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74 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Hybrid vines banned
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1925
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Alsace flute made law
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1972
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growers/negociants/co-op % of vineyards
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Grower producers - Over 50 %
Co-ops - 1/3 of vineyard area Negociants - 5% of vineyards but buy rest in |
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Number and size of growers
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5,000 growers
3,000 farm less than 2ha |
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Exports
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25% exported
Belgium/Luxemburg Netherlands Germany Denmark USA UK |
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% sales for growers/negs/co-op
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23% growers
37% co-ops 40% negociants |
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Alsace ACs
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Alsace AC (80%)
Alsace Grand Cru AC (51 vineyards) |
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Alsace AC law
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grape variety stated on label
(except small number of blends) 100% from stated variety 80hl/ha WHITE 75hl/ha RED |
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Alsace AC hl/ha law
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80hl/ha WHITE
75hl/ha RED |
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Alsace Grand Cru AC law
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individual vineyards
Vineyard and grape variety on label 100% single varietals from Riesling, Muscat, Gewürztraminer or Pinot Gris (exceptions!) Must be hand picked max yields lower than Alsace AC New plantings over 4,500 vines per ha Prune 8 - 19 buds per square M Local Syndicat Viticole controls chaptalisation, harvest date etc |
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Alsace Grand Cru AC vineyard numbers
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51 vineyards qualify for Grand Cru status
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Alsace Grand Cru AC grapes
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Riesling
Muscat Pinot Gris Gewürztraminer Exceptions: Kaefferkopr, Altenberg de Bernheim = BLENDS Zotzenberg = Sylvaner |
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Alsace Grand Cru AC exceptions
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Kaefferkopr, Altenberg de Bernheim = BLENDS
Zotzenberg = Sylvaner All others are 100% Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris or Gewürztraminer |
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Alsace Grand Cru AC viticulture
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hand picked
New plantings must exceed 4,500 vines per ha 8 - 19 buds per square metre pruning 60hl/ha Yields lower than Alsace AC |
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Alsace Grand Cru AC created
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1983
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PLC
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Abréviation for official French mechanism where max AC yield is increased by up to 20%
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VT
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Vendage Tardive
- Late harvest - From 4 noble varieties - 100% single varietal - Chaptilisation forbidden - Min potential abv by grape - Some of level of residual sugar |
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Vendage Tardive min potential alcohol
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Riesling = 14% potential alcohol
Muscat = 14% potential alcohol Pinot Gris = 15.3% potential abv Gewürztraminer = 15.3% |
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Vendage Tardive Chaptalisation
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forbidden
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SGN
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Selection de Grains Nobles
Sweet wine produced in outstanding vintages - Noble rotted grapes - one of 4 noble varietals - 100% single varietal - Some level of botrytis - Riesling/Muscat abv potential = 16.4% - Pinot Gris/Gewurztraminer = 18.2% - |
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Alsace geography
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Vosges mountains shelter
Rhine river to East |
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Alsace sunshine
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1,800+ sunshine hours
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Alsace climate
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Driest in France
Hot summers Long dry autumns Cold winters allow vine rest |
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Alsace climate risks
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Near perfect vine growing conditions
Occasional summer hail Extreme winters can kill vines |
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Alsace climate exception
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Colmar (center)
warm mesoclimate daily temp 1C higher than average |
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Alsace soil
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Best vineyards on East facing slopes
Lesser vineyards on plains |
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Alsace length and breadth
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140km long
4km wide Haut-Rhine in SOUTH Bas- Rhine in NORTH |
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Upper slopes soils
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Granite, gneiss, schist, quartz, clay, sedimentary volcanic, sandstone
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Lower slope soils
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Calcareous, sandstone, clay/marl, calcareous marl
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Plains soil types
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drainage good
water available large soil variations Care needed with rootstock selection |
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Best soils
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Calcareous marl on lower slopes
rich in calcium poor soils |
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Noble varieties
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Riesling
Muscat Gewürztraminer Pinot Gris |
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Varietal labelling
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!00% named grape
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Alsace vs German style
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Alsace = drier + fuller body
than equivalent German style |
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range of varieties
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Different flowering + ripening times to spread risk
winemaking reflects grape character suitable vines and rootstock identified for each commune |
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Grand Cru site soils
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defined by:
Organic Phosphoric Potassium content |
