Alsace Grand Cru AOC
Encyclopedia
Alsace Grand Cru is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
for wine
s made in specific parcels of the Alsace wine region of France
. The Grand Cru AOC was recognized in 1975 by the INAO
with subsequent expansion in 1983, 1992 and 2007.
The wines come from selected sites in the Alsace AOC region, located at altitudes between 200 m and 300 m. To qualify for Grand Cru status, the wine must first meet the AOC Alsace-rules and then other strict requirements. Thus, the yield of the vineyards has to be 65 hectoliter per hectare
or less, the wine has to come from a single named vineyard (which is called a lieu-dit
in Alsace) of Grand Cru status, and the name of the vineyard must be listed on the label.
As of 2011, 51 lieux-dits are listed as Grand Cru, the latest addition being Kaefferkopf of Ammerschwihr in January 2007.
came very early.
In 613, the king-to-be Dagobert
gave vines on the Steinklotz to the abbey of Haslach
.
In Rouffach in 762, Heddo, Archbishop of Strasbourg, founded the abbey of Ettenheim
and made his income up of the vines of the Vorbourg.
In Bennwihr in 777, the missi dominici passing through Alsace exposed in their report to Charlemagne
the quality of Beno Villare ("Beno's domain") wines which vines showed off on the Marckrain.
In Sigolsheim, a charter of 783 notified that the Sigoltesberg vineyard (the current Mambourg) was the common property of the nearby lords and monasteries.
In Kintzheim in the 9th century, the Benedictine abbots of Ebersmunster
owned vines on the Praelatenberg (litt. "Prelates hill"). This lieu-dit is attested since 823.
In Dahlenheim and Scharrachbergheim, a charter pointed for the first time to the vineyard of the Engelberg in 884.
In Wintzenheim in the 9th century, a gift from the abbey of Murbach
cited the Hengst for the first time. The lords of Hohlandsbourg
and the bailiff of Kayserberg
shared its feodal rignts until the French Revolution
.
Between 1000 and Renaissance
, each other Alsacian lieux-dits has been owned or a fief of the nobility or the clergy. The wealth or the alsacian cartularies and charter-binders would only be erudites treat if it hadn't formed the historical basis of the delimitation of the Alsace grands crus lieux-dits.
After 1919's Treaty of Versailles
and Alsace's return into France, German law mainly remained force in this previously Reichsland
as local law, introduced as soon as 1919 and legalized in 1924. This situation holded up the recognition of Alsace wines.
After the ordonnance of 1945 defining the designation of origin of Alsacian wines came in 1962 the decree relating to the use of such designations: the appellation d'origine contrôlée
Alsace was born. Nevertheless, neither the ordonnance nor the decree contained a word about geographical designations or an allusion to crus.
The situation began to evolve with a decree in 1975 which created the designation "alsace grand cru". Its first article makes clear that wines have first to meet the AOC Alsace-rules. It also pointed out the first and only alsace grand cru: the Schlossberg.
Then, a decree in 1983 designated 24 other lieux-dits to join the grands crus d'Alsace.
In 1992, the INAO
accepted a new folder to increase the alsace grands crus list. The same year, a decree added 25 new names.
Meanwhile, these texts have been modified. In 1984 were vendange tardive
and sélection de grains nobles
introduced; in 1993 was Rouffach admitted in the Vorbourg lieu-dit; 2001 saw the maximal yield reduced; 2005 saw exceptions allowed to vine planting and 2007 the fifty-first member of the Alsacian elite vineyards.
, in the region Alsace
, on the territory of 47 communes (14 in Bas-Rhin
and 33 in Haut-Rhin
), from Marlenheim at northern end, westward from Strasbourg, to Thann at southern end, westward from Mulhouse.
, which formed from a collapse during the Oligocene
and is followed since the Miocene
by the river Rhine.
The vineyard stays on the lower slopes of the Vosges Mountains
, on the fault zone of the graben
, covered by alluvial fan
s of the many rivers and creeks flowing from the nearby heights.
This explains the variety of the subsurface materials and their succession forming a true mosaic: limestone
s, granite
s, shale
s, gneiss
or sandstone
s.
