Schoenen tell

Deiss 2000 Schoenenbourg (Alsace) – Very sweet and diffuse, though there’s nice enough acidity. Long but pointless, and the finish’s duration is the chief – one might say the only – feature of this wine. (6/08)

Sparrs and stripes

Sparr 2001 Riesling Schoenenbourg “Grand Cru” (Alsace) – A softening sweetness can’t detract from the pure terroir on display here: crushed white flowers, a little chalk, a rounded and polished core that tails off a bit on the finish. Classic and ageworthy, though there’s definitely that sugar to contend with. (9/07)