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Alsace Flashcards

(22 cards)

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1
Q

Departments of Alsace

A
  • Bas Rhin - Strasbourg is the capital
  • Haut Rhin- Colmar is the capital and driest city in France. 2/3rd of all GC vineyards located in HR.
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2
Q

3 AOP’s of Alsace

A
  • Alsace/Vin d’Alsace AOP
  • Crémant d’Alsace AOP
  • Grand Cru Appellations of Alsace
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3
Q

AOP’s of Lorraine

A
  • Côtes de Toul AOP
  • Moselle AOP
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4
Q

4 Noble grapes of Alsace

A
  • Gewurtztraminer
  • Riesling
  • Pinot Gris
  • Muscat - (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Muscat Rosé à Petits Grains, or Muscat Ottonel)
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5
Q

Permitted single varietal bottlings.

A

All varietally labeled Alsace AOP wines must contain 100% of the printed grape.

Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat,
Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Blanc (Klevner), Chasselas (Gutedel), Sylvaner, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir can all be bottled varietally

Alsace AOP exceptions:

  • PInot Blanc, often blended with Auxerrois may be labeled as Pinot Blanc
  • Wines labeled Pinot may contain any proportion of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Auxerrois and must be vinified without the skins
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6
Q

Edelzwicker
(Noble mixture)

A
  • Edelzwicker is commonly used to designate any blending of white AOC Alsace grape varieties, without any indication of percentage.
  • The varieties can be vinified together or separately.
  • Vintage on label not required
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7
Q

Gentil

A

Must contain minimum 50% of any noble grape, plus any other Alsace AOP grape may compose the remainder. Base wines must be vinified separately.

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8
Q

First Alsace Grand Cru vineyard

A

GC Schlossberg AOP
Est. 1975
Soil: Granite
Commune: Kientzheim

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9
Q

Largest Alsace GC vineyards

A

GC Schlossberg AOP
80.28 Ha
Commune-Kientzheim

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10
Q

Smallest Alsace GC vineyard

A

Grand Cru Kanzlerberg AOP
3.23ha
Commune- Bergheim

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11
Q

How many GC in Alsace?

A

51

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12
Q

2 GC vyds where blending is permitted

A
  • Altenberg de Bergheim
    50-70% Riesling, 10-25% Pinot Gris, 10-25% Gewurz, max. 10% combined Chasselas, Muscat
  • Kaefferkopf
    60-80% Gewurz, 10-40% Riesling, max. 30% Pinot Gris, max. 10% Muscat
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13
Q

GC that allows Sylvaner

A

Zotzenberg est. 2011
Commune- Mittelbergheim
(not allowed for VT and SGN)

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14
Q

Alsace Grand Cru AOP regulations

A
  • Varietal Wines: 100% of the stated variety is required for the assemblage.
  • Minimum alcohol-
    11% for Riesling/Muscat and 12.5% for Pinot Gris/Gewurztraminer (Certain vineyards mandate higher amounts)
  • Élevage: Wines may not be released until June 1 of the year following the harvest. VT and SGN wines require an additional year prior to release.
  • Vine training- Single or Double Guyot
  • All Grand Cru wine must be vintage-dated.
  • Intent to produce GC wine must be declared before March 1 of the harvest year.
  • Hand harvesting mandatory
  • Alsace Grand Cru wines must be bottled in the traditional “Vin du Rhin” “Flûte d’Alsace” bottle.
  • Minimum sugar levels at harvest are higher than Alsace AOP, and yields are more restricted.
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15
Q

Great Alsace vintages

A

2017-2020
2015
2010
2007
2005
2000
Avoid 2006

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16
Q

Cremant d’Alsace AOP

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A
  • Permitted varietals- Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Chardonnay
  • PN for rose
  • Only appellation in the region to allow Chardonnay
  • Min alcohol- 9%
  • Elevage- 9 months on lees prior to dégorgement (12 months total aging, with at least 9 months on lees, is required from the 2012 vintage forward.)
  • Vine training - Guyot simple, double Guyot
  • Manual harvesting mandatory
17
Q

