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Type: Fine d’Alsace
Grapes: Sylvaner, Riesling and Gewurztraminer
Age: distilled in 1982, 40 years in french oak, 2 years in demijohns, bottled 2025
ABV: 49.3%
Price: ~120 EUR

Zitat von Authentic Spirits

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Fine d'Alsace 1982 from Domaine Philippe Schaeffer
Distillation of lees from three white grape varieties: Sylvaner, Riesling, Gewurztraminer
Aged for 40 years in French oak barrels, then rested for 2 years in demijohns.
From a single cask
49.3% (cask strength)
70 cl

Philippe Schaeffer's winery is a family-run estate located in Epfig, the largest wine-growing village in Alsace. With a winemaking tradition dating back to 1750, the estate now cultivates approximately 12 hectares of vines spread across several prestigious terroirs, including Fronholz, Haut-Fronholz, and Hertenstein. This rare Fine is the result of double distillation of the 1982 harvest from three white grape varieties. It aged for 40 years in oak barrels before being bottled in demijohns at its peak in 2022.

Nose: a salad of very ripe fruit (peach, melon, pineapple), grapes and their skins, flowers; all of this comes across as a concentrated Alsatian white wine aged in oak.

Palate: very fruity attack (peach, melon, lychee), resinous (pine), the whole is rich and full-bodied, also woody, but without bitterness

Finish: long, lemony and slightly salty

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Zitat von Cognac-expert

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The Authentic Spirits Philippe Schaeffer 1982 Fine d’Alsace is a remarkable eau-de-vie born from the lees of three white grape varieties — Sylvaner, Riesling and Gewurztraminer — distilled and then aged for 40 years in French oak barrels, followed by a two-year rest in demijohns. Bottled at cask strength (49.3 % vol) in a 70 cl format, this single-cask release captures both the heritage of the Alsace region and the depth achieved through extended ageing.

From the moment of pouring, its deep amber-gold hue hints at the maturity and richness within. On the nose, the spirit opens with an array of very ripe stone fruits — peach and melon — and tropical notes of pineapple, layered with the subtle presence of grape skins and fine floral accents. It evokes the character of a well-aged white wine from Alsace that has spent time in oak, yet retains its original fruit-driven personality.

On the palate, the entry is fruit-forward and luscious, with peach, melon and lychee leading the way, then transitioning into resinous pine and oak-driven depth. The texture is full and generous, yet remains balanced by a fresh nerve and without any hint of bitterness despite the extended wood contact. The finish is notably lengthy — the fruit becomes zesty lemon-peel, and a fine salinity emerges, giving a slightly briny edge that highlights the provenance and the ageing conditions.

This Fine d’Alsace pays tribute to the winemaking and distillation traditions of the region while delivering the complexity of time. It is best enjoyed neat, at cellar temperature or very slightly chilled, in order to fully appreciate the layers of mature fruit, wood and minerality. Whether for connoisseurs of aged eaux-de-vie or collectors of rare Alsatian releases, the 1982 vintage from Philippe Schaeffer offers a memorable tasting experience.

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