Alsace Flashcards
(77 cards)
1
Q
When were hybrid vines banned in Alsace?
A
1925
2
Q
When was AC legislation adopted in Alsace?
A
1962
3
Q
When was bottling in area of production using the Alsace flute bottle made law?
A
1972
4
Q
How many high volume producers are there in Alsace and what percentage of production are they responsible for?
A
200; 90%.
The 20 biggest négociants and co-operatives produce 60% of total production.
5
Q
What is the size of vineyard area in Alsace?
A
15,500 ha
6
Q
What percentage of sales in Alsace are by cooperatives?
A
40%
7
Q
What percentage of wine produced in Alsace is exported beyond France?
A
30%
8
Q
What are the two ACs for still wine in Alsace?
A
Alsace AC
Alsace Grand Cru AC
9
Q
What do you often find on an Alsace label which does not have any legal status?
A
Cuvée Spéciale, or
Reserve Personelle
10
Q
What percentage of total production is Vin d’Alsace AC?
A
80%
11
Q
If a grape variety is stated on an Alsace bottle what percentage must it contain?
A
100%
12
Q
What is the maximum yield for white Alsace AC?
A
80hl/ha
13
Q
What is the maximum yield for Pinot Noir Alsace AC?
A
75hl/ha
14
Q
How many vineyards in Alsace qualify for Grand Cru status?
A
51
15
Q
Give details of Alsace Grand Cru.
A
- individual vineyards
- 51 in total
- 100 % single varietals from Riesling, Muscat, Gewurtztraminer, or Pinot Gris
- 2 vineyards are allowed blends and 1 allowed 100% Sylvaner
- grapes must be hand-picked
- maximum yields lower than Alsace AC (55hl or less)
- new plantings in Grand Cru areas must exceed 4,500 vines per hectare and be pruned to 8 - 19 buds per square metre
16
Q
Which are the Alsace Grand Cru vineyards where a blend is allowed?
A
Altenberg de Bergheim
Kaefferkopf
17
Q
Explain vendange tardive in Alsace.
A
Late harvest from the 4 noble varieties
- must be 100% single variety
- grapes must have 14% potential alcohol for Riesling and Muscat, 15.3% for Pinot Gris and Gewurtztraminer
- chaptalisation
- finished wine ranges from dry to substantial amounts of residual sugar
18
Q
What are the 4 noble varieties of Alsace?
A
Riesling
Muscat
Gewürtztraminer
Pinot Gris
19
Q
Explain Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN).
A
- selection of nobly rotted grapes
- 100% single varietals
- one of the 4 noble varieties
- must have some botrytis
- potential alcohol level of 16.4% for Riesling and Muscat
- potential alcohol level of 18.2% for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer
20
Q
Location of Alsace
A
- next to Rhine
- in rain shadow of the Vosges mountains
- 140 km long
- Haut-Rhin in south, Bas-Rhin in north
21
Q
Climate in Alsace.
A
- dry
- sheltered by Vosges mountains
- 1800 plus hours of sunshine
- hot summers and long dry autumns
- summer hail occasionally
- warm mesoclimate near Colmar gives daily temperature1 degree C higher than Alsace average
22
Q
Soil in Alsace.
A
- best vineyards on east facing slopes; lesser ones on the plains
- great variety of soil types
- upper slopes have thin soils
- lower slopes have deeper top soils
- 3 main types of soil affect wine style:
1. heavier clay and marl/ wine with broad flavour and weight.
2. lighter limestone or sand / wine of elegance and finesse.
3. flint and schist/ wines with flinty aromas.
23
Q
What are the three main soil types in Alsace and what type of wine do they result in?
A
- heavier clay and marl/ wine with broad flavour and weight.
- lighter limestone or sand / wine of elegance and finesse.
- flint and schist/ wines with flinty aromas.
24
Q
What percentage of plantings in Alsace are Riesling?
A
25%.
25
Describe typical Riesling in Alsace.
- strong fruit character
- full nose
- high acidity
- typical alcohol of 11.5 to 12.5 %
26
What are the merits of the Riesling grape in Alsace?
