Wset Advanced: Section 3/18 Alsase

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Climate Aspect and Soil

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- between footsteps of Vosges Mountain and river Rhine split on two departments Bas Rhin on north and Haut Rhin on south.
- cool continental climate with long autumn (influence Vosges shelter.
- anual railnfalls 500mm, lack of clouds, results with hot summers and dry and sunny autumn
- steepest slope vineyards
- lesser vineyards lie on the plain and grape are usualy used for Cremant d'Alsase local AC for sparkling wine.
- Complex soil, granatic, limestone, sandstone, clay, loam and vulcanis soil, contribute to broad different styles of wine.

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Viticulture and Vinification

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- viticultural practices vary depending on position of vineyard on slopes or plain.
- On slope vine are train low to use radiated heat, on plain is trained high to avoid spring frost.
- Double Guyot is the common puring system
- Importand permited grape varieties are Reisling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Sylvanier, Muscat, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir.
- Vintage time are spread from middle September until end of November (sometimes begining of December)
- Alsase view for best wine is one with minimum treatment.
- pneumatic presses, fermentation in large oak vats many of them are over 100 yearas old. Inside of these are thick of tartrate which prevents influence of wood to wine.
- except Pinot Blanc, malolactic fermentation it is rarely used because mask fruit flavour.
- bottling start at spring and most wine are ready to dring but there is a lot of wine who can develop in bottle.

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Appellation and Classifications
Alsase AC

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- 70% of wine production in region
- usualy varietly labeled, in this case wine must be 100% of labeled variety
- wine must be bottled in tall bottles called flutes d'Alsase

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Appellation and Classifications
Alsase Grand Cru AC

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- 51 vineyards with Grand Cru status
- it is not necessary to come from only one vineyard but must use stricter production criteria.
- Maximum Yields are lower, sugar ripeness must be higher and must be produced from a single nobile variety (Reisling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer or Muscat.
- exsception Kaefferkopf and Althenberg de Bergheim alow blending and Zotzenberg allows Sylvanier.
- The label must state name of vineyard, vintage and vhere appropriate grape variety.

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Vendange Tardive [VT] (вендаж тардив)
(late harvest)

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- mean late harvest
- can be made only from four nobile varieties
- must have enough sugar ripenes for 14% abv Rraminer and Riesling and Muscat and 15.3% abv for Gevurztraminer and Pinot Gris (coresponding to a ripe Auslese in terms of a sugar ripeness)
- grapes for the best wines undergone passeriliage and thay be some influence of botrytis.
- style can be from dry to medium sweet

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Selection de Grains Nobles [SGN]
(Selection of Nobily Rotten Grapes)

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- means "Selection of Nobily Rotten Grapes"
- only made from four noble varieties
- grape sugar ripeness capable for producing 16.4% abv for Riesling and Muscat and 18.2% abv for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer ( coresponding to beeranauslese in sugar ripeness)
- not producing every year and than in small quantity.

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Styles of Wine

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- important varietally labeled varieties are : Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Sylvanier.
- Best Alsatian wines (exception VT and SGN) are dry, full body, notable spicy flavour accompany the fruits, some times high in alcohol, influence of botrytis on dry wines can be notable.
- no sweetnes labeling is problem for wines produced from year with hot summers.
- Edelzwicker (noble blend) or " Gentil" inexpencive wine, light in body without any spicy character.

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Riesling

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- 20% of plantings
- light bodied, medium-sweet, best have full boddy, dry, medium medium+ alcohol, high acidity and pronounced flinty mineral character.
- Its responsible for the very best SGN wines.
- its can be grow in very different soils

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Gewurztraminer

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- Gewurz (spice on German)
- Gewurztraminer - pungent aromatic spicy nose, reminiscent of lychees, roses and sweet baking spices.
- Golden colour, full body, oily texture, low to medium acidity, high alcohol, 14% abv
- Responible for very best VT wines with exotic fruit character.
- good pairing with smoked fish, strong chees, and number of Chinese and Thai dishes

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Pinot Gris

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- previosly labelled as Tokay d'Alsace and then Tokay Pinot Gris, from 2006 has been labelled as Pinot Gris
- rich, full body and high in alcohol, goldd colour as Gewurztraminer but less aromatic. On palate can be richly trxtured and have pronaunced flavour intensity with fresh and dried fruit and smoku honey character.
- produced exceptional VT and SGN wines

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Muscat

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- only 3% of vineyards are planted with Muscat
- prone to coloure (fall develop flower to grape) and rot
- Best wines come from Muscat Blanc and Petits Grains, but Muscat Ottonel is widdely planted because of consistent yields.
- clasic grape muscat flavour
- VT and SGN rare expressions

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Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois (бусеруа)

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- usualy blended each other
- when labelled as Pinot Blanc, than is blended with Auxerrois, but if is labelled as Auxerrois than is pure varietal wine.
- This varieties are similar in character, Auxerrois have more full body and spice,
- both of them take 20% of Alsace vineyards
- they tend to be grow to more fertile soils on the plain
- light and refreshing, non aromatic style, common used for sparkling vines.

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Sylvanier

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- 9% of planting
- delicately aromatic with some richness
- is best consumed young

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Pinot Noir

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- increasing importance for local consumers who wants something different than white wines.
- 10% of Alsace vineyards
- lacks weight and concentration of Burgundian Pino
- most often is best as light fruity rose