The Schist Hand & the Chapel of Oberhagel
Bernard & Arthur Bohn are the father-son team behind one of the most original and historically rooted estates in Alsace — Domaine Bohn in Reichsfeld, where the family has been winegrowers for well over three centuries. Bernard took over the family winery at the age of 18 and, through a series of purchases, trades, and inherited vineyards, cobbled together a single 5-hectare parcel of old vines on the Schieferberg — a backbreaking, steep slope of nearly pure Precambrian schist that is the only outcrop of its kind in Alsace. Today, Bernard and his son Arthur farm just over 9 hectares across Reichsfeld and Bernardvillé, producing a dizzying array of around 33 cuvées that fall into two camps: the 'typical' Alsatian wines (anything but typical, with minimal sulphur) and the 'Par Nathur' natural wines — vinified and bottled unfiltered with zero added SO₂. The name Par Nathur was born from a stern letter from the AOC rejecting the label Par Nature; the Bohns combined Arthur + Nature to create a name that is "tolerated" if not approved. From the age-worthy Riesling and Pinot Gris of Schieferberg (often held back 6 years or more) to the 12-year-lees-aged Vintage Crémant, the iconic field-blend orange wine, and the experimental Hors d'Age Riesling (a blend of eight vintages from 1997 to 2015), the Bohn cellar is a treasure trove of surprises — a testament to a family that has always believed in the supremacy of schist and the soul of the vigneron.
The Bohn Dynasty & the Schieferberg Crusade
The story of Domaine Bohn begins in the 12th century, when the Counts of Andlau first planted vines in Reichsfeld — a small, idyllic village at the far end of a valley, protected by the Ungersberg mountain, where until recently the local Alsatian dialect was still more common than French. By the 14th century, Cistercian monks had developed the monastic vineyard around the Baumgarten abbey, extending from the Schieferberg to the Muenchberg. According to the 1628 medical treatise Phantheum Hygiasticum by Doctor Claudius Deodatus of Basel, and the New Tisch Book by Joan Sig Elsholzius, wines from Reichsfeld were listed among the best in Alsace. For more than three centuries, the Bohn family has kept this viticultural knowledge alive, passing it from father to son.
Bernard Bohn was born with an independent streak. While still in high school, he decided to leave his Jesuit boarding school and enrol in the local winemaking program. With the bare minimum certification in hand, he returned home and announced to his father René that he would take over the winery. At the time, the domaine was spread across many small parcels in the village, but Bernard had his sights on something greater: the Schieferberg — a steep, backbreaking slope of nearly pure schist where the family had constructed a small chapel many years earlier. Through purchases, inherited vineyards, and trades with other winemakers who preferred flatter, easier parcels, Bernard managed to cobble together a single 5-hectare parcel of old-vine Riesling and Pinot Gris on this extraordinary terroir.
Today, Bernard works alongside his son Arthur, who brings a new generation's energy and curiosity to the estate. Together they farm just over 9 hectares, going beyond organic agriculture to incorporate biodynamic practices and Fukuoka-inspired techniques — completely abandoning vineyard ploughing and allowing cover crops to coexist with the vines to create natural balance. The estate has been Ecocert organic certified and is actively practicing biodynamics. The Bohn philosophy is clear: the perfect match of vine and earth is the result of ancestral knowledge, and the winemaker's job is to give soul to the wine, not to impose upon it.
"If the genius of wine expresses itself by the ability of the vine stock to reveal the minerality and aromas of grapes and terroir, it's the winemaker who gives the soul to the wine which will be reflected with atmosphere and harmony."
— Bernard Bohn
Reichsfeld & the Three Terroirs
The Domaine Bohn vineyards are located in and around Reichsfeld and Bernardvillé, two villages in the Bas-Rhin approximately 40 kilometres south of Strasbourg, tucked away from the tourist traffic of the main wine route. The estate comprises just over 9 hectares across multiple parcels at altitudes of 330 to 400 metres, farmed according to organic and biodynamic principles. The terroir is divided into three distinct soil types, each giving a different voice to the wines.
