Alsace grand cru Kanzlerberg

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The grand cru lies at the edge of the enclosed valley of the Bergenbach and is sheltered to the west by the Taennchel massif, resulting in low rainfall.
• The fairly steep slopes of the Kanzlerberg, at the foot of which flows the Bergenbach stream, are oriented toward the south and south-west.
• The slopes ease in the upper section, forming a small plateau on the south-facing hillside at an average elevation of 250 metres.
• The grey, marly-calcareous soil is composed of grey and black Keuper marls with gypsum, overlying a silicified limestone bedrock that contains crystals of fluorite and barite among the finest in Alsace.
• The Vosges massif shelters the vineyards from cool, moist north-westerly winds, allowing their establishment on well-exposed east- to south-west-facing slopes with steep gradients on the sub-Vosges hills.

• Vine cultivation is recorded there as early as 1312, the date of the suppression of the Order of the Knights Templar, which at the time owned the commandery of the Tempelhof on this site.
• The appellation d'origine contrôlée Alsace grand cru Kanzlerberg was recognised in 1983 and has the smallest area of any of the Alsace grands crus, at 3.40 hectares.
• The vineyard is trained on tall trellis systems 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 Vendanges Tardives or Sélection de Grains Nobles designations, produced from over-ripe and fragile grapes harvested by hand, must undergo a minimum ageing period of 18 months.

• The age-worthy white wines of the appellation show a pronounced freshness grounded in a dominant tartaric acidity combined with good grape ripeness.
• Both dry, mineral wines and aromatic, fruity, full-bodied, and richly textured wines are produced, all displaying a sustained depth of colour reaching through to golden yellow.
• Wines carrying the Vendanges Tardives designation often show highly exotic aromas and candied fruit with a fresh finish, while those in the Sélection de Grains Nobles style are more concentrated and powerful, with fruit-paste aromas.
• Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles wines are rich, sweet wines of exceptional longevity, with remarkable concentration and great aromatic persistence, and a depth of colour extending through to amber yellow.

• Late-season climatic conditions favour the concentration of grapes on the vine and the development of noble rot, enabling the production of wines from over-ripe 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