Trimbach

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A
  • Region of production: Haut-Rhin
  • Winery Location: Ribeauvillé
  • Year Established: 1626
  • Trimbach is known for its “purist” vision, producing dry wines that are labeled by proprietary names rather than grand cru designation. The classic examples of this are their Clos Sainte Hune and Cuvée Frédéric Emile Rieslings, which pre-date the 1983 AOC Grand Cru designation.
  • Vineyard holdings:
    Clos Sainte Hune (1.67 ha): An historical monopole within the Rosacker Grand Cru containing 50+ year old vines on limestone soils. Owned by the Trimbach family for over 200 years.
    Grand Cru Geisberg (.65 ha)
    Grand Cru Mendelberg (1ha)
    Grand Cru Osterberg (4 ha)
    Grand Cru Schlossberg(2 ha): South-facing parcel planted on granite soils. Purchased in 2012.
  • Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages:
  • Riesling “Clos Sainte Hune:” Average 650 cases produced.
  • Riesling “Cuvée Frédéric Emile:” A blend of Geisberg and Osterberg Grand Crus. Named for Frédéric Emile, who is known for providing a new guarantee of quality and authenticity for Trimbach in 1898.
  • Riesling “Cuvée Frédéric Emile” VT
  • Riesling “Cuvée Frédéric Emile” SGN
  • Riesling “Schlossberg” Grand Cru: Inaugural vintage 2014.
  • Riesling “Geisberg” Grand Cru: Inaugural vintage 2009.
  • Riesling “Mandelberg” Grand Cru: Inaugural vintage 2016. (Previously labelled as Cuvée M)
  • Pinot Gris VT and SGN
  • Gewurztraminer VT AND SGN
18
Q

Domaine Weinbach

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A
  • Region of Production: Haut-Rhin
  • Winery Location: Kientzheim
  • Year Established: 1898
  • Top Wines and Inaugural Vintages:
  • Riesling Vin d’Alsace Cuvée Colette: Named in honor of the late matriarch, Colette. Sourced from vineyards at the bottom of Schlossberg Grand Cru that are picked later than the other bottlings. Some of the vineyards fall outside the grand cru boundary, hence the AOP label.
  • Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Sainte Catherine: Inaugural vintage 1984.
  • Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Sainte Catherine “L’Inédit!”: Produced from specific plots of botrytized Riesling; picked all at once (without tries). Inaugural vintage 1998.
  • Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Mambourg
  • Pinot Gris Altenbourg
  • Quintessences de Grains Nobles: produced only in outstanding vintages; made from selected botrytized berries; production averages 34 cases/year (375-ml bottles): Inaugural vintage 1983.
19
Q

Albert Boxler

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A
  • Region of Production: Haut-Rhin
  • Winery Location: Niedermorschwihr
  • Year Established: 1673
  • Vineyard holdings:
  • Grand Cru Sommerberg: soil is granite; vines are 14-65 years old
  • Grand Cru Brand: soil is granite; vines are 22-67 years old
  • Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages:
  • Riesling Grand Cru Brand “Kirchberg”
  • Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg “Dudenstein”
  • Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg “Eckberg”
  • Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg VT
  • Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg SGN
  • Pinot Gris Grand Cru Sommerberg “Wiptal”
  • Pinot Gris Grand Cru Sommerberg VT
  • Pinot Gris Grand Cru Sommberberg SGN
  • Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Brand VT
  • All wines are fermented in foudres except for the Gewurztraminer bottlings and all Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles wines, which ferment in stainless steel
20
Q

