Alsace Flashcards
Grand Ést
Alsace + Lorraine + Champagne
(2016)
Alsace departments
- Haut-Rhin (2/3 of GC’s are here)
- Bas-Rhin
Alsace climate
Semi-continental
* 1800 sunshine hrs/yr (1349 in growing season = regular ripening)
* Vosges Mtn rain shadow: 22.9in rain/yr
Alsace soils
- Mountain slopes: schist, granite, volcanics
- Lower slopes: limestone base
- Plains: rich alluvial + gravels
Alsace noble grapes
Pinot Gris
Gewurztraminer
Riesling
Muscat (MPG, MPA, Ottonel)
grés de Vosges
pink sandstone
% rule for varietally labelled Alsace
100%
[Riesling, PG, Gewurz, Muscat, PB/Auxerrois, Chasselas, PN]
Alsace “Pinot”
Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, and/or Pinot Noir (vinified white)
* can also be called Klevner
Alsace synonym for Chasselas
Gutedel
Max. RS for Alsace wines
2008 on…
* Riesling: max 6gl (if chaptalized), max 9gl (if TA > 6gl), max 12gl (if TA <6gl). NOT for lieux dit, VT, SGN
* Rosé: max 4gl
* Rouge: max 2gl
No minimums or maximums for non-Riesling whites, SGN, VT etc
Last vintage for “Tokay d’Alsace”
2007
Savagnin Rose in Alsace
Klevener de Heiligenstein
1) Heiligenstein
2) Bourgheim
3) Obernai
4) Gertwiller
5) Goxwiller
(these are all in the Bas-Rhin)
Min. must weights for Alsace SGN
- Muscat, Riesling: 276 g/l
(16.4% potential) - Gewurz, Pinot Gris: 306 g/l
(18.2% potential)
(VT is 244 and 270)
Min. must weights for Alsace VT
- Muscat, Riesling: 244 gl
(14.5% potential) - Gewurz, Pinot Gris: 270 gl
(16 % potential)
(SGN is 276, 306)
Cremant d’Alsace grapes
FIVE Total:
1. Pinot Blanc (workhorse variety)
2. Riesling
3. Pinot Gris
4. Chardonnay
5. Pinot Noir
ROSÉ = Pinot Noir ONLY
Cremant d’Alsace Rosé
100% Pinot Noir
Maceration, Saignee
Cremant d’Alsace aging & min. atmospheric pressure
min. 4 atmosphere
min. 9 months on lees, 12 total
Permitted vine training methods in Alsace?
Single or double guyot
Cremant d’Alsace producers
- Wolfberger (6 to 7 million bottles per year)
- Lucien Albrecht
- Dopff & Irion
- Albert Mann
- Pierre Sparr
- Joseph Cattin
Cremant d’Alsace production size
45 million bottles (2022)
- 1/4 of the region’s full output
- more 1/2 of all French Cremant
How many Alsace Grand Cru? Most recent one?
51
Kaefferkopf, 2007
Edelzwicker
Vin d’Alsace AOP “noble mixture”
* may/may not be vintage dated
* no varietal requirements, but are in practice blends
* co-ferment or vinified then blended
Gentil d’Alsace
- Min. 50% Riesling, PG, Muscat, Gewurz
- max. 49% Sylvaner, Chasselas, Pinot Blanc
- must vinify each grape separately
- vintage dated
official charter pending
Smallest Alsace Grand Cru? Largest?
Kanzlerberg (Bergheim, 3.2ha)
Schlossberg (Kientzheim, 80.3ha)
1st Alsace Grand Cru & when?
Schlossberg in 1975,
24 followed in 1983,
then 25 more in 1992,
last one in 2007 (Kaefferkopf)
Alsace Grand Cru for Sylvaner
Zotzenberg
Alsace Grand Cru for Pinot Noir
Hengst
Kirchberg de Barr
* 2022 on
Chardonnay in Alsace
Permitted ONLY in Cremant d’Alsace AC
What year did Alsace became an AC?
1962
Alsatian Grand Cru blends
Kaefferkopf
Altenberg de Bergheim
When did the Cremant d’Alsace AC go live?
1976
Vin d’Alsace AC subzones for Sylvaner
Blienschwiller, Côtes de Barr