Alsace Flashcards
What are the 4 Noble Grapes of Alsace?
Riesling
Muscat
Pinot Gris
Gewurztraminer
What country does Alsace border?
Germany
If an Alsatian wine is bottled varietally, what is the min % of the grape that must be present?
100%
What river separates Alsace from Germany?
Rhine
What is the only red grape permitted in Alsace AOP?
Pinot Noir
What are the grape requirements for rosé in Vin d’Alsace AOP?
Must be 100% Pinot Noir
How many Grand Crus are there in Alsace?
51
Who produces Clos Ste. Tune and from what vineyard does this come from?
Trimbach
Rosacker Grand Cru
Rosacker Grand Cru
What is the min potential alcohol for the four noble varieties for Alsace AOP, subzone/lieu-dit, and Grand Cru Alsace AOP?
Muscat 9.5% AOP, 10.5% for sub/lieu, 11% Grand Cru
Riesling: 10% AOP, 10.5% for sub/lieu, 11% Grand Cru
Pinot Gris: 11.5% AOP, 12% for sub/lieu, 12.5% Grand Cru
Gewurz: 11.5% AOP, 12% for sub/lieu, 12.5% Grand Cru
What are currently the only 3 Grands Crus that may be either blends or from non-noble varietals?
Zotzenberg: 100% Sylvaner
Altenberg de Bergheim (Riesling with PG and Gewurz)
Kaefferkopf: Gewurz with PG, Riesling, and Muscat
Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf when not blends can be produced varietally from what noble varieties?
All except Muscat.
What are the grape requirements for Altenberg de Bergheim when blended?
50-70% Riesling
10-25% Pinot Gris
10-25% Gewurztraminer
max 10% combined Muscat Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, Chasselas, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc
What are the grape requirements for Kaefferkopf when blended?
60-80% Gewurztraminer
Max 30% Pinot Gris
10-40% Riesling
Max 10% Muscat
Is manual harvest mandatory for Alsace Grand Cru?
Yes
May Alsace Grand Cru be a blend of vintages?
No, and the vintage must be listed on the bottle
By what date must a producer declare intention to produce Alsace Grand Cru?
March 1 of the harvest year
What are the aging requirements for Alsace Grand Cru?
May not be released until June 1 of the year following harvest
What are the permitted vine training methods for Alsace Grand Cru?
Single or Double Guyot
What is the max yield for Alsace Grand Cru?
max 55hl/ha
What are 4 requirements for wine labeled Alsace Grand Cru?
Must be vintage-dated
Must be hand-harvested
Max yield is 55hl/ha
Intent to produce must be declared prior to March 1 of the harvest year.
Must be aged until at least June 1 of the year following harvest
Must be from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, or Muscat unless from Altenberg de Bergheim, Kaefferkopf, or Zotzenberg
What are the min must weights for Alsace VT and SGN?
VT
Riesling/Muscat: min 244g/L (used to be 235g/L)
PG/Gewurz: min 270 g/L (used to be 257g/L)
SGN
Riesling/Muscat: min 276g/L (used to be 256 g/L)
Pinot Gris/Gewurz: min 306g/L (used to be 279g/L)
What is the max RS for Alsace AOP Riesling from 2008 onward?
Max 6g/L if the wine has been chaptalized
Max 9g/L if the TA is less than 6g/L
Max 12g/L if the TA is greater than 6g/L
Does not apply to Riesling that is VT or SGN or Riesling with lieu dit
What grapes used for the production of Alsace AOP must be hand-harvested?
Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris from Lieu-Dit and all VT and SGN wines must be hand-harvested
What are the aging requirements for VT and SGN for Alsace AOP? What about for Grand Cru Alsace AOP?
Alsace AOP VT and SGN: may not be released until June 1 of the second year following the harvest.
Same for Grand Cru
What sub zones (geographic designations) for Alsace AOP are for red wine only?
Ottrott
Rodern
Saint-Hippolyte
What sub zones (geographic designations) are for both red and white wine for Alsace AOP?
Côte de Rouffach
What sub zones (geographic designations) are for only white wine in Alsace AOP?
Klevener de Heiligenstein: Savagnin Rosé
Blienschwiller, Côtes de Barr: Sylvaner
Vallée Noble: Gewürztraminer, PG, and Riesling
Val Saint Gregoire: Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, and PG
Scherwiller, Wolxheim: Riesling
Bergheim: Gewurtztraminer
Coteau de Haut Koenigsbourg: Riesling and Gewurz
What Alsace AOP subzone(s)/geographic designation(s) are for exclusively Pinot Noir?
Ottrott
Rodern
Saint-Hippolyte
What Alsace AOP subzone(s)/geographic designation(s) are for exclusively Sylvaner?
Blienschwiller and Côtes de Barr
What Alsace AOP subzone(s)/geographic designation(s) are for exclusively Riesling?
Wolxheim and Scherwiller
What Alsace AOP subzone(s)/geographic designation(s) are for Gewürztraminer exclusively?
Bergheim
What varietals may be bottles varietally under the Côte de Rouffach subzone/geographic designation?
Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer
What varietals may be bottles varietally under the Vallée Noble subzone/geographic designation?
Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Gris
What varietals may be bottles varietally under the Val Sainte Gregoire sub zone/geographic designation?
Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris
What is the synonym for Chasselas in Alsace?
