stein Pinot Noir has a nose of Maraschino cherry, crushed violet petal, and cotton candy. It is luscious on the palate with polished tannins and flavors of red currant, purple plum, Luxardo cherry, white chocolate, and candied orange peel. The persistent finish is intensified by a flash of vivid acidity. As wine lovers begin to move beyond the aromatic whites of Alsace and discover its elegant and refined Pinot Noir, this first of its kind from the Schlumberger family couldn’t have arrived on our shores at a better time.