Alsace

Question 1

Climate in Alsace

Answer 1

• latitude (48 degree) –> long growing season, long sunshine days
• climate: moderate continental
• rain: 600 mm –> risk, drought (irrigation not permitted), throughout the year (flowering, fruit set, harvest)
  –> diurnal shift –> acidity

Influences:
- Vosges Mountains –> rain shelter –> sunny, dry
- Foehn wind –> warm –> higher temps and less disease pressure

Question 2

Grape Varieties in Alsace

Answer 2

• Mostly whites (90%), aromatic
• Riesling (noble)
• Pinot Blanc / Auxerrois
• Gewuerztraminer (noble)
• Pinot Gris (noble)
• Muscat (noble)

Question 3

Winemaking in Alsace

Answer 3

• German influence
• usually white
• single varietal
• unoaked

Question 4

History of Alsace

Answer 4

• German influence (aromatic grape varieties, single varieties)
• up to WW2: inexpensive, flatter land
• after WW2: French influence –> AOC system
• trend for more Cremant d’Alsace

Question 5

Topography of Alsace

Answer 5

• Vosges mountains –> diversity
• usually 200-250m (best), up to 450m, S, SE and SW
• lesser quality on the plains

Varied soils –> mosaic of terroirs (different soils for different varieties)
- plains: deeper, more fertile –> vegetative growth –> better for volume
- hillsides –> lower fertility, better drainage –> better fruit quality

Question 6

Riesling in Alsace

Answer 6

• Budding: late
• Ripening: late ripening
• Where grown: needs a good site (sun exposure, drainage)
• Characteristics: cold hardy, thick wood –> frost resistant
• Advantages: good quality at high yields (70hl/ha), good diesase resistance
• Intensity: med to pronounced
• Flavours: unoaked, citrus (lemon, grapefruit) and stone fruit (peach), stony, steely.
• usually dry
• Acidity: high
• Body: med to full
• Alcohol: med
• good to outstanding
• mid to premium (some super premium)

Question 7

Ge

Question 8

Gewuerztraminer in Alsace

Answer 8

• Budding: early
• Ripening: early
• Where grown
• Characteristics: rapidly accumulates sugar, vigerous (–> necc careful pruning and canopy management), moderatively productive
• Advantages
• Risks: picked late –> fully ripe skins, coulure, chlorosis, mildew, grape vine moths, grey rot
• Colour: med lemon
• Intensity: pronounced
• Flavours: lychee, peach / apricot, rose and spice
• dry to sweet
• Acidity: low to medium
• Body: med to full
• Alcohol: med to high
• good to outstanding
• mid to premium

Question 9

Pinot Blanc in Alsace

Answer 9

• Budding: early
• Ripening: early
• Where grown
• Characteristics: inexpensive
• Advantages
• Risks: fungal
• Colour:
• Intensity: low
• Flavours: pear and apple, peach
• Acidity: medium
• Body
• Alcohol: medium
• acceptable to good (some VG)
• inexp to mid priced

Question 10

Auxerrois in Alsace

Answer 10

• Budding:
• Ripening: early
• Where grown
• Characteristics: can be named Pinot Blanc, low aromatic, usually blended into Cremant
• Advantages
• Risks:
• Colour:
• Intensity:
• Flavours:
• Acidity: low
• Body
• Alcohol:

Question 11

Pinot Gris in Alsace

Answer 11

• Budding: early
• Ripening: early
• Where grown
• Characteristics: moderate yields, can accumulate high sugar levels and drop of acidity (–> early harvest necc), often rich and oily texture, ageworthy
• Advantages
• Risks: botrytis, mildew
• Colour:
• Intensity: med
• Flavours: peach and apple, honey and smoky (with age)
• dry to sweet –> trend to drier styles
• Acidity: medium
• Body: full
• Alcohol: med to high –> trend to lower alcohol
• good to outstanding
• mid to premium

