Unit 2 - Alsace Flashcards
Name the three key historical events leading to Alsace switching hands between France and Germany
1) France annexes Alsace at the end of the 17th c. after the 30 years war
2) Germany reclaims France at the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871
3) Alsace returned to France at the end of WWI 1918
4) Alsace occupied by Germany during WWII
5) Alsace returned to France in 1945
In what ways are wines of Alsace an amalgamation of German wine?
1) Flute bottle
2) Labelled after variety rather than place
3) Shared grape varieties
Describe the dimensions of Alsace region
Runs north to south (between 47th and 49th parallel north) as a slender strip of land 120km (75 miles) long, around 5.8km (3 miles) width. Not all under vine.
Zone of production encompasses 53,000 acres/21,200 ha
What climate is Alsace?
Continental: hot summers, cold winters.
Some annual variations on summers (not consistently hot and sunny)
What moderating factors are important in Alsace?
Seasonal and diurnal temperature swings.
Les Vosges forms rain shadow for Alsace from Atlantic influences (which brings rain clouds via west winds) = some of the lowest rainfall in France (15.5-19.5 in/394-495mm per year). Instead, Alsace receives 1,800h of sunshine per year.
NOTE weather patterns can vary a lot across the area too.
Where are vineyards mostly planted?
On slopes of the Vosges foothills @ altitudes 660-1,320 ft/198-396m, facing south/southeast
What is the overall effect on high annual sunshine of Alsace coupled with its northerly location?
The sunshine helps to ripen grapes while the cooling effects make them ripen slowly with more complex aromatics
Describe Springtime in Alsace
Mild, often accompanied by frosts which can severely decrease potential crop yield
Describe viticultural practice on plains to mitigate frost damage
Vines are trained high (allows air flow, also buds grow above where cool air settles closer to the ground)
Describe Summertime in Alsace
Warm, dry and sunny. Sporadic thunderstorms and hail, with drought posing a serious problem in some years..
Describe viticultural practices on slopes to mitigate Summers
Vines trained slightly closer to the ground to maximise heat and reflected sunlight
Describe Autumn in Alsace
Humid - often enabling noble rot to develop. Chances of thunderstorms and hail.
Describe Winter in Alsace
Cold. Vines undergo true dormancy - important for some vines e.g. Riesling which needs to undergo true dormancy each winter, otherwise will degenerate.
What is the Rhine graben?
A grave-like trench: its vertical uplifts include the wine region of Alsace on one side and Baden on the other.
Give one other example of a famous region that runs along a graben
Bourgogne and Jura form the uplifts of the Saône
Describe the Paleozoic Era in Alsace
542-251 mil years ago (about 300mil years ago)
Pressure caused huge up thrust of cooling magma which solidified into igneous rock.
Describe the Mesozoic Era in Alsace
150 mil years ago
Jurassic transitioned into Cretaceous time division.
Alsace covered by inland sea, and over millennia the igneous rock eroded and was covered by sedimentary deposits.
Describe the First Phase of the Cenozoic Era in Alsace
50 mil years ago
Mammals dominate earth. Huge upheaval and buckling of land forms as Afro-Arabian and Euro-Asian crustal plates collide. Great dome of earth rises in Alsace and falls along parallel fault lines.
Describe the Second Phase of the Cenozoic Era in Alsace
Western side of graben fractures in multiple places/fault bundles subsequently developing cross faults. These exposed many different soil types from many different geological epochs. Fault blocks eroded and formed Vosges foothills.
Where is the best soil in Alsace?
Slopes of Vosges foothills, but rich, deep and fertile soils at base of slopes can produce good wine if it consists of high-caliber slope wash
Describe the key components of the 13 different major soil types in Alsace
(alone or in combination) Incorporating volcanic elements, granite, gneiss, schist, sandstone, limestone, marl, sand, loess, and loam
Name all the primary grape varieties (from most widely planted to least widely planted)
Riesling Pinot Blanc (Pinot Vrai/Klevner) Gewurztraminer Pinot Gris Pinot Noir Sylvaner Muscat a Petits Grains Blanc Muscat Ottonel
Name all the secondary grape varieties (from most widely planted to least widely planted)
Chardonnay (only cremant!)
