Alsace grand cru Kastelberg

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The terroir rests on schists unique within the Alsace vineyard, dating from the Silurian period.
• The metamorphism of these schists has produced a very hard rock giving rise to very stony, well-drained soils.
• The underlying rock is composed of quartz, mica, and chlorite, according to the geological description of the terroir. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The schistose rocks, arranged in thin layers, allow deep rooting of the vine, conducive to normal vigour even in drought years.
• The Vosges massif shelters the vineyard from the cool, humid north-westerly winds, favouring establishment on well-exposed slopes oriented from east to south-west.

• The appellation d'origine contrôlée Alsace grand cru Kastelberg was recognised in 1983, giving regulatory form to a long-standing practice of communicating wine origin by named vineyard site.
• The vineyard is trained on a tall trellis system in order to achieve an optimal leaf canopy, with a minimum planting density of 4,500 vines per hectare and hand harvesting of the grapes.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives or Sélection de Grains Nobles designations, made from over-ripe and delicate grapes harvested by hand, must undergo a minimum ageing period of 18 months.

• These are age-worthy white wines characterised by a marked freshness underpinned by a dominant tartaric acidity in conjunction with good grape ripeness.
• The mineral dry 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, often with fruit-paste aromas.

• The schist imparts the potential of this grand cru, which is marked by a beautiful minerality, producing structured, elegant, and clean wines.
• The excellent late-season climatic conditions favour concentration on the vine and the development of noble rot, enabling the harvesting of over-ripe grapes.

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