- hardy
- suitable for late harvest
- granite and schist most suitable soils
27
Where are the best vineyards for Riesling in Alsace?
Around towns of Wolxheim, Dambach-la-ville and Scherwiller.
28
What does Gewürz mean?
It is German for spice.
29
Describe Gewürztraminer as it is in Alsace.
- aromatic
- spicy nose of lychees and rose water
- low acidity and high alcohol common
- planted on deep marl soils in Vosges foothills
- light pink skin colour gives rise to golden colour of some wines
30
What percentage of Alsace planting is Gewürtztraminer?
20%
31
Where is the best Gewürtztraminer found in Alsace?
Around Barr; also:
- Bergheim
- Eguisheim
- Kayserberg
- Kientzheim
- Turckheim
- Pfaffenheim
32
What did Pinot Gris in Alsace used to be known as?
Tokay d'Alsace.
33
Describe style of Pinot Gris produced in Alsace.
- rich and alcoholic
- less aromatic nose but luscious and full of flavour on the palate
- fresh and dried fruits and a honeyed character
- balancing acidity
34
What are the difficulties with Pinot Gris in Alsace?
- variable yield
| - prone to difficulties with fruit set
35
On what sort of soil does Pinot Gris grow best in Alsace?
Deep soils rich in clay and fine particles of volcanic rock.
36
Where does best Pinot Gris come from in Alsace?
Near Obernai and in extreme north at Cleebourg.
37
What percentage of planting in Alsace is Muscat?
3%.
38
Why is there lots of biodynamic and organic wine production in Alsace?
Because it is very dry.
39
What percentage of vineyards in Alsace are organic?
About 15%.
40
Which is the most widely planted Muscat in Alsace?
Muscat Ottonel.
41
Compare the two Muscat grapes planted in Alsace.
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains produces beter quality, but Muscat Ottonel more reliable and more widely planted.
42
What is the character of an Alsace Muscat?
- dry
- distinctive grape nose
- musky palate
43
What soil in Alsace does Muscat like?
calcareous or sandy
44
What percentage of plantings in Alsace is Pinot Blanc?
20 % and increasing.
45
Describe Pinot Blanc in Alsace.
- early ripening
- likes light, fertile soils
- used for sparkling and still wines
46
Talk about Sylvaner in Alsace.
- once widely planted
- now found mainly in Bas-Rhin
- producing high-yielding, low alcohol (10.5-11.5), neutral wine on deep sandy, or chalk soils
- grows best in Barr, Mittel Bergheim, Epfig, and Dambach-la-ville
47
What are the two styles of Pinot Noir made in Alsace?
fruity rosé
barrel-aged with body and colour
also used for Crémant Rosé and Blanc de Noirs
48
What soil is Pinot Noir planted on in Alsace?
Sandy and calcareous - similar to Burgundy. Produces high (75hl/ha) yields.
49
Describe viticulture in Alsace.
- lots of small holdings, most under 3 ha
- growers mostly sell to co-ops or merchants
- long vintage period due to number of varieties planted
- dense planting on trellises to maximise sun
- double guyot the most common pruning system
- mechanical harvesting possible in the plains
50
Describe vinification in Alsace.
- aim to keep primary fruit character
- pneumatic pressing with whole bunches increasingly common
- pressing done in 3 hours to minimise skin contact
- chaptalisation occurs frequently
- fermentation often stopped leaving some residual sugar
- quality wine spends tim eon lees before bottling
51
Talk about Hugel.
Hugel et Fils
- established 1639
- in 12th and 13th generation
- based in Riquewhir (since 1902)
- have own vineyard of 30 ha, planted with Gewürztraminer and Riesling
- Tradition range
- Jubilee range
- pioneered resurrection of Alsace late-harvest wines
- instrumental in drawing up requirements for vendage tardive and sélection de grains noble wines
- vociferous opponents of Alsace Grand Cru
appellation
- buy in grapes for their generic ranges from 300 growers on 110 ha
- average 110,000 cases per year
- S Caterine cask, 1715 - the world's oldest working cask
52
List Hugel products
- Gentil, a blend of all 4 noble wines plus Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner
- Classic, 4 noble varieties, plus PB and Pn and Sylvaner - 7 single varietals
- Estate. Riesling and Gewurtz from parcels of land in Riquewihr. Going organic.
