Alsace Flashcards
What soils can you find in Alsace?
Home to 800 different terroirs (to Burgundy’s 60)
Granite, schist, sandstone, limestones and marls, clay, and volcanic soils.
Where is Domaine Ostertag located? What notable vineyards do they use?
Epfig in the Bas-Rhin
Grand Cru Meunchberg: Riesling and Pinot Gris
Clos Mathis: Granite soils near GC Kirchberg
What does the “A360P” label on Ostertag’s Meunchberg Pinot Gris reference?
A vineyard grid reference.
When the wine was first bottled in 1983, it was denied GC status because of its oak influence.
Where is Clos Gaensbroennel?
What is made from it?
Located within Kirchberg de Barr GC
Maison Willm and Domaine Hering both produce Gewurztraminer here.
Where is Clos Hauserer?
What is made from it?
By Hengst GC near Colmar
Monopole of Zind-Humbrecht
Riesling is planted here
Where is Clos Jebsal?
What is made from it?
Turckheim, surrounded by Florimont GC, Sommerberg GC, and Brand GC
Monopole of Zind-Humbrecht
Pinot Gris is almost exclusively planted here
Where is Clos Rebgarten?
What is made here?
Andlau
Monopole of Mark Kreydenweiss
Replanted to Gewurztraminer in 2012, replacing Muscat Ottonel
Where is Clos Saint Imer?
What is grown there?
Located on the highest slopes of Goldert GC
Monopole of Domaine Ernest Burn
Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Noir
Where is Clos Saint Landelin?
What is grown there?
Located within Vorbourg GC
Monopole of Rene Mure
Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Sylvaner, and Pinot Noir planted here.
The Pinot Noir and SGN wines are particularly well regarded.
Where is Clos Saint Theobald?
What is grown there?
Located within Rangen GC
Monopole of Domaine Schoffit
Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer are planted here
Where is Clos Saint Urbain?
What is grown there?
Located within Rangen GC
Monopole of Zind-Humbrecht
Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer are planted here
Where is Clos Sainte Hune?
What is grown there?
Located within Rosacker GC, though not labeled as such
Monopole of Trimbach
Planted entirely to Riesling
Where is Clos Windsbuhl?
What is grown there?
Located near Rosacker GC
Monopole of Zind-Humbrecht
Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris are grown here
Where is Clos ds Capucins?
What is produced there?
Near Schlossberg GC
Monopole of Domaine Weinbach
Cuvee Theo Riesling and Gewurztraminer made here
Cuvee Sainte Catherine Pinot Gris as well
What vineyards are used to make Cuvee Frederic Emile and by who?
Riesling by Trimbach
Geisberg GC and Osterberg GC
Who produces a Grand Cru Muscat? From where?
Zind-Humbrecht, Goldert
Domaine Ernest Burn, Goldert “Clos Saint Imer”
What are some Grand Crus produced by Zind-Humbrecht?
Brand GC (Riesling) Goldert GC (Riesling) Rangen GC (Riesling, Gewurztraminer) "Clos Saint Urbain" Hengst GC (Gewurztraminer)
What Grand Cru exists for Sylvaner?
Zotzenberg
What is the smallest Grand Cru?
What is the largest Grand Cru?
Kanzlerberg (3.23ha)
Schlossberg (80.28ha)
What wines are allowed in the Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Cru?
Who is a notable producer?
Varietal: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris
Blend: 50-70% Riesling, 10-25% Pinot Gris, 10-25% Gewurztraminer, max 10% other. Min. ABV 14%.
Marcel Deiss
In what year were Grand Crus in Alsace given their own AOPs?
2011
What wines are allowed in the Kaefferkopf Grand Cru?
Varietal Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris (but not SGN or VT)
Blend: 60-80% Gewruztraminer, 10-40% Riesling, max 30% Pinot Gris, max 10% Muscat
What is the only Grand Cru where a red grape may play a role?
Pinot Noir planted before 2005 may be used in Altenberg de Bergheim blends.
What is another name for the following grapes in Alsace?
Pinot Blanc
Chasselas
Klevner
Gutedel
What percentage of the stated grape must be in varietally labeled wines in Alsace?
100%
Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois are the exceptions (interchangable)
White wines labeled “Pinot” have white varietal requirements?
Any % blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Auxerrois
What is the most planted grape in Alsace?