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Communes each have
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suitable vines and rootstock identified
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Riesling wine style
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Finest variety
strong fruit full nose High acid 11.5 - 12.4% abv typical |
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% of Riesling in Alsace
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25%
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Alsace Riesling soils
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Granite and schist (upper slopes)
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Best Riesling towns
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Best = Wolxheim
Dambach-la-ville Scherwiller also Hunawihr Ribeauville thann Riquewihr |
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Gewürztraminer wines
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Aromatic
spicey lychee, rosewater Full palate often some sweetness Pink tinge give colour hint Low acid common High alcohol common |
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% of Gewurztraminer
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1/5 of plantings
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Best Gewürztraminer soils
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Deep marl in Vosges foothills
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Best Gewürztraminer sites
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Barr
also Bergheim Eguisheim Kayserverg Turckheim Pfaffenheim |
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Pinot Gris wine
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Rich
Alcoholic less aromatic nose luscious flavourful palate balancing acidity |
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Pinot Gris problems
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Variable yeild
prone to fruit set difficulties |
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Best Pinot Gris soils
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Deep soils rich in clay and fine particles
or volcanic rock |
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Best Pinot Gris sites
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Obernai
Extreme north at Cleebourg |
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Muscat %
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3% of total plantings
Declining due to rot susceptibility |
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Muscat varietal in Alsace
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Muscat blanc a petit grains = best quality
Muscat Ottonel widely planted as more reliable |
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Most widely planted Muscat in Alsace
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Muscat Ottonel
Lower quality than MbaPG but more reliable |
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Best Muscat soils
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sandy or calcareous
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Best Muscat sites
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Mittelwihr, Katzenthal
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Muscat wine style
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Dry
Distinctive grapey nose Musky palate |
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Pinot Blanc %
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1/5 of vineyard plantings
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Pinot Blanc
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early ripening
Suits light, fertile soils Authourised for very small number of Grand Cru, VT, SGN |
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Sylvaner
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Declining
Bas Rhine high yielding low alcohol neutral wines sandy or chalk soils Barr, Mittelbergheim, Epfig |
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Pinot Noir %
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10% of plantings
Increasing as locals seek a change from white |
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Pinot Noir wine
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Fruity rose
or Barrel aged with body and colour Not traditional flute required |
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Pinot Noir soils
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Sandy or calcareous like Burgundy
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Pinot Noir regions
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High yields 75 hl/ha
quality from Rouge d'Ottrott |
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Chasselas
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No new plantings allowed
Blending for Edelzwicker neutral light wines Tolerates range of soils and climates |
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Edelzwicker
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Edel= nobel
Zwicker = blend Noble blend |
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Gentil
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The denomination Gentil is thus reserved for AOC Alsace wines that fit within the standards of a superior quality blend. This blend must consist of a minimum of 50% Riesling, Muscat and/or Gewurztraminer, the rest made up of Sylvaner, Chasselas and/or Pinot Blanc. Before blending, each grape variety must be vinified separately and must officially qualify as AOC Alsace wine. Gentil may not be sold commercially until after quality control certification in
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Most common pruning system
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Double guyot
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vintage
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Long due to number of varieties planted
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Viticulture
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Dense plantings
trained fairly high Trellises follow land contours to maximise sun exposure Steep vineyards terraced + v densely planted mechanical harvesting OK on plains |
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Vinification aim
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preserve and express primary aromatic fruit character
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Pressing
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Pneumatic press whole bunch for gentle pressing is common
3rd press cycle vinified and sold separately |
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Pressing length
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Pressing no longer than 3 hours to reduce skin contact
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Chaptalisation
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occurs frequently
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Fermentation
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Very old oak tanks
Ferment often stopped with some residual sugar Quality wine spends time on lees before bottling in Spring/summer after harvest |
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Alsace's finest riesling?
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Trimbach Clos St Hune
limestone vineyard small plot INSIDE wider grand cru of Rosacker Hunawihr (west of Ribeauville) in North Haut Rhine (north of centre) |
