Alsace grand cru Altenberg de Bergbieten

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The soils are clay-marl with gypsum, interspersed with dolomitic stones that promote drainage and soil warming.
• The iridescent marls of the Upper Keuper (Rhaetian and Upper Norian), composed of variegated dolomitic clays, occupy the upper part of the slope near the summit of the Krummberg. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• A narrow band of red gypsiferous marls (argiles de Chanville), only two to five metres thick, is intercalated in the upper section of the Altenberg. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The appellation, recognised in 1983, is reserved for the white varieties Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris, Muscat à petits grains blancs, Muscat à petits grains rosés, and Muscat ottonel.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles designations are produced from over-ripened grapes harvested by hand and must undergo a minimum of 18 months of ageing.

• Rieslings and Gewurztraminers are often described as subtle, elegant, and well-structured, with aromas of ripe fruit in youth evolving towards floral finesse with age.
• Vendanges Tardives wines often display highly exotic aromas and candied fruit, while Sélections de Grains Nobles, which are more concentrated, often present aromas of fruit paste, with a colour ranging up to amber yellow.

• The predominantly marly character of the soil is associated with the wines' broad structure, their firm acidity, and their aromatic persistence.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 29 juin 2016,
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVA