France Alsace
Grape variety: Pinot Gris
TS (Trés Serré) means supremely condensed. Often associated with Schler's advanced cuvees and late-harvested wines. Cuvees with TS have residual sugar.
About Gérard Schler et Fils
One of the producers who makes us realize the way and spirit of Van Nature, its greatness and individuality in the purest and highest dimension. In 1958, Gérard started brewing in-house, and since 1982 Bruno has joined the Domaine. The fields, which have never used herbicides or chemical fertilizers for generations since the 16th century, have surprisingly soft and healthy soil. Low-yield, highly-concentrated grapes produce wines with high acidity supporting deep fruit flavors, high levels of balance, and overflowing with elegance and minerality. No sulfites are added to most cuvees, and even those added are capped at 20mg/L at bottling. The average yield is 30-35hl/ha. He owns a total of 7 hectares of fields, but the number of cuvées is enormous due to his freewheeling ideas and experimental productions one after another. Some white wines go through skin contact for three weeks to a year, while others undergo alcoholic fermentation over a year.
About Alsace
The border with Germany, the hilly area along the Rhine River, the production area spreads over about 170km from north to south. The Vosges Mountains to the west (highest peak 1,424m) block the prevailing westerly winds, making it one of the driest regions in France in summer. The average temperature in July is only 0.7°C lower than in Burgundy, and around the central city of Colmar, there are many days when the temperature exceeds 30°C in August. "Ironically, the winemaking environment has been so ideal that it has historically been regarded as a region for moderate wines and reliable blends," writes Jancis Robinson. Also, in France, wines are named after the grape variety used instead of the place of production. Grand Cru is a total of 51 parcels, and only four white varieties, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat d'Alsace, can be called Grand Cru under the AOC law. However, ambitious producers such as Gerard Schrer have also cultivated Pinot Noir in Grand Cru vineyards with remarkable results.
