Chapter 5

Alsace

Alsace

In the 1st century the Romans established the region of Alsace, then part of the province of Germania Superior, as a centre of viticulture. In more recent history, Alsace has at times been German and at other times French, but at all times, and above all, proudly Alsatian. Despite the centralizing tendency of the French Republic, the region still retains a strong and separate identity, with its own language, culture, cuisine, and wine tradition, which revolves around not French but Germanic grape varieties. Alsatian wines are, for the most part, single varietal white wines, with the most prized made from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, or Pinot Gris. As in Germany, it is common for the grape variety to be proudly and prominently displayed on the front label. If the variety does not feature on the front label, the wine is typically a blend of several varieties, sometimes labelled as Gentil or more modest Edelzwicker.

The lie of the land

The vineyards of Alsace are framed by the Vosges Mountains to the west and the River Rhine to the east, and centred on the picturesque towns of Colmar and Ribeauvillé, which is ~16km (10mi) north of Colmar and ~70km south of the regional capital of Strasbourg. The best vineyards lie at the foot of the Vosges, forming a narrow strip that stretches from north to south over a distance of more than 100km. The slopes generally face east, but hills and lateral valleys give rise to a number of south-facing and north-facing inclines. Indeed, many of the best vineyards have a south-east to south-west orientation. The slopes are usually worked by hand, with mechanical harvesting confined to the plains of the Rhine.

Climate

Alsace sits in the rain shadow of the Vosges, which shelter the region from the prevailing Atlantic winds. Colmar receives less than 500mm (20in) annual rainfall, which makes it the second driest place in France after Perpignan in the extreme south. While summers are hot, winters are long and severe, as might be expected in such a northerly and continental location (although Alsace is actually south of Champagne). Dry autumns favour the finesse associated with extended ripening. The principal threats to the harvest are spring frosts and summer hailstorms.

Soils

The vineyards of Alsace run along a collapsed fault line, and so the soils are very varied, sometimes even within a single vineyard. The soils on the plain are for the most part alluvial, but those higher up can be almost anything. Rockier flint, granite, and schist soils are associated with a mineral, petrol, and gunflint character, and are particularly suited to Riesling. Heavier clay and marl soils are associated with weight and broad fruit flavours, and are particularly suited to Gewurztraminer. Finally, limestone soils are associated with finesse, and are particularly suited to Muscat. Producers often choose grape varieties according to their terroir, but also seek to diversify plantings to minimize the impact of a poor harvest for any one variety.

Grape varieties

The seven major grape varieties of Alsace are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris (formerly ‘Tokay’), Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner, and Muscat. Over the years, there has been a trend to replace plantings of Sylvaner, once the most common variety, with Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Riesling. All the wines are white except for those made from Pinot Noir, which are light red or rosé.

A good quality sparkling wine, Crémant d’Alsace, is also made by the traditional method (Chapter 11), and has come to account for about a quarter of the region’s total production. Grapes for Crémant d’Alsace are picked at the beginning of the harvest season, and permitted varieties include Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay.

Finally, there are late harvest wines, which may be classified as either Vendange Tardive (VT, ‘Late Harvest’, similar to Auslese in Germany) or Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN, ‘Selection of Noble Berries’, similar to Beerenauslese in Germany and made from botrytized grapes). Only the four so-called ‘noble’ varieties, namely, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat, are permitted for late harvest wines, whether VT or SGN. Late harvest wines account for a very small fraction of total production, even in vintages that are favourable to late ripening and noble rot. Straw wine (vin de paille, a wine made from dried grapes) and ice wine are also made, but in even smaller quantities.

Appellations

The French and European classification systems are introduced in Appendix B.

Almost the entire production of Alsace is Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) as there is no Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) designation for the region. To make life simple, there are only three AOPs: Alsace AOP and Crémant d’Alsace AOP, which cover the entire region, and the more restrictive Alsace Grand Cru AOP (~4% of production), which covers 51 named vineyards, from Rangen in the south to Steinklotz almost 100km further north, and from Kanzlerberg at just 3ha to Schlossberg at over 80ha. With a couple of minor exceptions, only the four noble grape varieties are permitted for Grand Cru wines.

Some producers relinquish the Grand Cru designation in favour of historical names such as Clos Sainte Hune, which is part of Grand Cru Rosacker and perhaps the most vaunted name in Alsace wine. The village of Rorschwihr counts 12 historical crus, and rejected the Grand Cru designation when it was offered two large Grand Crus instead of 12 smaller ones. The creation of Cru and Premier Cru tiers is currently being discussed, and could be a boon to producers in villages such as Rorschwihr. Terms such as Réserve Personnelle and Cuvée Spéciale have no legal ­status, but producers can include them to indicate a wine of higher quality, just as they can include the name of a particular locality, or lieu-dit.