Mainly, the upper part of the slopes of the subvosgian hills consists of old rocks: pluton
s and metamorphic rock
s like granite, gneiss or slate
.
Vine-planted parcels are rather steep and climb up to 478 m height (near Osenbach
).
The lower part of the slopes consists of layers of limestones or marl
s covered by loess
where the slope is rather smooth.
Endly, the plain consists of a thick layer of alluvium
deposited by the Rhine (silt
and gravel
s). This zone is very more fertile than the two previous with an important aquifer
mainly close to the surface (less than 5 m deep): the Upper Rhine aquifer.
Such differences between a place and another allow each Grand Cru to benefit from a particular terroir
, even more differentiated by the climate.
Dominating western winds loose their moisture on the eastern side of the Vosges and arrive as foehn winds into the Alsace plain.
The precipitation mean in Alsace is the least of all French vineyards and Colmar
one of the dryest towns of France.
Consequently, the climate is more temperated than expected at this latitude: the annual mean temperature is about 1.5 °C higher. The climate is semi-continental and dry with hot springs, sunny and dry summers, long autumns and cold winters.
Each of the Grands Crus benefits from a microclimate
, inevitably different from place to place.
, Muscat, Pinot Gris
and Gewürztraminer
grape
s. In 2006 Zotzenberg became the first Grand Cru vineyard that could contain pure Sylvaner. Except for certain vineyards where blends are allowed, the wines must be varietal
(i.e. exclusively made of one variety) and may be labelled as such. They can be late harvest wine
s: Vendange tardive
or Sélection de Grains Nobles
. In that case, the variety must be labelled.
If Muscat is labelled, it means that any of the Muscat allowed varieties has been used (see table below). However, it doesn't mean that blends within these varieties are allowed.
.
) with their commune(s)/village(s) and département in parentheses. Where the same name is used for several vineyards, its official name is "vineyard" de "village", such as Altenberg de Bergbieten, Altenberg de Bergheim or Altenberg de Wolxheim.
- Haut-Rhin
)
- Bas-Rhin
) (Bergheim
- Haut-Rhin) (Turckheim
- Haut-Rhin) (Eguisheim
- Haut-Rhin) (Ribeauvillé
- Haut-Rhin) (Rodern
and Saint-Hippolyte
- Haut-Rhin) (Gueberschwihr
- Haut-Rhin) (Hattstatt
and Voegtlinshoffen
- Haut-Rhin) (Wintzenheim
- Haut-Rhin) (Bergheim
- Haut-Rhin) (Andlau
- Bas-Rhin) (Guebwiller
- Haut-Rhin) (Barr
- Bas-Rhin) (Ribeauvillé
- Haut-Rhin) (Guebwiller
- Haut-Rhin) (Andlau
and Eichhoffen
- Bas-Rhin) (Wuenheim
- Haut-Rhin) (Thann
and Vieux-Thann
- Haut-Rhin) (Hunawihr
- Haut-Rhin) (Guebwiller
- Haut-Rhin) (Niedermorschwihr
and Katzenthal
- Haut-Rhin) (Beblenheim
- Haut-Rhin) (Bergholtz
and Guebwiller
- Haut-Rhin) (Andlau
- Bas-Rhin)
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
for wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
s made in specific parcels of the Alsace wine region of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The Grand Cru AOC was recognized in 1975 by the INAO
Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine is the French organization charged with regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin . Controlled by the French government, it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture...
with subsequent expansion in 1983, 1992 and 2007.
The wines come from selected sites in the Alsace AOC region, located at altitudes between 200 m and 300 m. To qualify for Grand Cru status, the wine must first meet the AOC Alsace-rules and then other strict requirements. Thus, the yield of the vineyards has to be 65 hectoliter per hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
or less, the wine has to come from a single named vineyard (which is called a lieu-dit
Lieu-dit
Lieu-dit is a French toponymic term referring to an uninhabited place yet bearing a name...
in Alsace) of Grand Cru status, and the name of the vineyard must be listed on the label.