Riesling
All standard Riesling bottles must be what?
Dry, from 2008 on
What is Klevener? Where is it grown?
A pink variant of Traminer, it is commonly bottled as Klevener de Heiligenstein.
It may be bottled in: Heiligenstein, Bourgheim, Gertwiller, Goxwiller, Obernai
What are the minimum must weights for Vendage Tardive wines?
What are the minimum must weights for SGN wines?
VT Riesling/Muscat: 244 g/l
VT Gewurztraminer/Pinot Gris: 279 g/l
SGN Riesling/Muscat: 276 g/l
SGN Gewurztraminer/Pinot Gris: 306 g/l
What grapes are allowed in the production of Cremant d’Alsace Blanc?
What grapes are allowed in the production of Cremant d’Alsace Rose?
What are the aging requirements?
Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Auxerrois
For rose, only Pinot Noir is allowed
9 months on the lees, 12 months total
When was the first Alsace Grand Cru established? What was it?
When were there further changes?
Schlossberg in 1975
24 more in 1983
25 more in 1992
Kaefferkopf in 2007
In 2011, each Grand Cru was granted it’s own AOP
What would it matter that each Grand Cru in Alsace has its own AOP?
It allows each Grand Cru to ease or expand restrictions appropriate to their own sites/grapes/situations.
What two notable producers have omitted labeling some of their wines by Grand Cru?
Trimbach and Hugel
When were VT and SGN designations introduced in Alsace?
1984
What is the name of the famous sandstone found in Alsace?
Gres des Vosges
Grand Cru wines represent what percentage of Alsace’s output?
5%
What is the grape for Marc d’Alsace?
Name 3 producers
Gewurztraminer
Zind-Humbrecht
G.E. Massenez
Mette
Describe Vorbourg Grand Cru
Who makes wine there?
South/Southeast aspect with Marl/Limetone
Rene Mure’s Clos St. Landelin monopole is here
Gewurztraminer is the dominant grape
Describe Goldert Grand Cru
Who makes wine there?
Southeast facing with Marl/Limestone
Domaine Ernest Burn’s Clos St. Imer monopole is here
Gewurztraminer dominates but Muscat has some bottlings here
Zind-Humbrecht also produces
Describe Hengst Grand Cru
Who makes wine there?
Southeast facing with Limestone/Sandstone
Zind-Humbrecht makes Gewurztraminer
Josmeyer makes Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris
Albert Mann makes Pinot Gris
Describe Brand Grand Cru
Who makes wine there?
Southeast facing with Sandstone and Granite
Nearby are Clos Jebsal and Herrenweg, both owned by Zind-Humbrecht.
Riesling is the dominant grape
Zind-Humbrecht makes Riesling
Albert Boxler makes Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer
Josmeyer makes Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer
Describe Schlossberg Grand Cru
Who makes wine there?
Dominantly southfacing with Granite
Riesling is the dominant grape
Clos des Capucins is located here, a monopole of Weinbach
Weinbach, Albert Mann, Trimbach, Paul Blanck
What Grand Crus are located in the Weisbach Valley, and what is the importance?
Schlossberg, Furstentum, Mambourg, Marckrain
The Valley creates an unbroken continuous south-facing slope for 3 miles.
The slopes also rise higher and more steeply than most others.
Describe Rosacker Grand Cru
Who makes wine there?
Eastern facing slopes over limestone.
It is a cooler site, so wines are racier. Riesling is the dominant grape.
Trimbach’s Clos St. Hune is here, and Clos Windsbuhl is near.
Sipp Mack and Jean Luc-Mader also make Rieslings here.
Describe Rangen Grand Cru
Who makes wine there?
The southfacing slopes rise high and are very steep. There is also uniquely volcanic soil here.
Clos St. Urbain (Zind-Humbrecht) and Clos St. Theobald (Domaine Schoffit) are here.
Pinot Gris and Riesling are dominant here, though ther eis Gewurztraminer
What single-vineyard bottlings of Pinot Noir does Albert Mann produce?
Clos de la Faille (monopole near Hengst)
Les Saintes Claires
Grand P (Pfersigberg)
Grand H (Hengst)
What is Alsace’s northernmost Grand Cru?
What is Alsace’s southernmost Grand Cru?
Steinklotz
Rangen
