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Working with Rhone varieties in California’s Central Coast is a popular endeavor, but not everyone works with the precision that winemaker Curtis Schalchlin demonstrates in his bottlings. These wines have energy, elegance, and they are available at enticing prices.
If you pop over to the Sans Liege website, one thing becomes immediately clear: Curt is someone who does things his way, (there are a number of references to prioritizing the independence of the winemaker), and he has a proclivity for the poetics that go along with taking fruit from the earth and turning it into a beverage that provides joy, and offers a way for an individual to connect with others.
The way Curt positions his wine label pertaining invites intrigue, and we could not wait to review this Paso Robles wine.
The TL;DR for Sans Liege WinesSans Liege is a small, family-owned winery in Paso Robles, California, that produces wines inspired by the Rhone Valley. The winery was founded in 2004 by Curt Schalchlin, a winemaker who now has over 30 years of experience in the industry. Schalchlin is known for his focus on quality and his commitment to sustainable viticulture. This self-taught winemaker produces wines that are fuller-bodied, have intense aromatics, and balanced, but elegant palates.
Curt Schalchlin, the creative mind behind Sans Liege wines, makes no bones about his journey from what he calls naivety about wine to something his life would be incomplete without.
Schalchlin’s fascination with wine began at a modest part-time job at a Trader Joe’s in Whittier, California, when he was just 19 years old. Growing up in a household without a wine-drinking tradition, his journey into the realm of wine was driven by sheer curiosity. And, as many wine lovers can attest, once the wine bug bites you, that curiosity is there to stay.
Fast forward to the age of 27, and Schalchlin found himself in San Luis Obispo, lending a helping hand to friends venturing into the world of winemaking. This experience would become a pivotal chapter in a journey that would ultimately lead him to start not one, but two wine labels.
The turning point for Curt happened when one of his friends gave him the opportunity to craft his own wine in their cellar. He had already been dabbling with blending wine in an informal position, but the chance to craft something truly his own was something he couldn’t pass up, so he thought, “why not?”.
Schalchlin is the first to admit that his path into winemaking was marked by a degree of naivety, particularly when it came to the intricacies of running a business, marketing, and sales. You know that unglamorous side of the business that gets lost in the poetry we so often hear about when winemakers discuss things like terroir, the influence of their unique microclimates, and their prestige grapes.
However, despite that naivety, he embraced a DIY approach and his passion to build a wine business that would ultimately become Sans Liege from the ground up. The early days were tough, but Schalchlin was determined to make his new label work, and share his love of wine with the Paso Robles community.
Schalchlin is a huge fan of experimenting with a variety of oak barrels to tease out a wine’s complexities, and mouthfeel. The 2022 Sans Liege “Cotes du Coast”, for example, spent 7 months on the lees in French Oak, 10% of which was new, 43% was second-fill, and 47% was neutral oak.
The 2021 Sans Liege Adversary, a Mourvedre, was aged for 19 months in French oak barrels at a ratio of 30% second-fill puncheons, 30% neutral puncheons, 40% neural barriques.
Sans Liege isn’t winemaker Curt Schalchlin only label, he also produces wine under the Groundwork label. Groundwork is considered an entry-level wine focused primarily on Rhone varieties, but also includes the occasional Spanish grape like Graciano.
USA
California, Paso Robles
47% Viognier, 18% Marsanne, 15% Grenache Blanc, 14% Roussanne, 6% Clairette
13.7
Curt Schalchlin
49–55°F / 9–12°C
Chardonnay
Not Needed
Now to 2027
Sans Liege Wines
Rhone blends are known for their aromatics and weighter mouthfeel, and this bottling, which is
47% Viognier, 18% Marsanne, 15% Grenache Blanc, 14% Roussanne, and 6% Clairette, has both in spades.
The wine is a pale lemon-green in the glass, and the bouquet is ripe with citrus (lemon and lime), yeasty biscuit, and chalk. The nose is pronounced and provides a good preview of what is to come. The palate is nicely balanced, with a rich mouthfeel, and notes that sing with layered lemon, lime, warm brioche, and sun-kissed strawberries.
If you’ve been reading along on our wine journey, then you know that there’s a special place in our hearts for Rhone varieties and Rhone blends. We were impressed by Schalchlin’s interpretation of a traditional white blend with his use of Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Clairette sourced from some of the finest vineyards in Central California. The 2022 Sans Liege “Cotes du Coast” falls into the category of everyday, food-friendly wine that is equally at home at a dinner party, or enjoying a quiet evening with friends. We believe you will enjoy this wine; we know we did.
