Alsace Flashcards
When did Alsace receive AOC status?
1962 - it was the last major French region to do so
When percentage of Cremant d’Alsace Rosé must be Pinot Noir?
100%
Where are the vineyards of Alsace located? What is the best exposure?
- Thin strand along the lower slopes and foothills of the Vosges
- Aspect is very important
- Southern, southeastern, & warm eastern exposures
Alsace is said to be a geological mosaic, what different soil types are located there?
- Granite
- Limestone
- Schist
- Clay
- Gravel
- Chalk
- Loess
- The local-pink sandstone (Grés de Vosges)
Can VT wines show bortytis?
Yes, but emphasize varietal purity
Are Vendange Tardive wins required to be dry?
Not obligated by statute to be sweet, the wines can vary in actual sugar, and can be quite dry
What is the workhorse for Cremant d’Alsace?
Pinot Blanc
Since when must standard Alsatian AOP Riesling be dry?
2008 vintage forward
What was Pinot Gris formerly known as in Alsace?
Tokay d’Alsace or Tokay Pinot Gris
What are the major requirements in the vineyard for Grand Cru wines?
- Hand-harvesting
- Min sugar must be higher than Alsace AOP
- Yields are more restrictive than Alsace AOP
What are the min ABV’s for Alsatian Grand Cru wines?
- Riesling & Muscat - 11%
- Gewurztraminer & Pinot Gris - 12.5%
Exceptions:
Altenberg de Bergheim R 12% Pg and Gewürz 14% Final blend 14%
Kaefferkof R 11%
PG and Gewurz 12.5%
Final Blend 12%
What is France’s smallest “région”?
Alsace
What are the two departments of Alsace? Which is generally considered the best?
- Bas-Rhin
- Haut-Rhin (Best)
What steadily replaced Traminer in Alsace through the latter half of the 19th century?
Gewurztraminer (a pink berried clone of Traminer)
What is the synonym for Savagnin in Alsace?
Klevener
What is “Grés de Vosges”?
A local pink sandstone that can be found throughout Alsace
What soil is generally found on the steeper mountain slopes?
- Schist
- Granite
- Volcanic Sediment
What is the smallest & largest Grand Cru vineyards in Alsace?
- 3ha (Kanzlerberg)
- 80ha (Schlossberg)
Klevener vs Gewurztraminer
Klevener is less intensely aromatic than GW but higher in acidity
What is edelzwicker?
An inexpensive blend
- Do not need to vintage dated
- Not required to be more than one grape (in practice they are blends)
- Do not need to indicate any % of grapes on the label
What Grand Cru does Trimbach’s Clos-Ste-Hune Riesling come from?
Rosacker
What is the synonym for Pinot Blanc in Alsace?
Klevner
What is the synonym for Chasselas in Alsace?
Gutedel
What is Gentil?
- A designation for blends
- Min 50% noble grapes - any other Alsace AOP grape may make up the rest
- Base wines are vinified separately
Who is the producer to emphasizing the best Alsatian terroir?
Marcel Deiss
What soil do the lower slopes of Alsace sit on?
Limestone base w/rich alluvial clay and gravel
What portion of Alsace AOP wine is white?
- 90%
- 18% of France’s still white production (2008)
Wine simply labeled “Pinot” may contain any proportion of what related varieties?
- Pinot Noir
- Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Gris
- Auxerrois
What varietal is the largest volume of production for Alsace?
Pinot Blanc & Auxerrois - when considered collectively
What house chooses not to promote admissible wines as Alsace Grand Cru AOP?
Hugel
Trimbach does not label their Clos Ste Hune as Rosacker, but as of ‘09 they released Geisberg Grand Cru
What is the only red variety permitted to be Alsace AOP?
Pinot Noir
What are the AOPs of Lorraine?
- Côtes de Toul AOP
- Moselle AOP
What is Côtes de Toul AOP?
(Lorraine)
- Red - Pinot Noir (light)
- Rosé - pale vin gris style
- From a high proportion of Gamay & Pinot Noir
- White - Auxerrois & Aubin