Alsace Grand Cru AOC

Alsace Grand Cru is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for wines made in 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. [Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine, Ed. C. Foulkes, p226] [http://www.vinsalsace.com CIVA English-language press announcement on February 6, 2007: A 51st named vineyard is awarded the AOC Alsace Grand Cru status] ]

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 yield of the vinyards has to be 65 hectoliter per hectare or less. Also, the wine has to come from a single named vineyard (which are called a "lieu-dit" in Alsace) of Grand Cru status, and the name of the vineyard must be listed on the label.

Currently 51 "lieux-dits" are listed as Grand Cru, the latest addition being Kaefferkopf of Ammerschwihr in January 2007. There are however some experts that debate that some of these sites may not be genuinely worthy of Grand Cru status, and that some may have boundaries set too large. In consequence, some Alsace producers forego the Grand Cru label, since they think that their own designations of their best wines better show if a wine is of top quality. The Grand Cru regulations are also somewhat controversial because of their general restriction to only four varieties, as discussed below.

Allowed varieties

All wines are white and can be produced from the noble Alsace varieties: Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer grapes. Except for certain vineyards where blends are allowed, the wines must be varietally labelled. They can be late harvest wines: Vendange tardive or Sélection de Grains Nobles.

Vineyards where blends are allowed

In some Grand Cru vineyards, blends are allowed, which may also include some non-noble grapes. [ [http://www.inao.gouv.fr/public/produits/showTexte.php?comiteNat=1&id_txt=909 INAO: AOC Alsace appellation regulations, updated until January 14, 2007] ] These wines are only labelled with the vineyard name. In 2006 Zotzenberg became the first Grand Cru vineyard that could contain Sylvaner. [cite web | last = Kakaviatos | first =Panos | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Sylvaner becomes grand cru grape | work = | publisher = Decanter | date = 2006-09-05 | url = http://www.decanter.com/news/94206.html | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2007-04-30 ] In Alsace, blends have usually been associated with wines of simpler quality. The producer primarily associated with high-quality blends is Marcel Deiss.

List of Alsace Grand Crus

Grand Cru vineyards ("lieu dits") in Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin, respectively, with their commune(s)/village(s) 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.

Bas-Rhin

* Altenberg de Bergbieten (Bergbieten)
* Altenberg de Wolxheim (Wolxheim)
* Bruderthal (Molsheim)
* Engelberg (Dahlenheim and Scharrachbergheim)
* Frankstein (Dambach-la-Ville)
* Kastelberg (Andlau)
* Kirchberg de Barr (Barr)
* Moenchberg (Andlau and Eichhoffen)
* Muenchberg (Nothalten)
* Praelatenberg (Kintzheim)
* Steinklotz (Marlenheim)
* Wiebelsberg (Andlau)
* Winzenberg (Blienschwiller)
* Zotzenberg (Mittelbergheim)

Haut-Rhin

* Altenberg de Bergheim (Bergheim)
* Brand (Turckheim)
* Eichberg (Eguisheim)
* Florimont (Ingersheim and Katzenthal)
* Froehn (Zellenberg)
* Furstentum (Kientzheim and Sigolsheim)
* Geisberg (Ribeauvillé)
* Gloeckelberg (Rodern and Saint-Hippolyte)
* Goldert (Gueberschwihr)
* Hatschbourg (Hattstatt and Voegtlinshoffen)
* Hengst (Wintzenheim)
* Kaefferkopf (Ammerschwihr)
* Kanzlerberg (Bergheim)
* Kessler (Guebwiller)
* Kirchberg de Ribeauvillé (Ribeauvillé)
* Kitterlé (Guebwiller)
* Mambourg (Sigolsheim)
* Mandelberg (Mittelwihr and Beblenheim)
* Marckrain (Bennwihr and Sigolsheim)
* Ollwiller (Wuenheim)
* Osterberg (Ribeauvillé)
* Pfersigberg (Eguisheim and Wettolsheim)
* Pfingstberg (Orschwihr)
* Rangen (Thann et Vieux-Thann)
* Rosacker (Hunawihr)
* Saering (Guebwiller)
* Schlossberg (Kientzheim)
* Schoenenbourg (Riquewihr and Zellenberg)
* Sommerberg (Niedermorschwihr and Katzenthal)
* Sonnenglanz (Beblenheim)
* Spiegel (Bergholtz and Guebwiller)
* Sporen (Riquewihr)
* Steingrubler (Wettolsheim)
* Steinert (Pfaffenheim and Westhalten)
* Vorbourg (Rouffach and Westhalten)
* Wineck-Schlossberg (Katzenthal and Ammerschwihr)
* Zinnkoepflé (Soultzmatt and Westhalten)

References

External links

* [http://www.vinsalsace.com/ The Official Alsace wines home page]
* [http://www.alsace-wine.net/ Wines, villages and terroirs of Alsace]

ee also

*Alsace wine
*Alsace AOC
*Crémant d'Alsace AOC
*French wine