As of 2011, 51 lieux-dits are listed as Grand Cru, the latest addition being Kaefferkopf of Ammerschwihr in January 2007.
Middle Age
In Alsace, the concept of cruCru (wine)
Cru is a French wine term which is traditionally translated as "growth", as it was originally the past participle of the verb "croitre" . As a wine term it is closely connected to terroir in the sense of an "extent of terrain having a certain physical homogeneity ....
came very early.
In 613, the king-to-be Dagobert
Dagobert I
Dagobert I was the king of Austrasia , king of all the Franks , and king of Neustria and Burgundy . He was the last Merovingian dynast to wield any real royal power...
gave vines on the Steinklotz to the abbey of Haslach
Haslach
Haslach is a small city in south-west Germany, in the district Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. As of 2010 it had a population of 7,010.-History:...
.
In Rouffach in 762, Heddo, Archbishop of Strasbourg, founded the abbey of Ettenheim
Ettenheim
Ettenheim is a town in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.In the Middle Ages, Ettenheim belonged to the Archbishop of Strasbourg. It gained its Charter in 1302.In 1973 it was incorporated into the Ortenaukreis.-Districts:...
and made his income up of the vines of the Vorbourg.
In Bennwihr in 777, the missi dominici passing through Alsace exposed in their report to Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
the quality of Beno Villare ("Beno's domain") wines which vines showed off on the Marckrain.
In Sigolsheim, a charter of 783 notified that the Sigoltesberg vineyard (the current Mambourg) was the common property of the nearby lords and monasteries.
In Kintzheim in the 9th century, the Benedictine abbots of Ebersmunster
Ebersmunster
Ebersmunster is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is famous for its 1727 baroque church, a work by Vorarlberg architect Peter Thumb.-References:*...
owned vines on the Praelatenberg (litt. "Prelates hill"). This lieu-dit is attested since 823.
In Dahlenheim and Scharrachbergheim, a charter pointed for the first time to the vineyard of the Engelberg in 884.
In Wintzenheim in the 9th century, a gift from the abbey of Murbach
Murbach
Murbach is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Murbach Abbey is located near Murbach.-References:*...
cited the Hengst for the first time. The lords of Hohlandsbourg
Château du Hohlandsbourg
The Château de du Hohlandsbourg is a ruined castle in the commune of Wintzenheim, near Colmar, in the Haut-Rhin département of France. It is open to the public between Easter and 11 November.-History:...
and the bailiff of Kayserberg
Kaysersberg
Kaysersberg is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The inhabitants are called Kaysersbergeois. The name means Emperor's Mountain in German....
shared its feodal rignts until the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
Between 1000 and Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
, each other Alsacian lieux-dits has been owned or a fief of the nobility or the clergy. The wealth or the alsacian cartularies and charter-binders would only be erudites treat if it hadn't formed the historical basis of the delimitation of the Alsace grands crus lieux-dits.
Contemporary
The status of Alsace wine region is a case apart within the French wine regions.After 1919's Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
and Alsace's return into France, German law mainly remained force in this previously Reichsland
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
as local law, introduced as soon as 1919 and legalized in 1924. This situation holded up the recognition of Alsace wines.
After the ordonnance of 1945 defining the designation of origin of Alsacian wines came in 1962 the decree relating to the use of such designations: the appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
Alsace was born. Nevertheless, neither the ordonnance nor the decree contained a word about geographical designations or an allusion to crus.
The situation began to evolve with a decree in 1975 which created the designation "alsace grand cru". Its first article makes clear that wines have first to meet the AOC Alsace-rules. It also pointed out the first and only alsace grand cru: the Schlossberg.
Then, a decree in 1983 designated 24 other lieux-dits to join the grands crus d'Alsace.
In 1992, the INAO
Institut National des Appellations d'Origine
The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine is the French organization charged with regulating French agricultural products with Protected Designations of Origin . Controlled by the French government, it forms part of the Ministry of Agriculture...
accepted a new folder to increase the alsace grands crus list. The same year, a decree added 25 new names.