Question 12

Pinot Noir in Alsace

Answer 12

• Budding: early
• Ripening: early
• Characteristics: yields must be limited for quality, delicate, many clones (often Dijon), mass selection
• Risks: millerandage, mildew, botrytis, fan leaf and leaf roll virus, ripens too fast if too warm, insufficient ripening (no tannin and flavour ripeness)
• Flavours: strawberry, raspberry, red cherry, unoaked or oaked (smoke clove) earth, game, mushroom (with age)
• Acidity: high
• Body: historically thin and lean, but rising quality
• Tannins: low to medium
• Alcohol: med
  fe Domaine Mure and Domaine Albert Mann

Question 13

Sylvaner in Alsace

Answer 13

• Budding
• Ripening
• Where grown
• Characteristics: less aromatic than Riesling, yields need to be controlled for quality, difficult to grow –> decline, mostly older vines –> reputation as source of good value wines of very good quality
• Flavours: green fruit to tropical, earthy
• dry
• Acidity: lower than Riesling (med to med plus)
• Body: medium
• Alcohol

Question 14

Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains in Alsace

Answer 14

• Budding
• Ripening
• Where grown
• Characteristics: aromatic, small grapes, tolerant to dry weather
• Advantages
• Risks: mildew, rot, mites
• Colour:
• Intensity: greater intensity
• Flavours: grape, floral
• Acidity
• Body
• Alcohol

Question 15

Muscat Ottonel in Alsace

Answer 15

• Budding
• Ripening: ripens earlier than Muscat a Petit Grains
• Where grown
• Characteristics:
• Advantages
• Risks
• Colour:
• Intensity
• Flavours
• Acidity
• Body
• Alcohol

Question 16

Vineyard Management for Alsace

Answer 16

• single or double Guyot (AOC regulation, head trained, replacement cane pruned)
• trained high (1-1.2 m) –> frost protection
• high canopies –> sun exposure
• lower planting density (4000-4800)
• on steep slopes –> terracing might be necc (grand cru)
• risk: mildew, grape vine moths, Esca (less fungal)
• 35% organic (more than France’s average of 14%)
• long harvest (range of styles, different sites): from sparkling to late picked or botrytis
• some steep slopes and grand crus –> hand harvest
• max 80 hl/ha (Gewuerz and PG), 90 hl/ha (Riesling) and 100 hl/ha Pinot Blanc, max 60 hl/ha (PN), 55 hl/ha (grand cru)

Question 17

Winemaking in Alsace

Answer 17

• usually single varietal
• aim to preserve primary fruit
• chaptalisation allowed
• max 80 hl/ha
• pre fermentation skin contact –> flavour extraction and texture
• cool fermentation temps for Muscat, Riesling and Sylvaner
• mid range fermentation temps for Gewuerztraminer (pronounced intensity can take higher temperatures, banana aromas not desired)
• usually temp control, usually inert vessels (trad large ola oak or SS)
• often ambient yeast
• malo usually avoided –> primary fruit
• little new oak
• often matured in SS or old oak on fine lees (body), without stirring
• sweetness was difficult to tell (no labelling), some residual sugar

Question 18

Wine Laws and Regulations in Alsace

Answer 18

• you can add the names of 13 communes (fe Bergheim) or lieu dit –> lower yields allowed at 72 or 68 hl/ha
• Grand cru: single varietal only from noble varietes (Riesling, Muscat, PG and Gewuerztraminer), fe Rnagen, Geisberg, Schoenenbourg
• discussion if yields are too high, changes in the requirements

Question 19

Vendange Tardive in Alsace

Answer 19

• for AOC and Grand Crus
• from noble varieties (Riesling, Muscat, PG and Gewuerztraminer)
• min 235 or 257 g/l minimum sugar levels at harvest
• botrytis not necc
• usually 14-15% abv

Question 20

Selection de Grains Nobles in Alsace

Answer 20

• Alsace AOC and Grand Crus
• from noble varieties (Riesling, PG, Muscat, Gewuerztraminer)
• min 276 g/l potential sugar, gives about 14 - 15 % abv
• necc botrytis affected

Question 21

Wine business in Alsace

Answer 21

• low vineyard holding at 4.7 ha –> coops important (40% of sales), fe Cave de Turckheim
• 29% export (Belgium, USA and Germany)
• Alsace AOC: typical tall, think flute bottle (no bag in box)
• one domaine usually produces very different styles (each 20-30 bottling)
• fe Hugel, Trimbach, Zind Humbrecht