Alsace wines: A user's guide

Located in northeastern France, the climat Alsace's relatively cool climate makes it a wine region particularly well-suited to white wines. Dotted with picturesque villages along the hillsides, both the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments produce terroir-driven wines, strongly influenced by the diverse nature of the soils: limestone, clay, marl, sandstone, granite, or volcanic! Some vineyards are classified as Grand Cru They reveal the nuances of the terroir even more precisely, and produce great wines for aging, wines in which the connoisseur will know how to invest for the future. But first, one must be familiar with the particularities of this region, which is somewhat different due to its Germanic influence.

Alsatian wines come from a region well-suited to white wines.

Varietal wines

While other French wine regions emphasize geography, with a multitude of controlled appellations, Alsace ultimately has very few AOCs, especially if we consider the Grands Crus as a single Alsace AOC appellation. Grand Cru, as defined by law. However, an additional detail appears on the label here: the grape variety. As with our neighbors across the Rhine, the emphasis is placed on the type of grape used in winemaking. The style of the wine will vary greatly depending on the grape variety. Riesling, Gewurztraminer Or Pinot Gris For example. Riesling is undoubtedly the best known and the most suited to extended aging, thanks in part to its pronounced acidity. It is among the noblest white grape varieties in the world and conveys the minerality of its terroir like no other! Gewurztraminer, on the other hand, is very expressive, with heady aromas of rose and lychee and a rich, opulent texture. Pinot Gris, of similar volume, offers rather smoky and mineral notes. Muscat also displays floral notes, but it remains quite dry and light. Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc are also relatively light and therefore less suited to aging.

The interplantation

Traditionally, the Alsace wines are vinified as single varietals, but some producers have shaken things up in recent years by moving away from blends, and in particular the domaine Marcel Deiss in Bergheim. According to Jean-Michel Deiss, the terroir must be highlighted, and the interplanting of different grape varieties in the vineyard plots allows them to find a certain harmony.

This is then reflected in the wines, which will taste neither like Riesling or Gewurztraminer, for example, but rather of the unique character of the Altenberg vineyard in Bergheim. This vineyard is, in fact, an exception among the Grands Crus, as replanting was made possible thanks to the work of Deiss. Although controversial, this approach has the merit of enriching the diversity of Alsatian wines and reigniting the debate on terroir. And ultimately, most importantly, the wines are magnificent, just like the more classic ones from... Trimbach or René Muré !