Meanwhile, these texts have been modified. In 1984 were vendange tardive
Vendange tardive
Vendange tardive means "late harvest" in French. The phrase refers to a style of dessert wine where the grapes are allowed to hang on the vine until they start to dehydrate. This process, called passerillage, concentrates the sugars in the juice and changes the flavours within it...
and sélection de grains nobles
Sélection de Grains Nobles
Sélection de Grains Nobles is French for "selection of noble berries" and refers to wines made from grapes affected by noble rot. SGN wines are sweet dessert wines with rich, concentrated flavours...
introduced; in 1993 was Rouffach admitted in the Vorbourg lieu-dit; 2001 saw the maximal yield reduced; 2005 saw exceptions allowed to vine planting and 2007 the fifty-first member of the Alsacian elite vineyards.
Geography
Alsace grands crus are produced in north-eastern FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in the region Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, on the territory of 47 communes (14 in Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
and 33 in Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin is a département of the Alsace region of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.-Subdivisions:The department...
), from Marlenheim at northern end, westward from Strasbourg, to Thann at southern end, westward from Mulhouse.
Geology and orography
Alsace plain occupies the south part of the Upper Rhine PlainUpper Rhine Plain
The Upper Rhine Plain, Rhine Rift Valley or Upper Rhine Graben is a major rift, straddling the border between France and Germany. It forms part of the European Cenozoic Rift System, which extends across central Europe...
, which formed from a collapse during the Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
and is followed since the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
by the river Rhine.
The vineyard stays on the lower slopes of the Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
, on the fault zone of the graben
Graben
In geology, a graben is a depressed block of land bordered by parallel faults. Graben is German for ditch. Graben is used for both the singular and plural....
, covered by alluvial fan
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
s of the many rivers and creeks flowing from the nearby heights.
This explains the variety of the subsurface materials and their succession forming a true mosaic: limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
s, granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
s, shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
s, gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
or sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
s.
Mainly, the upper part of the slopes of the subvosgian hills consists of old rocks: pluton
Pluton
A pluton in geology is a body of intrusive igneous rock that crystallized from magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Plutons include batholiths, dikes, sills, laccoliths, lopoliths, and other igneous bodies...
s and metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
s like granite, gneiss or slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
.
Vine-planted parcels are rather steep and climb up to 478 m height (near Osenbach
Osenbach
Osenbach is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
).
The lower part of the slopes consists of layers of limestones or marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
s covered by loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
where the slope is rather smooth.
Endly, the plain consists of a thick layer of alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
deposited by the Rhine (silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
s). This zone is very more fertile than the two previous with an important aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
mainly close to the surface (less than 5 m deep): the Upper Rhine aquifer.
Such differences between a place and another allow each Grand Cru to benefit from a particular terroir
Terroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
, even more differentiated by the climate.
Climatology
On the western side, the Vosges Mountains shield the Alsacian vineyards from wind and rain.Dominating western winds loose their moisture on the eastern side of the Vosges and arrive as foehn winds into the Alsace plain.
The precipitation mean in Alsace is the least of all French vineyards and Colmar
Colmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
one of the dryest towns of France.
Consequently, the climate is more temperated than expected at this latitude: the annual mean temperature is about 1.5 °C higher. The climate is semi-continental and dry with hot springs, sunny and dry summers, long autumns and cold winters.
Each of the Grands Crus benefits from a microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
, inevitably different from place to place.
Allowed varieties
As of 2011, all wines are white and can be produced from the noble Alsace varieties: RieslingRiesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
, Muscat, Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
and Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer is an aromatic wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. It is sometimes referred to colloquially as Gewürz, and in French it is written '...
grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s. In 2006 Zotzenberg became the first Grand Cru vineyard that could contain pure Sylvaner. Except for certain vineyards where blends are allowed, the wines must be varietal
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
(i.e. exclusively made of one variety) and may be labelled as such. They can be late harvest wine
Late harvest wine
Late harvest is a term applied to wines made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. Late harvest is usually an indication of a sweet dessert wine, such as late harvest Riesling. Late harvest grapes are often more similar to raisins, but have been naturally dehydrated while on the vine...
s: Vendange tardive
Vendange tardive
Vendange tardive means "late harvest" in French. The phrase refers to a style of dessert wine where the grapes are allowed to hang on the vine until they start to dehydrate. This process, called passerillage, concentrates the sugars in the juice and changes the flavours within it...
or Sélection de Grains Nobles
Sélection de Grains Nobles
Sélection de Grains Nobles is French for "selection of noble berries" and refers to wines made from grapes affected by noble rot. SGN wines are sweet dessert wines with rich, concentrated flavours...