- Tradition. 4 noble varieties. Strictest selection of grapes by origin and level of maturity; designed to age in bottle.
- Jubilee. Only made in best vintages. Sourced only from family estate in Riquewihr. Riesling, Gewurtz, PNoir, PGris.
53
What does Grossi Laüe mean?
Great growth (Alsatian dialect).
54
What is Hugel's law?
The 1984 regulations laying down rules for Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles, drafted by Jean Hugel.
55
What is the drying of grapes on the vine called in French?
Passerillage.
56
Talk about Jean Hugel.
Jean ('Johnny') Hugel, 1924-2009
- studied winemaking at Universities of Bordeaux and Montpellier
- active in drafting Alsace AOC and Alsace Grand Cru AOCs
- developed guidelines for Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles
57
What are the three levels of Hugel dry wines?
Hugel Classic
Hugel Tradition
Hugel Jubilée
58
Who is (2013) in charge of Hugel winemaking?
Marc Hugel.
59
What percentage of Alsatian wine is white?
About 90%.
60
What is unique about Alsace wine producers?
Even the smallest will produce at least 6 to 8 different wines each year. Big producers may have 20 to 30 different bottlings.
61
Where are the majority of larger Alsace producers?
In the Haut-Rhin.
62
What can be a problem in late summer in Alsace?
Drought.
63
What are the three broad groups of soil and their affects?
1. heavier clay, marl: wine with broader flavours, more body and weight.
2. lighter limestone or sandy soil: more elegance and finesse.
3, Flint, schist, shale, slate: oily, mineral aroma, reminiscent of petrol, especially those made with Riesling grape.
64
How are vines trained in Alsace?
Mainly guyot (up to 15 buds), with some double guyot (up to 8 buds each side).
- some cordon-trained with spur pruning
- trained high on plains to avoid frost
65
Is there terracing in Alsace?
Yes, some. Grand Cru sites of Rangen and Kastelberg for example.
66
When does harvesting happen in Alsace?
Protracted because of the number of varieties.
| Mid-September to November.
67
What are the 8 major varietal wines of Alsace?
```
Riesling
Gewurtztraminer
Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir
Pinot Blanc
Muscat
Chasselas
Sylvaner
```
68
Talk about Chasselas in Alsace.
Seldom used as varietal; more commonly blended in Edelzwicker.
As varietal is: light bodied; dry; soft grapey fruit; low acidity; light alcohol.
69
What is Edelzwicker ?
Alsace blended white. Chasselas, Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois are common ingredients. Can be all varieties, and in any proportion.
70
What is Gentil?
A superior quality blend with minimum of 50% of noble varieties.
71
What are the common varieties blended in Edelzwicker?
Chasselas, Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois.
72
What are the figures for Alsace planting ?
```
Riesling 21.8%
Gewurtztraminer 19.8%
Pinot Gris 15.4%
Muscat 2.3%
Pinot Blanc 21.3%
Pinot Noir 10.2%
Sylvaner 6.8% - declining
Chasselas 0.5% - declining
```
73
What are the 5 Alsace appellations and what percentage of production do the first three represent?
```
AC Alsace; 71.5% (92% of which is white).
AC Alsace Grand Cru (3.9%).
AC Crémant d'Alsace (24.6%).
Vendange Tardive.
Sélection de Grains Nobles.
```
74
Where does best Gewurztraminer come from?
Heavy clay soils where it has ripened slowly.
75
What are the characteristics of wine made from Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains in Alsace?
Intensely aromatic
- flavours of orange blossom, rose and grape
- tend to have light to medium body and low to medium acidity
76
Talk about Auxerrois in Alsace.
Similar characteristics to Pinot Blanc but slightly spicier and more full-bodied.
- more widely planted in Alsace than Pinot Blanc, but rarely seen on a label
- much blended into Edelzwicker
or more often just with Pinot Blanc.
77
What is the only red grape allowed in Alsace?
Pinot Noir.