Chasselas
Auxerrois Blanc
Klevener de Heiligenstein
Generally, if a grape variety is listed on the label, the wine must be ___ varietal
100%
Describe Gentil wine category
- Blended
- Min. 50% of a ‘noble’ grape variety (Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer)
- Can include blend with Sylvaner, Chasselas, Pinot Blanc
- Separate vinifications
- Finished wine must undergo tasting panel approval
- Vintage must appear on label
Describe Edelzwicker wine category
- Blended
- Includes any of white grapes approved for Alsace AOC
- Can vinify together or separately
- Vintage is optional
List all blended wine categories of Alsace
Gentil
Edelzwicker
Most Cremants
Describe a wine labelled “Pinot Blanc” or “Klevner”
NB Klevner is a synonym for Pinot Blanc
Can be 100% Pinot Blanc or 100% Auxerrois Blanc, or blend of both
Describe a wine labelled “Pinot d’Alsace”
- Can contain either of the following: Auxerrois Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir vinified as white wine, Pinot Gris.
- No mins/max
- Law allows it to be either 100% of a single variety, but typically is a blend
Which producer represents 33% of the Alsace market in the USA?
Trimbach
On average, how many wines are produced each year?
6-8, with larger producers with at least twice as many.
Why can so many wines be produced by Alsatian winemakers?
7 different primary grapes, many of which are bottled by variety. Also separately bottlings can occur for different terroirs, single vineyards, and sweet wines.
What proportion of production does white wine represent in Alsace?
90% of all production
What laws exist on limiting residual sugar in Alsace wines?
As of 2008 vintage, Riesling was given max R.S. of 0.9% (9g/L), which does NOT apply to GC or wines labelled with lieu-dit (nor VT/SGN wines)
How are most white wines fermented?
In stainless steel or large neutral oak casks (not temperature controlled because cellars are naturally cool).
NO new oak, NO MLF
-Wines meant for ageing undergo long fermentation and occasionally undergo sur lie ageing
How is Pinot Noir changing in Alsace?
Historically, the northerly location of Alsace meant Pinot Noir struggled to develop pigment well, which was also exacerbated by high yields, hence PN of Alsace being labelled as ‘almost-red’. However, with warmer average temperatures, we are beginning to see deepening pigmentation in reds, coupled with efforts to decrease yields to maximise phenolic maturity thus achieving more saturated colours.
Describe laws around production of Crémant d’Alsace
- Hand-picked
- White varieties must be whole-cluster pressed
- Rosés are made exclusively from Pinot Noir, can be made via saignée or maceration
- Wine must age min. 9 months sur lie, and cannot be released less than one year after tirage/bottling
Name the sweetness designations of Crémant d’Alsace
Extra Brut: no dosage Brut: <1.2% RS Extra Sec (Extra Dry): 1.2-1.7% RS Sec (Dry): 1.7-3.2% RS Demi-Sec: 3.2-5% RS
What can Crémant d’Alsace be produced from?
- 100% of either Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling
- Blanc de Noir e.g. 100% Pinot Noir
- Mostly blends of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir
- NB Gewurztraminer is forbidden
What is VT wine?
Vendanges Tardives - late harvest made from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat or Gewurztraminer
- Not independent AOC, can be categorised as Alsace AOC (including communal or lieu-dit) or Alsace Grand Cru AOC
- Contain considerable RS
- Grapes are hand-picked late in the season when berries are over ripe
- Sometimes affected by noble rot, although not mandatory requirement
- Fermentation terminates naturally when yeasts die and leave unfermented RS in wine
- MLF is not encouraged
What is SGN wine?
Sélections de Grains Nobles - late harvest wines made from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, or Gewurztraminer affected by noble rot
- Not independent AOC, can be categorised as Alsace AOC (including communal or lieu-dit) or Alsace Grand Cru AOC
- grapes are hand-picked by berry through multiple passes in the vineyard
Highlight key dates in AOC implementation in Alsace
- Original regional AOC ordinance written in 1945
- Legislation implemented officially in 1962
- GC vineyards began to receive AOC status in 1975
- Crémant d’Alsace given AOC status in 1976
- in 2011 given two sub-categories: communal and lieux-dit
- Recently, each of 51 GC’s were given AOC status
How many AOC-recognised GC’s are there in total in Alsace?
