Domaine Bohn Schieferberg Zero 2017

Pinot gris and riesling are destemmed for one third and macerated in open vats for four weeks with gentle remontages to keep the cap wet. The top layer of the cap is discarded before pressing to remove any unwanted bacteria, and the juice finishes fermentation in traditional foudres before ageing. Schieferberg Zero is bottled without filtration or any SO2 added.

The Bohns have been vignerons in Reichsfeld for over three centuries, passing down savoir-faire and knowledge from generation to generation. Nowadays Bernard and Arthur, father and son, look after their heritage with biodiversity and wildlife conservation as core values. Wild cover crop is not mowed but instead crushed and rolled with a rolo faca (knife-roller) to preserve humidity and increase life (e.g. humus, insects) in the vineyard. Bernard has always had an experimental mindset trialling with vintage blending, perpetual reserve, fermentation in receptacles of any shape or form, straw wines etc. With the arrival of the young (now in his mid-20s) and talented Arthur at the domaine around 2010, this pioneering spirit has reached another level with the making of sulphur free and skin contact wines. Those are the wines which stroke us the most with their vitality, strength and authenticity; unique wines we are hugely excited about.