History
Clos Saint-Léger refers to the church of Saint-Léger, built at the end of the 11th century to symbolize the artistic and spiritual influence of Murbach Abbey. The sunny slopes of the Florival in the Guebwiller valley inspired a religious from Murbach named Frulandus. In 1041, in his “Life of Saint Leger”, he wrote that the Florival is “a blessed valley, like a celestial jewel, in which the blood of the vine flows freely.
Location
Clos Saint-Léger Riesling comes from a single parcel in the heart of the Kitterlé Grand Cru. This parcel was planted in 1995 with Riesling grapes. The terroir is of volcanic- sandstone origin and occupies a unique site in a small basin on an east-west axis, facing due south on a succession of several vertiginous terraces between 342 and 392 meters above sea level. The light, sandy soil held back by huge dry-stone walls means that yields are limited (20 to 25 hl/ha). Monitoring is carried out from the winter pruning of the vines through to the harvest.
Wine-making
Hand-picked and carefully sorted, the grapes are then transported in crates to our winery in the early hours of the morning for slow pressing. After 12 hours of settling, the perfectly clear juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks, where the temperature is rigorously controlled. The wine was racked and then stored on the fine lees until bottling (under neutral gas) on June 18, 2018.
Gastronomy
Don’t hesitate to pair this wine with a fish curry with pineapple or saffron cod, sea cicada in dog sauce (onion, garlic, chili and lemon), basmati rice or also goat cheese, like Chabichou de Poitou.
This wine goes well with
Learn more about food & wine pairingTasting
The colour is golden yellow with clear, intense highlights. The disc is bright, clear and transparent. The wine shows its youth. The nose is clean, pleasant and intense. There is a dominant aroma of citrus fruits, lemon, exotic fruits, pineapple and white flowers. Aeration amplifies these aromas and reveals bergamot, citron, spices, ginger and a touch of smoky minerality, gas and white truffle. The aromatic profile combines subtlety and nobility. Everything blends harmoniously and reveals a new aspect of the Grand Cru Kitterlé. The attack on the palate is fleshy, with a full-bodied alcohol base. The mid-palate is strict and nervous, marked by a sparkling quality. The range of aromas found on the nose is present, still focused on citrus fruits, white flowers, spices, ginger and that smoky mineral note of gas and white truffle. There is a hint of bitterness. The finish is very long, 13-14 caudalies, with a frank liveliness and a fine, persistent bitterness. The balance is masterful!!! The initial over-ripeness of the botrytis is admirably tempered by the definition of the terroir. The range of aromas is already accessible, much to our delight.
Commentaire de M. Pascal Leonetti “Meilleur Sommelier de France 2006” – Avril 2022
