Alsace grand cru Hatschbourg

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The Vosges massif shields the vineyard from the cool, moist north-westerly winds, allowing ideal establishment on the well-exposed slopes of the sub-Vosges foothills.
• The appellation is distinguished by soils belonging to a single geo-pedological unit, associated with a particularly favourable mesoclimate.
• Set on a hillside, the grand cru rests on a marl-limestone substrate containing abundant small stones that ensure excellent drainage.
• Alsace enjoys a temperate, semi-continental, sheltered climate, with warm springs, dry and sunny summers, long autumns, and cold winters. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The appellation d'origine contrôlée 'Alsace grand cru Hatschbourg' was recognised in 1983, on plots delimited with rigorous precision inspired by the historic production core areas.
• Since the law of 5 July 1972, the wines must be bottled in Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin, traditionally in the tall, slender bottle known as the 'Vin du Rhin' flute, as described in the 1955 decree.
• The vineyard is trained on a tall trellis system to achieve an optimal leaf surface area, with a minimum planting density of 4,500 vines per hectare and hand-harvesting of the grapes.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles designations are made from overripe, delicate grapes harvested by hand, and must undergo a minimum of 18 months of ageing.

• These are age-worthy white wines characterised by a pronounced freshness built on a dominant tartaric acidity, linked to good ripeness of the grapes.
• The dry, mineral wines and the aromatic, fruity, full-bodied, and rich wines display a sustained depth of colour ranging up to golden yellow.
• Vendanges Tardives wines often show very exotic and candied-fruit aromas with a fresh finish, while Sélection de Grains Nobles wines are more concentrated and powerful, with fruit-paste aromas, both ranging in colour up to amber yellow.

• The rich, well-draining soils lend the wines an aromatic, fruity character, producing full-bodied, rich, complex, and opulent wines with good ageing potential.
• The excellent late-season climatic conditions, which favour concentration on the vine and the development of noble rot, allow the production of wines from overripe harvests.

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