51
Are there any IGP wines in Alsace?
No
Outline rules for Alsace AOC
- Grapes can come from any vineyard in Alsace (although most producers will estate-bottle, co-ops can pull grapes from anywhere)
- Can be white, red, rosé, dry, sweet, blend, varietal, can have special cuvée on label.
Outline rules for Alsace Communal AOC?
- Sub-category, NOT independent AOC
- Recognises wines of higher character
- Higher quality standards than for AOC Alsace
- Can add commune name to label
List all 13 Alsace Communal AOC’s
Bergheim Blienschwiller Coteaux du Haut Koenigsbourg Côtes de Rouffach Côtes de Barr Klevener de Heiligenstein Ottrott Rodern Scherwiller St. Hippolyte Vallée Noble Val St.-Grégoire Wolxheim
Outline rules for Alsace Lieu-Dit AOC?
- Subcategory, NOT independent AOC
- Named after specific recognised plots/vineyards
- Meet stringent production standards i.e. limitations on grape varieties, specified vine density, pruning methods trellissing, higher grape maturity levels at harvest, more restricted yields
- Higher standard than for communal appellations
What is a lieu-dit?
A name given to a plot of land or vineyard because of its notable and significant expression of terroir.
Describe rules around Alsace GC AOC’s
- Grapes have to have been grown on Grand Cru vineyard
- Mostly single varietal (exceptions are Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf)
- Only white wine: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner ONLY for Zotzenberg GC
- Can be dry or sweet wines
- NB Grape variety labelling NOT mandatory
- Special cuvée can appear on label
How many AOCs are there in total in Alsace?
53
Give two notable exceptions of GC blends
- Alsace Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim
- Alsace Grand Cru Kaefferkopft
Give the rules of Alsace Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim wine
- Can be single variety (Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling) or blend
- IF blend = at least 50% Riesling (max 70%), with min. 10% and max 25% Gewurztraminer and/or Pinot Gris, as well as max 10% Chasselas, Muscat à Petits Grains Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir ONLY IF vines were planted before 2005
Give the rules of Alsace Grand Cru Kaefferkopf wine
- Can be single variety (Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris) or blend
- IF blend, must contain 60-80% Gewurztraminer, 10-40% Riesling, max. 30% Pinot Gris, Muscat à Petits Grains Rose, Muscat Ottonel - together can’t be more than 10% of blend
List max yield for White Alsace AOC
4.8 tons/acre (80hl/ha)
List max yield for Pinot Noir Rosé Alsace AOC
4.5 tons/acre (75hl/ha)
List max yield for Pinot Noir Red Alsace AOC
3.6 tons/acre (60hl/ha)
List max yield for White Alsace Communal AOC
4.3 tons/acre (72hl/ha)
List max yield for Red Alsace Communal AOC
3.6 tons/acre (60hl/ha)
List max yield for White Alsace Lieu-Dit AOC
4.1 tons/acre (68hl/ha)
List max yield for Red Alsace Lieu-Dit AOC
3.6 tons/acre (60hl/ha)
List max yield for Grand Cry AOC
3.3 tons/acre (55hl/ha)
List max yield for Crémant AOC
4.8 tons/acre (80hl/ha)
What is the benefit of growing grass between rows of vines?
- Prevents loss of topsoil from erosion
- Competes with vines for water and minerals, leading to lower yields
- Absorbs humidity and minimises threat of fungal disease
What is the benefit of using a plow in vineyards?
-Encourages vine roots to grow deep into soil, where roots can tap into more minerals this way, and are less susceptible to taking on too much water after rain
What is special about harvest time in Alsace?
It is never uniform - every site receives different amounts of sunshine, and soils can/cannot reflect light and heat, impacting ripening.
-Lasts for a long time because of many different grape varieties which each have different ripening curves, as well as multitude of wine styles
When does harvest occur in Alsace?
Sept-Nov
When are Alsace wines best drunk?
- Between 6 months to 5y after release
- Riesling is longest lived, can last decades if properly cellared and loses up-front fruit character, developing subtle notes of pine nut
How are Alsace wines best served?
- Young, high acid wines best served chilled
- Older wines can be best at cellar temperature
- Higher quality wines should be less chilled