The Schieferberg in Reichsfeld is the estate's heart and soul — a steep slope of Precambrian schist, slate, and shale that is the only outcrop of its kind in Alsace. This is where the flagship Riesling and Pinot Gris are planted, along with Pinot Noir and Sylvaner. The schist is draining, airing, and warms up promptly, producing wines of marked minerality, tension, and ageing potential. Bernard has always believed in the supremacy of this terroir, and the Schieferberg wines are often held back in bottle for 6 years or more before release, only when they are ready to drink.
The precambrian sandstone of the facing hillside in Bernardvillé is home to Sylvaner, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Noir. Since the Middle Ages, these sandstone hills have been reputed for excellent red wines, and the Bohn Pinots from this terroir range from light-bodied expressions to fuller, barrel-aged examples. The third terroir is the Grand Cru Muenchberg and Sauthal in Nothalten — rose sandy greso-volcanic soils that produce Riesling with white flower and pineapple aromas, and Pinot Noir with raspberry, blackberry, and black cherry notes. The unique combination of schist, sandstone, and volcanic soils across the estate gives the Bohn portfolio an extraordinary range of mineral expressions.
The Schieferberg is the estate's most prized terroir — a steep, nearly pure schist slope that is unique in Alsace. The Precambrian schist and slate are draining, airy, and warm up quickly, forcing the vines to struggle and concentrate their fruit. The Bohn family chapel, the Chapelle Oberhagel, sits on this hillside, a spiritual marker of the family's connection to the land. Riesling and Pinot Gris thrive here, producing wines of extraordinary mineral tension, smoke, and saline persistence. Bernard's belief in the supremacy of schist is absolute; these are the wines that define the estate and that he is willing to wait years to release.
Across the valley from Reichsfeld, the precambrian sandstone hills of Bernardvillé provide a contrasting terroir — warmer, more forgiving, and historically renowned for red wine since the Middle Ages. Here, Sylvaner, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Noir find their home. The sandstone produces wines of greater aromatic generosity and softer tannins than the schist, allowing Bernard to craft a range of Pinot Noirs from light and fruity to medium-bodied and barrel-aged. It is a terroir of generosity and history, balancing the austerity of the Schieferberg.
The Grand Cru Muenchberg and its neighbouring Sauthal represent the volcanic side of the estate — rose sandy greso-volcanic soils that produce wines of exotic aromatic intensity. Riesling from Muenchberg expresses white flowers, pineapple, and a hint of minerality, while Pinot Noir achieves notes of raspberry, blackberry, and black cherry. Though the Bohn family was instrumental in the political campaign for Grand Cru status in the region, Bernard's focus remains on the Schieferberg as the soul of the domaine. The Muenchberg is the crown — prestigious, powerful, and volcanic.
Bernard and Arthur go beyond standard organic farming to incorporate biodynamic preparations and Fukuoka-inspired techniques — most notably, the complete abandonment of vineyard ploughing. Cover crops are allowed to coexist with the vines, creating a natural ecosystem that fixes nitrogen, retains moisture, and encourages biodiversity. No synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilisers touch the vines. The goal is not merely to produce grapes, but to regenerate the soil and create a self-sustaining agricultural ecosystem. This philosophy extends to the cellar, where indigenous yeasts and minimal intervention allow the terroir to speak without interference.
Par Nathur & the Two Camps
The Domaine Bohn cellar produces a dizzying array of around 33 cuvées, but they fall neatly into two philosophical camps. The 'typical' Alsatian wines are anything but typical — fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged in old barrels and casks from the local Alsace area, and bottled with minimal doses of SO₂ (less than 1 gram at bottling) — a level that would qualify as natural at most other domaines. These wines are prolonged-aged to achieve the balance and persistence of great gastronomic wines: mineral, aired, persistent, fresh, and easily digested.
The 'Par Nathur' natural wines are the estate's radical wing — always vinified and bottled unfiltered with no added SO₂. The name was born from necessity: after the AOC sent a stern letter reminding the domaine that the label Par Nature (by nature) was not allowed, Bernard and Arthur combined Arthur + Nature to create Par Nathur — a playful neologism that is "tolerated" by the AOC, if not necessarily approved. In this range, we find not only sans-soufre versions of the typical cuvées, but Bohn specials: a field-blend orange wine, a 'vin de soif' made from whole-cluster Pinot Noir infused in Pinot Gris and Riesling juice, and other experimental creations.