. In that case, the variety must be labelled.
If Muscat is labelled, it means that any of the Muscat allowed varieties has been used (see table below). However, it doesn't mean that blends within these varieties are allowed.
Vineyards where blends are allowed
In some Grand Cru vineyards, blends are allowed, which may also include some non-noble grapes. In Alsace, blends have usually been associated with wines of simpler quality. The producer primarily associated with high-quality blends is Marcel DeissMarcel Deiss
Marcel Deiss is a French wine grower and producer. It is based in Bergheim, in the Alsace wine region of France.-History:The Deiss family came to Bergheim in 1744 and took up grape growing in the area shortly afterward....
.
| Grand Cru vineyard | Option 1: Only one of these varieties. |
Option 2: These varieties in certain proportions. Varietal labelling not allowed. |
|---|---|---|
| Altenberg de Bergheim | Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris, Riesling | 50-70% Riesling, 10-25% Pinot gris, 10-25% Gewürztraminer; Up to 10% total of Pinot blanc, Pinot noir, Muscat Ottonel, Muscat blanc à petits grains, Muscat rose à petits grain, Chasselas if these varieties were planted before 26 March 2005. |
| Kaefferkopf | Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris, Riesling | 60-80% Gewürztraminer, 10-40% Riesling, 0-30% Pinot gris; Up to 10% total of Muscat Ottonel Muscat Ottonel Muscat Ottonel or Muskat-Ottonel is a white wine grape that is a member of the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera. It is most notable for its use in dessert wines from Austria, Croatia and Serbia as well as dry wines from Alsace and Hungary... , Muscat blanc à petits grains Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is a white wine grape that is a member of the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera. Its name comes from its characteristic small berry size and tight clusters... , Muscat rose à petits grains Muscat Rose à Petits Grains Muscat Rose à Petits Grains is a wine grape for white wine that is a member of the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera. Its name comes from its characteristic small berry size and tight clusters, and from its skin colour. It's a variation of the more common Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains with a pinkish... . |
List of Alsace Grands Crus
Grand Cru vineyards (lieux-ditsLieu-dit
Lieu-dit is a French toponymic term referring to an uninhabited place yet bearing a name...
) with their commune(s)/village(s) and département in parentheses. Where the same name is used for several vineyards, its official name is "vineyard" de "village", such as Altenberg de Bergbieten, Altenberg de Bergheim or Altenberg de Wolxheim.
Décret of 20 november 1975
(KientzheimKientzheim
Kientzheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin
Haut-Rhin is a département of the Alsace region of France, named after the Rhine river. Its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less populated of the two departements of Alsace, although is still densely populated compared to the rest of France.-Subdivisions:The department...
)
Décret of 23 november 1983
(BergbietenBergbieten
Bergbieten is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
) (Bergheim
Bergheim
-Places:*Heidelberg-Bergheim — a district of Heidelberg in Germany*Bergheim, Bavaria — a municipality in Bavaria, Germany*Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia — the capital of the Rhein-Erft-Kreis district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
- Haut-Rhin) (Turckheim
Turckheim
Turckheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It lies west of Colmar, on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains.-Places of interest:...
- Haut-Rhin) (Eguisheim
Eguisheim
Eguisheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Eguisheim produces Alsace wine of high quality. The commune is largely German-speaking.-History:...
- Haut-Rhin) (Ribeauvillé
Ribeauvillé
Ribeauvillé is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its inhabitants are called Ribeauvillois.The picturesque town is located around north of Colmar and south of Strasbourg.-History:...
