Alsace grand cru Kaefferkopf

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The Vosges massif shields the vineyard from cool, humid north-westerly winds, allowing vines to be planted on the well-exposed, east- to south-west-facing slopes of the sub-Vosges hills.
• The lieu-dit faces south-east, established on the six hills known as 'Kopf' overlooking the commune of Ammerschwihr, and presents a cool site where grape ripening is slow.
• The brown soils derived from various parent rocks are mostly deep and saturated with calcium and magnesium.
• The sub-Vosges hills correspond to a series of faults forming the transition between the crystalline Vosges and the sedimentary Rhine plain in the form of an escarpment. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The vines begin below the wooded summit at the level of the porphyroblastic granite of Kaysersberg, which gives way to the south towards Katzenthal to the two-mica granite of Turckheim, then to Triassic layers including the Vosges sandstone of the Buntsandstein. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The name Kaefferkopf appears in 1338 in the urbaire of Pairis Abbey, and a judicial delimitation of 1932 made it the first lieu-dit in Alsace to be formally recognised as such.
• The appellation Alsace grand cru Kaefferkopf was not recognised until 2007, whereas most other grands crus had been recognised as early as 1983 or 1992.

• These age-worthy white wines are characterised by a pronounced freshness rooted in a predominantly tartaric acidity, underpinned by good grape ripeness.
• The mineral dry wines and the aromatic, fruity, full-bodied, and rich wines display a sustained depth of colour ranging through to golden yellow.
• Vendanges Tardives wines often show highly exotic aromas and candied fruit with a fresh finish, while those produced as Sélection de Grains Nobles are more concentrated and powerful, often with aromas of fruit paste.

• The site's protection from cold winds and excessive sun exposure, combined with the calcium- and magnesium-saturated soils, yields powerful, well-structured, complex, and full-bodied wines with a fine freshness on the palate.
• The excellent late-season climatic conditions, favourable to concentration on the vine and to 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