While crémant is entered into Champagne bottles, still wine is entered into tall and slender bottles called flutes d’Alsace. Unlike in Germany, this is actually an appellation rule. The one exception is for Pinot Noir, which can also be entered into Burgundy bottles.

Wine styles

Compared to their German counterparts, the white wines of Alsace tend to be fuller in body and higher in alcohol, and also dryer—although perhaps not quite as dry as they used to be. They are mostly unblended, unoaked, and unsoftened by a malolactic conversion, and so tend to be highly expressive of varietal character and terroir. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to gauge the sweetness of a particular wine (even a VT, which may be unexpectedly dry), although many producers have begun to feature a sweetness indicator on their back labels. Individual producers often have a distinct house style: for example, Trimbach and Léon Beyer are reputed for their bone-dry wines and Rolly Gassmann for a rich and velvety sweetness. Other highly regarded Alsatian houses include Blanck, Marcel Deiss, Hugel, Josmeyer, Ostertag, Schlumberger, Weinbach, and Zind-Humbrecht. It is said that Protestant houses make dry, mineral wines, whereas Catholic ones favour rounder, richer styles, and thus that you can tell a winemaker’s religion from his style and his style from his religion. Independent wine growers account for only 20% of the region’s production, with the remainder accounted for by co-operatives and négociants.

Riesling is the most blue-blooded of the four noble grape varieties, and also the most highly reflective of terroir. Alsatian Riesling tends to be drier, richer, and higher in alcohol than Riesling from across the Rhine. It is often steely and inexpressive in its youth, with aromas of mineral, apple, citrus fruits, stone fruits, jasmine, and honey. With age, it develops a complex bouquet dominated by pure fruit flavours and appealing petrol or kerosene notes, typically with a long, dry finish that rides home on a backbone of high acidity.

Gewurztraminer, spelt Gewürztraminer in Alsace, is easy to recognize, as it is opulent with high alcohol and smells like an oriental bazaar or perfume shop. For just these reasons, it can seem sweeter than it is. In hot vintages, it can be flabby and lacking in acidity, and this too can contribute to an impression of sweetness. Blind tasters often look out for a pink tinge to the golden hue, but this is not invariably present or visible. Typical notes include spice, rose petals, lychee, grapefruit, peach kernel, and smoky bacon. Despite its relative lack of acidity, Gewurztraminer can be age-worthy. It is commonly used in VT and SGN, but most of the production is dry or off-dry.

Pinot Gris is noted for aromas of spice and pear or stone fruit with hints of honey and smoke and a certain earthy minerality. Alsatian Pinot Gris is much fuller and richer than Italian Pinot Gris (‘Pinot Grigio’), which is often crisp and lean. Among Alsatian wines, it sits in the middle, combining the spiciness and alcohol of Gewurztraminer with some of the structure and acidity of Riesling. Like Riesling and Gewurztraminer, it can improve with age. Pinot Gris can achieve high levels of sugar, and, like Gewurztraminer, is commonly used in VT and SGN.

Pinot Blanc is often blended with a similar variety called Auxerrois, with the blend labelled as Pinot Blanc. Auxerrois can be thought of as an understudy of Chardonnay, with which it shares many characteristics. At best, it is round and medium-bodied with hints of ripe apples, pears, and spice, and a clean and refreshing finish. Although distinctly Alsatian, Pinot Blanc has less body than Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris, less acidity and precision than Riesling, and less aromatic intensity than either of the three. It is not intended for ageing.

Once upon a time, Pinot Noir from Alsace was pale, thin, and unripe. Today, the trend is for darker and richer offerings. Even so, world-class Alsatian Pinot Noir remains something of a rarity.

Sylvaner is a humble variety, although there do exist some very fine examples. Indeed, since 2005, it has been permitted in Grand Cru Zotzenberg, prompting some to label it as the ‘comeback kid’ of Alsace. Typical examples are lean and fresh with hints of citrus and white flowers, sometimes marred by a slight bitterness or earthiness. Wines made from Sylvaner are not intended for ageing.

Alsatian Muscat is usually a blend of Muscat Ottonel and Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (Muscat de Frontignan, Moscato d’Asti…), which together make up just 3% of the region’s vineyards. Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains was held in high regard by the Greeks, Romans, and Phoenicians, and is perhaps the oldest grape variety still in cultivation. Alsatian Muscat is delicate and floral, with a light body and low alcohol. Although it is dry, the signature grapey aroma produces an impression of sweetness. Other notes include apple, orange, mandarin, rose (from geraniol and other terpenes), white pepper, and mint. The intensity of the nose rarely follows through on the palate, particularly since acidity is often lacking. Alsatian Muscat is not intended for ageing. A handful of houses can make a VT or SGN in certain years.

Although it is difficult to generalize across grape varieties and styles, stronger vintages in Alsace include 1989, 1990, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2015. Weaker vintages include 1991, 1999, and 2003. It has been said that the 2015 vintage is better even than 2005, 1959, 1947, and 1834, and (from old records) as good as 1540!