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Domaine Bechtold

Engelberg Riesling 2017

Price: $35.95
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Tasting notes

This is Alsace Riesling at its most mineral: flint and citrus on the nose give way to a dense, saline palate with laser-cut acidity and almost no residual sugar. The Jurassic limestone-marl of Engelberg stamps every sip with a stony, deep-earth character that sets it apart from the richer, more aromatic style common in the Haut-Rhin.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
FlintLemonSalineWhite Peach
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied white; Alsace Grand Cru; mineral and saline; south-facing limestone-marl terroir
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Riesling; organic and biodynamic farming; Jurassic limestone and marl; Engelberg Grand Cru, Dahlenheim, Bas-Rhin; 250-300m elevation, due south-facing
  • Winemaking: Stainless steel fermentation; minimal intervention; no new oak; 3g/L residual sugar (bone dry)
  • Serving: Serve at 48-52F; can be enjoyed now or cellared 10+ years
  • Pairing: Oysters, scallops, white fish with butter sauce, choucroute, roast pork, aged Comté, Thai green curry
  • Similar To: For fans of Mosel Riesling Spätlese or white Burgundy who want stony minerality over fruit weight

Domaine Bechtold's Engelberg Riesling comes from the 14.80-hectare Grand Cru Engelberg, a steep, south-facing hillside sitting at 250 to 300 meters above sea level on the slopes of Mont Scharrach, straddling the communes of Dahlenheim and Scharrachbergheim-Irmstett in the Bas-Rhin. The soils are Jurassic limestone and marl — porous, pebbly, and well-drained — a combination that pushes Riesling roots deep and drives intense mineral character. Strasbourg lies 20 kilometers to the east; the Vosges Mountains to the west shield the site from rain and create one of France's driest mesoclimates.

The 2017 opens with flint and citrus on the nose, then opens to a long, lively, mineral palate with a saline finish. Residual sugar is just 3g/L, making this a bone-dry wine in all but name. The limestone-marl terroir gives the wine a taut, structured acidity that supports aging; these wines are known to gain complexity and integration over a decade or more in bottle.

Jean-Marie Bechtold farms organically — he is the only certified organic grower in Dahlenheim — and was converting to biodynamic viticulture at the time of this vintage. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with minimal intervention to preserve the site's character and stay true to the vintage. No new oak is used.

Classic with oysters, scallops, and firm white fish cooked in butter or cream sauces, where the wine's acidity cuts through richness. Works well with Alsatian choucroute, roast pork loin, or aged Comté. Also a strong match for spicy Asian dishes — Thai green curry, Vietnamese pho — where the dry minerality holds its own against bold flavors.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, White Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Riesling
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2017
Alcohol:, N/A
Country:, France
Region:, Alsace
Appellation:, Alsace Grand Cru Engelberg AOC
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

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Producer profile

Domaine Bechtold

Domaine Bechtold is a family estate based in Dahlenheim, in the Couronne d'Or subregion west of Strasbourg — an area with documented viticultural history stretching back 2,000 years. Jean-Marie Bechtold is the fourth generation to run the domaine. He began working alongside his father in 1980 and took full control around 1994 to 1995. The estate manages approximately 12 hectares of vineyards in and around Dahlenheim, with its most important holdings in Grand Cru Engelberg, supplemented by parcels in three lieux-dits: Sussenberg, Obere Hund, and Silberberg. Jean-Marie is also the longest-standing defender of the Engelberg Grand Cru and has served as head of the local Engelberg syndicate.

Bechtold is the only certified organic grower in Dahlenheim and, at the time of the 2017 vintage, was actively converting to biodynamic viticulture. The domaine had moved from lutte raisonnée to organic farming beginning around 2007, with full organic certification following. Farming focuses on biodiversity in the vineyard and avoiding synthetic inputs. Jean-Marie minimizes intervention in the cellar, with fermentation carried out primarily in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and site expression. No new oak is used in the winemaking.

Wine region

Alsace, France

Alsace runs as a narrow strip along the eastern foothills of the Vosges Mountains in northeastern France, sheltered from Atlantic rain by the mountain range to the west. The resulting climate is semi-continental and unusually dry — Colmar is among the driest cities in France. Summers are warm and sunny, autumns long, and the low rainfall allows grapes to ripen fully without dilution. The 51 Grand Cru sites are concentrated on the lower slopes of the Vosges between 200 and 300 meters elevation, where geology varies dramatically from granite in the south to limestone and marl in the north.

Grand Cru Engelberg sits at the northern end of the Grand Cru belt in the Bas-Rhin, straddling Dahlenheim and Scharrachbergheim-Irmstett, approximately 20 kilometers west of Strasbourg. The 14.80-hectare site faces due south on steep slopes between 250 and 300 meters, with Jurassic limestone and marl soils dating to the Bajocian epoch (roughly 170 to 178 million years ago). Only four grape varieties are permitted in Alsace Grand Cru wines: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat. At Engelberg, Riesling accounts for just over half of plantings, with Gewurztraminer and small amounts of Pinot Gris making up the rest. The site's documented quality dates to 884 AD, when Benedictine monks recorded the superior character of wines from this terroir.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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