Alsace grand cru Bruderthal

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The vineyard occupies a horseshoe-shaped valley, sheltered from northerly winds by a mountain range stretching from the Schneeberg to the Mutzig rock.
• The highly stony shelly limestone soil, corresponding to the Muschelkalk, allows the earth to warm up rapidly.
• The presence of clay in the soil regulates the water balance at depth.
• The vineyard is situated in the hollow of a small valley terraced between 225 and 300 metres in altitude, oriented to the south-east and overlooking the town of Molsheim. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The stony marly-limestone soils rest on a hard limestone bedrock of Muschelkalk and Lettenkohle, locally dolomitic and shallow at the summit. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The controlled designation of origin 'Alsace grand cru Bruderthal' was recognised in 1992, reflecting a historic practice of delimiting named sites by Alsatian winegrowers.
• The vineyard is trained on high trellising in order to achieve an optimal leaf surface area, with a minimum planting density of 4,500 vines per hectare and manual harvesting of the grapes.
• Wines carrying the designations Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles, produced from over-ripe and fragile grapes harvested by hand, must undergo a minimum élevage of 18 months.

• The white wines are characterised by a pronounced freshness underpinned by a dominant tartaric acidity, linked to good grape maturity.
• Both the dry, mineral wines and the aromatic, fruity, full-bodied, and rich wines display a sustained depth of colour ranging through to golden yellow.
• The Vendanges Tardives wines often show highly exotic aromas and candied fruit with a fresh finish, while the Sélection de Grains Nobles are more concentrated and powerful, with fruit-paste aromas.
• The designations Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles are systematically followed by the variety names Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot gris, and Riesling, and indication of the vintage year is mandatory.

• The calcareous clay of the soil contributes a dominant natural salinity and acidity to the wines, balanced by the high levels of ripeness achieved at harvest.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

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