- Haut-Rhin) (Rodern
Rodern
Rodern is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
and Saint-Hippolyte
Saint-Hippolyte
Saint-Hippolyte may refer to:Places in Canada:* Saint-Hippolyte, QuebecPlaces in France* Saint-Hippolyte, Aveyron* Saint-Hippolyte, Cantal* Saint-Hippolyte, Charente-Maritime* Saint-Hippolyte, Doubs* Saint-Hippolyte, Gironde...
- Haut-Rhin) (Gueberschwihr
Gueberschwihr
Gueberschwihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Haut-Rhin) (Hattstatt
Hattstatt
Hattstatt is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
and Voegtlinshoffen
Voegtlinshoffen
Voegtlinshoffen is a communes in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Haut-Rhin) (Wintzenheim
Wintzenheim
Wintzenheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin département in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its inhabitants are called Wintzenheimois.-Geography:Wintzenheim is a small village to the east of Colmar....
- Haut-Rhin) (Bergheim
Bergheim
-Places:*Heidelberg-Bergheim — a district of Heidelberg in Germany*Bergheim, Bavaria — a municipality in Bavaria, Germany*Bergheim, North Rhine-Westphalia — the capital of the Rhein-Erft-Kreis district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
- Haut-Rhin) (Andlau
Andlau
Andlau is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village owes its origin to Andlau Abbey which was founded in AD 880 by Richardis, the Empress of Charles the Fat...
- Bas-Rhin) (Guebwiller
Guebwiller
Guebwiller is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is situated northwest of Mulhouse at the foot of the Vosges mountains...
- Haut-Rhin) (Barr
Barr, Bas-Rhin
Barr is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-History:Barr was originally an imperial property, but in 1522 the Habsburgs leased it to Nicolas Ziegler, and a few years later give him the freehold. Ziegler's sons sold Barr to the city of Strasbourg...
- Bas-Rhin) (Ribeauvillé
Ribeauvillé
Ribeauvillé is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its inhabitants are called Ribeauvillois.The picturesque town is located around north of Colmar and south of Strasbourg.-History:...
- Haut-Rhin) (Guebwiller
Guebwiller
Guebwiller is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is situated northwest of Mulhouse at the foot of the Vosges mountains...
- Haut-Rhin) (Andlau
Andlau
Andlau is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village owes its origin to Andlau Abbey which was founded in AD 880 by Richardis, the Empress of Charles the Fat...
and Eichhoffen
Eichhoffen
Eichhoffen is a commune, in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Bas-Rhin) (Wuenheim
Wuenheim
Wuenheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Haut-Rhin) (Thann
Thann, Haut-Rhin
Thann is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its inhabitants are known as Thannois.-Geography:...
and Vieux-Thann
Vieux-Thann
Vieux-Thann is a communes in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Haut-Rhin) (Hunawihr
Hunawihr
Hunawihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association.-References:*...
- Haut-Rhin) (Guebwiller
Guebwiller
Guebwiller is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is situated northwest of Mulhouse at the foot of the Vosges mountains...
- Haut-Rhin) (Niedermorschwihr
Niedermorschwihr
Niedermorschwihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
and Katzenthal
Katzenthal
Katzenthal is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Haut-Rhin) (Beblenheim
Beblenheim
Beblenheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
- Haut-Rhin) (Bergholtz
Bergholtz
Bergholtz can refer to :* Bergholtz, Haut-Rhin, a commune in Haut-Rhin, Alsace, France* Bergholtz and Bergholtz-Zell, two Alsace wines* Bergholtz, New York...
and Guebwiller
Guebwiller
Guebwiller is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is situated northwest of Mulhouse at the foot of the Vosges mountains...
- Haut-Rhin) (Andlau
Andlau
Andlau is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village owes its origin to Andlau Abbey which was founded in AD 880 by Richardis, the Empress of Charles the Fat...
