WTN: 2002 Schoffit Chasselas Vieilles Vignes

• 2002 Schoffit Chasselas Vieilles Vignes - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC (12/6/2007)
  
  I knew from the aroma that this was going to be a special wine. And it was. Tropical fruit...banana, pineapple, peach, maybe even coconut...it had it all....not sweet, though the fruit hinted at sweetness. Wonderful on its own and just as good with stir-fry shrimp with pineapple and veggies over rice. Amazing. I don't think I had ever tried this variety before, but I hope to again. (95 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

James, I love Chasselas. Schoffit is verly likely my favorite producer of it in Alsace, somehow he coaxes a bit more out of it than his peers. I like the Swiss version best (also called Fendant in Neuchatel.) They are commonly more delicate, pure, and mineral and are most often found in the French-speaking Cantons to the west. You should be able to find a few stateside if you look hard enough. In Germany it is Gutedal. The best can be found in Baden, though I've never seen one imported.

Thanks for the note,

Thanks to you, Bill, for the added info. I'm in trouble if I start looking for Swiss wines too!!!

I've had the '02 a couple of times, James. I found it pretty yummy and flavorful as well, pairing up really well with some Canadian chevre noir. If it had a bit more acid it would have kicked up the wow factor for me but maybe that's a trait of the variety. I don't enough about chasselas to say.

Thanks to you, Bill, for the added info. I'm in trouble if I start looking for Swiss wines too!!!

They tend not to be very cheap.

I had a pleasant experience with some Swiss Chasselas a few years back. I've read that they age well, so I buried a bunch of '03s from Mathier and from Dubois as an experiment. I may have to try one soon.

I may have posted on this awhile back, but I had also buried some Washington State Semillion and Chenin Blanc earlier (mostly '00s and '01s). I tried a few this year. I wouldn't call that experiment a success.