Dom Schoech

The Schoech family can trace its roots in the vineyards of Ammerschwihr back to 1650. Artifacts from their heritage are on proud display in their cellar in the village of Ammerschwihr. The current estate was established in 1971 on the edge of the village and retains the name Maurice Schoech, although today the domaine is run by his sons, Jean-Léon and Sebastien Schoech.
The estate produces 25 different cuvées from 11 hectares of vines, 70% of which are located in prime hillside locations and harvested manually. All of the parcels are in and around Ammerschwihr except for one 0.5 ha plot in the famed Rangen de Thann vineyard, which is 15km south of the village. Including this little gem, a total of four hectares are planted in Grand Cru vineyards, with about 2.5 hectares in Kaefferkopf and 1 hectare in Mambourg.
The renown of the Kaefferkopf vineyard can be traced back to 1832, when the first bottles bearing its name were produced. It was not designated “Grand Cru” until 2007, when it became the 51st vineyard in Alsace to receive this classification. It is one of only two Grand Cru vineyards where a blend of grape varieties is permitted, along with the Altenberg site in Bergheim. The domaine’s Rangen de Thann plot is, in fact, planted to Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Riesling; the wine is a blend of those varieties and therefore the wine is not labeled Grand Cru, bearing simply the proprietary name “Harmonie R” instead.