Domaine Ostertag

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A
  • Region of Production: Bas-Rhin
  • Winery Location: Epfig
  • Year Established: 1966
  • Vineyard Holdings:
    Grand Cru Muenchberg: planted to Riesling; acid siliceous soils made of coarse sand
    Clos Mathis: located near Ribeauville at the foot of the trios châteaux (11th century castles on the Schlossberg hill) and next to Grand Cru Kirchberg; soil is granite
  • Top Wines Produced-
  • Riesling Grand Cru Muenchberg
  • Riesling Clos Mathis
  • Pinot Gris Grand Cru Muenchberg “A360P”: the wine name refers to its vineyard grid reference, used because when he first created the wine in 1983, the AOP denied him the right to label his Pinot Gris as Grand Cru due to considerable oak influence
  • Pinot Gris Zellberg
  • Gewurztraminer “Vignoble d’E”
  • André Ostertag is known for the unofficial categories he created for his wines: Vins de Fruit (wines that express fruity typicity), Vins de Pierre (wines that express their specific terroir) and Vins de Temps (wines that are affected by time and weather—e.g. late-harvest and botrytized wines).
  • Ostertag sources oak exclusively from the local Vosges Mountains for his 228-liter barrels, which are used for aging his Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, which may see up to 20% new oak depending on the bottling. The Sylvaner, Muscat, Gewurztraminer and Riesling bottlings see only stainless steel.
21
Q

Marcel Deiss

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A
  • Region of Production: Haut-Rhin
  • Winery Location: Bergheim
  • Year Established: 1947

Vineyard Holdings: 27 ha
* Grand Cru Mambourg: planted to Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris; soil is magnesium on conglomerated limestone and marl
* Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim: mixed plantings of thirteen varieties: Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner, Auxerrois, Chasselas, Pinot Beurot, Chasselas Rosé, Traminer and Muscat Ottonel (Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer dominate); soil is clay and rock limestone
* Grand Cru Schoenenbourg: planted to Riesling; soil is stony, marl-limestone and sandstone

  • Top Wines Produced / Inaugural Vintages:
  • Grand Cru Mambourg: Inaugural vintage 1998.
  • Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim: Inaugural vintage 1994.
  • Grand Cru Schoenenbourg
  • Biodynamic. The wines ferment and age in large foudres for at least one year.
  • The Deiss fam are advocates of complantation, or the blending of grapes from one site, as opposed to the more common Alsatian practice of single-variety winemaking and labeling. He also played a large role in the 2005 INAO reform, which dropped the variety designation requirement for Alsace Grand Cru AOP wines (it is now optional) and which modified the Grand Cru Altenberg production laws to allow field blends.
22
Q

Hugel

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A
  • Region of Production: Haut-Rhin
  • Winery Location: Riquewihr
  • Year Established: 1639
  • Summary:
    Hugel family has been producing wine in Alsace for over 200 years. Known for its pioneering role in the INAO’s 1984 recognition of Vendange Tardive and Sélection des Grains Nobles wines. Today they produce wine from their own vineyards as well as operate as a négociant business, sourcing grapes under contract with growers. The domaine chooses not to use the grand cru designation because the number of vineyards has been expanded to what they feel include less-favored sites. Instead, they produce wines in three tiers of quality: Varietal wines occupy the base tier, “Tradition” the middle, and “Jubilée” the top-quality tier. Wines of particular excellence appear under the “Hommage à Jean Hugel” banner. Vendange Tardive and Sélection des Grains Nobles cuvées are only produced in great vintages.

Vineyard Holdings: 30 ha
* Grand Cru Sporen
* Grand Cru Schoenenbourg

  • Top Wines Produced:
  • Riesling “Jubilée”
  • Pinot Gris “Jubilée”
  • Gewurztraminer “Jubilée”
  • Riesling “Hommage à Jean Hugel”
  • Pinot Gris “Hommage à Jean Hugel”
  • Gewurztraminer “Hommage à Jean Hugel”
  • Riesling “Grossi Laüe”
  • Gewurztraminer “Grossi Laüe”
  • Pinot Gris “Grossi Laüe”
  • Pinot Noir “Grossi Laüe”
  • Riesling VT
  • Riesling SGN
  • Pinot Gris VT
  • Pinot Gris SGN
  • Gewurztraminer VT
  • Gewurztraminer SGN
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