Gutedel
What two grape varieties may be bottled as Chasselas/Gutedel in Alsace AOP?
Chasselas and Chasselas Rosé
Alace AOP Rouge must be produced form what grape(s)?
100% Pinot Noir
Alsace AOP wines labels “Klevner” are comprised of what grape(s)?
Any proportion of the following:
Pinot Blanc/Klevner, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir (vinified as white)
What is the min potential abv for Alsace AOP Rosé? Rouge? Rouge with subzone/geographic designation?
Rosé: min 10%
Rouge: min 11%
Subzone/Geographic: min 11.5%
What are the grape requirements for Alsace AOP Gentil?
Blend must contain at least 50% noble varieties (Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and/or Gewürztraminer) with the rest comprised of Sylvaner, Chasselas and/or Pinot Blanc. Grapes must be vinified separately and qualify as Alsace AOP varietal wines prior to blending.
What are the grape requirements for Alsace AOP Edelzwicker?
There are no set requirements however these are often comprised mostly of Chasselas by practice and traditionally were produced as a field blend that is commonly fermented together/co-fermented.
In regards to blending appellations in Alsace AOP, which must be vintage-dated and fermented separately?
Gentil must be vintage-dated and fermented separately and must contain at least 50% noble varietals. The rest may be comprised of Sylvaner, Chasselas, and/or Pinot Blanc.
Edelzwicker can be co-fermented and does not require a vintage date or any mention of grapes that are in the blend.
What are the grapes allowed for Crémant d’Alsace AOP?
Chardonnay, Riesling, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and/or Pinot Gris unless it is rosé in style
Crémant d’Alsace AOP Rosé must be 100% Pinot Noir
What is the min potential alcohol for Crémant d’Alsace AOP?
Min 9%
What are the aging requirements and min atm for Crémant d’Alsace AOP?
Min 9 months on the lees prior to disgorgement with 12 months total aging.
Min 4atm of pressure
What is the rendement de base for Crémant d’Alsace? What is the max press yield?
rendement de base: max 80hl/ha
max press yield: 100L per 150kg of grapes
From what to vineyards does the fruit come for Cuvée Frederic Emile?
Osterberg and Gaisberg
What is the northernmost Grand Cru vineyard in Alsace? Southernmost?
Steinkolz (Marlenheim) is the northernmost
Rangen de Thann is the southernmost
What is the largest Grand Cru in Alsace? What is the smallest?
Schlossberg (80ha)
Kanzlerberg (3.23ha)
In what year was the first Grand Cru granted? What was it?
1975 Schlossberg
What percent of Alsace’s total production is Grand Cru?
4%
In addition to being the southernmost Grand Cru, what else can be said about Rangen?
It is also the highest and steepest
What are 3 producers of Schlossberg Grand Cru?
Trimbach Domaine Weinbach Jean-Baptise Adam Paul Blanck Albert Mann Bott-Geyl Trapet
What 4 Grand Crus are located on the northern slopes of the Weisbach Valley?
Schlossberg
Mambourg
Furstentum
Marckrain
What is the major soil type and top grape of Schlossberg Grand Cru?
Granite with the top grape here being Riesling
What two Clos vineyards are located within the Rangen Grand Cru? Who produces each?
Clos Saint-Urbain (Zind-Humbrecht)
Clos Saint-Theobald (Schoffit)
What is the major soil type and star grape(s) of Rangen Grand Cru?
Volcanic soil with the main grapes here Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer though excellent Riesling is produced here as well.
What are 3 producers of Rangen?
Wolfberger
Zind-Humbrecht
Domaine Schoffit
What is the main soil type(s) and grape of Geisberg Grand Cru?
Riesling is the top grape by far and the main soil type is Marl Limestone and Sandstone
What is the name of the cool winds that flow through Geisberg Grand Cru at night?
Tahlwendala Winds
In what Grand Cru would the Tahlwendala winds have their largest impact?
Geisberg Grand Cru
What are 3 producers of Geisberg Grand Cru?
Trimbach
André Kientzler
Kuentz-Bas
What does bundsandstein mean? What Grand Cru features this as a main soil type?
Red Sandstone
Moenchberg (“hill of the monks”)
What are the main soil types and grapes in the Moenchberg Grand Cru?
Red Sandstone and volcanic sediments
What are two producers of Moenchberg Grand Cru?
Domaine Ostertag
Julien Meyer
In what Grand Cru is the Clos Saint Landelin found? Who is this produced by?
Vourbourg Grand Cru
Muré is the producer
What is a foehn wind in Alsace? What major Grand Cru vineyard benefits from this?
A foehn wind results when Atlantic winds hit the western side of the Vosges Mountains, which compress and warm the gusts. These winds rise above the mountains and descend into the vineyards of Alsace in some locations.
Vourbourg is a major Grand Cru vineyard that benefits from this as this lowers disease pressure by keeping the vineyard dry
What are the principle soil types of the Vourbourg Grand Cru?
Limestone and Sandstone with iron-rich clay
What are three producers of Vourbourg Grand Cru?
René Muré
Dopff & Irion
Pierre Frick
Which two Grand Crus are located immediately north of the Ohmbach River?
Vourbourg and Zinnkoepfle
What Grand Cru is located on the lower eastern slopes of the Strangenberg?
Vourbourg