Alsace grand cru Furstentum

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• South/south-east-facing slope of a sub-Vosges hill, exposed from east to south-west, with a steep gradient.
• Soils of very dense marls over a limestone bedrock, well drained, ensuring a balanced water supply to the vines.
• A homogeneous geo-pedological unit associated with a favourable mesoclimate.
• The Vosges massif shields the vineyard from cool, humid north-westerly winds (foehn effect).
• The AOC lies at the heart of the Alsatian vineyard, within the zone of the AOC "Alsace".

• The only Alsatian grand cru to include sylvaner B among its authorised grape varieties, alongside riesling, gewurztraminer, and pinot gris.
• AOC recognised in 1992; harvesting must be done by hand, minimum vine density of 4,500 vines/ha, minimum ageing of 18 months for Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles.

• Dry wines are mineral or aromatic/fruity/full-bodied, with a golden-yellow colour; Vendanges Tardives (exotic aromas, candied fruit) and Sélection de Grains Nobles (fruit paste) through to amber-yellow.
• Long ageing potential: dry wines grow in complexity over time; Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles are described as "sweet wines of very long keeping potential" with "remarkable concentration".

• The dense marls yield powerful, rich wines with an elegant salinity and great aromatic finesse.

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