Critic ratings
robert_parker
2019
Rating:
92
–92
From a rather coolish, east and southeast-facing site north of Guebwiller and cultivated since 1250, the 2019 Riesling Grand Cru Saering offers clear fresh and fruity aromas on the nose, with ripe mango notes intertwined with iodine notes of crushed stones (marl/limestone/sandstone). Full-bodied, lush and savory on the palate, with fine mineral acidity yet most of all remarkably aromatic and juicy tropical fruit (mango and passion fruits), this is the most accessible cru of the domaine. The finish is vital, pure and mineral, providing fine bitters and serious phenolic grip. 14.2% alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in February 2023.
robert_parker
2014
Rating:
92
–92
The 2014 Riesling Grand Cru Saering opens with a clear, very intense and perfectly ripe fruit aroma that indicates a very late harvest and the acceptance of some botrytis as well. However, this wine does not lack precision or freshness, but displays a perfect ripeness and purity as well. On the palate it is a rich, clear and elegant, full-bodied, complex and salty Riesling with a mouth-filling fruit intensity, but also great finesse and mineral expression. This is old-school Riesling at its best, a really impressive vin de garde.
robert_parker
2013
Rating:
89
–89
From the siliceous, rather heavy, sandy marl soil with abundant rubble the 2013 Riesling Grand Cru Saering offers dark fruit aromas along with coolish mineral flavors on the nose. Full-bodied, round, and juicy, this is an intense, fruity and already accessible and stimulatingly salty Riesling for the next 10 years.
robert_parker
2010
Rating:
90
–90
Dried apples and caramel flavors on the nose lead the 2010 Riesling Grand Cru Saering to a soft, rich and elegant palate characterized by a concentrated fruit and nice tannins.
robert_parker
2009
Rating:
85
–85
Also recommended, but no tasting note given.
Among the largest estates in Alsace and the largest holder of grand cru acreage, Domaines Schlumberger have been prominent in international markets for years, and were long known best for their nobly sweet wines, a specialty of this house during a time when V.T. and S.G.N. bottlings were not remotely as common as they are today. I have found the style somewhat ponderous, opaque, and indistinct, but reports that things had lightened up and clarified under the direction of siblings Severine and Thomas Schlumberger were correct. I could not recommend all of the modest cross-section of samples I received, but some were excellent. Despite what the Schlumbergers report as low yields, several wines I tasted wanted for concentration and personality, some were still a bit diffuse, and the Rieslings among them struck me as surprisingly developed considering their youthful chronological ages. These wines rather routinely undergo malo-lactic transformation, and in a couple of instances exhibited an overly lactic tone.
Importer: Maisons, Marques, & Domaines, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 286 2000
robert_parker
1993
Rating:
92
–92
The 1993 Riesling Grand Cru Saering offers a lovely maturity on the nose, displaying floral as well as herbal aromas along with ripe white and yellow stone fruit flavors. Highly elegant, juicy and finesse-full, this dry, pure and piquant Riesling is not that concentrated but reveals a very delicate vitality and a salty finish. Drink this beautiful Riesling over the next 10 years.