The division between the two camps is completely fluid. The typical wines receive so little sulphur that they blur the line with natural, and the Par Nathur wines are occasionally held back for a few more years if they are not ready for release. All wines come from the estate's own organically farmed vineyards. The cellar is full of endless surprises — such as the one-off Riesling 'Hors d'Age', a blend of eight barrels from eight different vintages spanning 1997 to 2015. And there is neither time nor space to discuss the full range of homemade brandy and eaux-de-vie that Bernard also produces.
Indigenous Yeasts, Prolonged Ageing & the Par Nathur Ethos
The guiding principle of Domaine Bohn is that the winemaker gives soul to the wine, but the terroir provides the voice. The organic and biodynamic farming provides healthy, complex grapes. The indigenous yeasts provide spontaneous, site-specific character. The old barrels and casks provide a neutral, breathable home that respects the fruit without masking it. The prolonged ageing provides balance, persistence, and the patience to release wines only when they are ready. The minimal sulphur in the typical range preserves the wine's vitality without dominating it. And the absolute absence of sulphur, filtration, and fining in the Par Nathur range provides wines that are naked, honest, and vibrantly alive. The cellar is a laboratory of creativity; the wine is its joyful, unpredictable report.
Riesling Schieferberg, Pinot Gris & the Hors d'Age
Domaine Bohn produces approximately 33 cuvées across an extraordinarily diverse portfolio that spans white, orange, red, and sparkling wines. The range is divided between the 'typical' Alsatian wines (minimal sulphur, prolonged ageing) and the 'Par Nathur' natural wines (zero sulphur, unfiltered). All are fermented with indigenous yeasts and come from the estate's own organically farmed vineyards. The flagship wines — Riesling and Pinot Gris from the Schieferberg — are often held back for 6 years or more before release, a testament to Bernard's belief that great wine cannot be rushed.
The Chapel & the Future of Schist
Bernard and Arthur Bohn are not merely making wine; they are stewards of a 300-year family tradition and guardians of the only Precambrian schist terroir in Alsace. In a region where geological diversity is often flattened by commercial standardisation, they have proven that the Schieferberg is not a curiosity but a treasure — a terroir capable of producing Riesling and Pinot Gris of extraordinary mineral depth, ageing potential, and soul. Their refusal to release wines before they are ready, their playful defiance of AOC bureaucracy with the Par Nathur label, and their Fukuoka-inspired farming have set a new standard for what Alsatian viticulture can be: ancient in its roots, radical in its methods, and timeless in its quality.
The legacy of Domaine Bohn is the legacy of a family that looked at a steep, backbreaking slope of schist and chose to build their chapel there — literally and figuratively. Bernard's early decision to trade flat, easy parcels for the Schieferberg was an act of faith that has been vindicated by decades of extraordinary wines. Arthur's arrival has brought a new generation's energy to the Par Nathur range, ensuring that the estate's natural wing is as vital and creative as its classic side. Together, they have created a model of fluid, non-dogmatic winemaking where the boundary between "typical" and "natural" is deliberately blurred — because the only category that matters is quality.
The future is one of continuity, experimentation, and gentle expansion. As the old vines of the Schieferberg accumulate another year of root depth in the Precambrian schist, as the Hors d'Age concept evolves, and as the Par Nathur range continues to surprise and delight, Domaine Bohn remains what it has always intended to be: a family estate where the winemaker gives soul to the wine, where the schist gives voice to the grape, and where 300 years of tradition provide the foundation for endless innovation. The story of Bernard and Arthur Bohn is the story of a father and son who looked at the only schist outcrop in Alsace and saw not a difficulty, but a destiny — and who proved that the best bottle is the one that tastes of the chapel, the slope, and the stubborn belief that nature, when respected, always rewards patience.
"If the genius of wine expresses itself by the ability of the vine stock to reveal the minerality and aromas of grapes and terroir, it's the winemaker who gives the soul to the wine which will be reflected with atmosphere and harmony."
— Bernard Bohn