Alsace

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ALSACE
location, landscape, soil

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- LOCATION/LANDSCAPE: 300 miles east of Paris/ vineyards run north/south in long, thin strip over foothills along eastern flank of Vosges Mtns. best vineyards face south
- SOIL: chalk, gravel, loess, clay, limestone, granite, schist, pink sandstone

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VOSGES MOUNTAINS
importance regarding climate and landscape

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- vineyards are on east flank of ran
- altitudes of vineyards on slopes provides good balance between temperature, drainage and sun exposure
- predominantly westerly winds, range shelters Alsace from rain/maritime influence, making region dry and sunny

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ALSACE
grapes

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- WHITE GRAPES: riesling, gewürztraminer, muscat, pinot blanc, chasselas, sylvaner, chardonnay (only in Cremant wines)
- RED GRAPES: pinot noir

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Edelzwicker

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- "noble blend"
- any combination of riesling, gewürztraminer, muscat, pinot gris, pinot blanc, or chasselas
- usually inexpensive or quaffing
- does not need to be vintage-dated

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ALSACE
wine styles

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- predominantly dry whites
- 2 types of late harvest: vendange tardive, sélection d grains nobles

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ALSACE
dry white winemaking

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- blending is [almost] unthinkable
- wines almost always 100% of the varietal on label
- winemaking is hands-off
- indigenous yeasts preferred over commercial
- wines made in stainless steel or cement tank or foudres (older, inert casks)
- no malolactic fermentation
- chaptalization legal

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ALSACE
sweet winemaking

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- VENDANGE TARDIVE: super ripe, late-harvested, can be dry or slightly sweet
- SÉLECTION DE GRAINS NOBLES: super-concentrated, late-harvested, botrytis-affected grapes

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Vendange Tardive vs. Sélection de grains nobles

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VT: botrytis not necessary
SGN: must be botrytis-affected

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Alsace VT and SGN laws

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- produces must officially declare their intentions to produce VT and SGN
- governmental authorities must test grapes as they're being pressed
- no chaptalization
- wines subjected to tasting test before they can be sold

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Alsace labeling practices

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- wines labeled according to grape variety, not by the place that grows the grapes
- wines must be 100% of named grape
- wine made with 100% Auxerrois grape may be labeled "Pinot Blanc"
- white wines simply labeled "Pinot" can contain any proportion of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Auxerrois

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Alsace wineries and their wines

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- most, even small, producers make 20 to 30 different wines
- wines broken into 3 types: regular, reserve, late-harvest
- most producers also make a pinot noir or a sparkling wine, or an inexpensive, quaffing wine, or all 3

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Alsace reserve wines

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labeling in different ways:
- label may carry name of special vineyard
- if reserve wine comes from a Grand Cru vineyard, may have "Grand Cru" plus name of vineyard
- wine may be given a title such as "réserve personelle" or "réserve exceptionelle" (no legal definition)

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Crémant d'Alsace

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- sparkling made anywhere in Alsace
- méthode traditionelle
- blend of grapes - includes any or all of pinot blanc, auxerrois, pinot noir, pinot gris, and/or chardonnay
- must age min. 9 months sur lié after 2nd ferment

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Alsace Grand Crus

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- 50 Grand Crus
- controversial: yield set too high, etc.
- some top producers refuse to use "Grand Cru" on label, but will use vineyard of proprietary name instead
- if label says "Grand Cru," must also name vineyard

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Alsace Grand Cru allowed grapes

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riesling
gewürztraminer
pinot gris
muscat

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Alsace riesling tasting notes

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- very dry
- gunflint, steel/minerals, peaches, green plums, limey citrus

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Alsace gewürztraminer tasting notes

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lychee, gingerbread, vanilla, fruit-cocktail syrup, grapefruit, smoke, spice, stones, minerals, honeysuckle

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Alsace pinot gris tasting notes

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- full-bodied
- bitter almonds, peach, ginger, smoke, vanilla, earth

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Alsace muscat grapes

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2 varieties grown:
- muscat à petits grains
- muscat ottonel

*usually blended together

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Alsace muscat tasting notes

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- both dry and sweet wines made
- peaches, orange peel, tangerine, musk

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Alsace pinot blanc tasting notes

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baked apple, light/creamy textures

*sometimes blended w/ auxerrois grape, but makers won't say so on label

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Alsace red wine

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- only red wine made is pinot noir
- by law, must be bottled in tall, Germanic flute bottles
- earthy, complex, almost Burgundy-like flavors

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ALSACE
separation of region

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Bas-Rhin
Haut-Rhin

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BAS-RHIN and HAUT-RHIN
wine quality

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generally more premier wines in Haut-Rhin, most of Grand Crus there

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ALSACE GRAND CRU
top producers

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Hugel
Trimbach
Beyer