- Bas-Rhin)
Décret of 17 december 1992
| (Wolxheim Wolxheim Wolxheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Bas-Rhin) (Molsheim Molsheim Molsheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. The total population in 2006 was 9,382. Molsheim had been a very fast growing city between the French censuses of 1968 and 1999, passing from 5,739 to 9,331 inhabitants, but this increase came to a noticeable halt... - Bas-Rhin) (Dahlenheim Dahlenheim Dahlenheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... and Scharrachbergheim Scharrachbergheim-Irmstett Scharrachbergheim-Irmstett is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Bas-Rhin) (Ingersheim Ingersheim Ingersheim is a town in the district of Ludwigsburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.... and Katzenthal Katzenthal Katzenthal is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Dambach-la-Ville Dambach-la-Ville Dambach-la-Ville is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It lies northwest of Sélestat, on the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains.Dambach-la-Ville is known for its quality wines.-Demography:-Wine:... - Bas-Rhin) (Zellenberg Zellenberg Zellenberg is a communes in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Kientzheim Kientzheim Kientzheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... and Sigolsheim Sigolsheim Sigolsheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Sigolsheim Sigolsheim Sigolsheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Mittelwihr Mittelwihr Mittelwihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... and Beblenheim Beblenheim Beblenheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Bennwihr Bennwihr -History:Bennwihr figures in a report from the year 777 by Charlemagne's missi dominici. They refer to the village as Beno Villare , and mention the quality of its wines.... and Sigolsheim Sigolsheim Sigolsheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Nothalten Nothalten Nothalten is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Bas-Rhin) (Ribeauvillé Ribeauvillé Ribeauvillé is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its inhabitants are called Ribeauvillois.The picturesque town is located around north of Colmar and south of Strasbourg.-History:... - Haut-Rhin) (Eguisheim Eguisheim Eguisheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Eguisheim produces Alsace wine of high quality. The commune is largely German-speaking.-History:... and Wettolsheim Wettolsheim Wettolsheim is a communes in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is situated at the eastern margin of the southern Vosges Mountains... - Haut-Rhin) |
(Orschwihr Orschwihr Orschwihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Kintzheim Kintzheim Kintzheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The Château de Kintzheim is a well-known landmark in the commune.-Heraldry:The Kintzheim coat of arms is a black eagle on a white background... - Bas-Rhin) (Riquewihr Riquewihr Riquewihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.A popular tourist attraction for its historical architecture, Riquewihr is also known for the Riesling and other great wines produced in the village... and Zellenberg Zellenberg Zellenberg is a communes in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Riquewihr Riquewihr Riquewihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.A popular tourist attraction for its historical architecture, Riquewihr is also known for the Riesling and other great wines produced in the village... - Haut-Rhin) (Pfaffenheim Pfaffenheim Pfaffenheim is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... and Westhalten Westhalten Westhalten is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its vineyards produce three of the finest Alsacian wines: the Grands Crus Steinert, and .-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Wettolsheim Wettolsheim Wettolsheim is a communes in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is situated at the eastern margin of the southern Vosges Mountains... - Haut-Rhin) (Marlenheim Marlenheim Marlenheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Bas-Rhin) (Rouffach Rouffach Rouffach is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Rouffach lies along the Alsatian wine route .... and Westhalten Westhalten Westhalten is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its vineyards produce three of the finest Alsacian wines: the Grands Crus Steinert, and .-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Katzenthal Katzenthal Katzenthal is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... and Ammerschwihr Ammerschwihr Ammerschwihr is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its inhabitants are called Ammerschwihriens.-Geography:Ammerschwihr is a small town located on the Wine Road of Alsace... - Haut-Rhin) (Blienschwiller Blienschwiller Blienschwiller is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*... - Bas-Rhin) (Soultzmatt Soultzmatt Soultzmatt is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its vineyards produce one of the finest Alsacian wines: the Grand Cru .-References:*... and Westhalten Westhalten Westhalten is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Its vineyards produce three of the finest Alsacian wines: the Grands Crus Steinert, and .-References:*... - Haut-Rhin) (Mittelbergheim Mittelbergheim Mittelbergheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association.... - Bas-Rhin) |
External links
- Alsace Grand Cru on the Official Alsace wines site , linking to PDF-documents on each Grand Cru, retrieved 2011-04-22.
- The Grand Cru system of Alsace and Sortable list of Alsace Grand Cru on alsace-wine.net , retrieved 2011-04-22.