Alsace grand cru Kirchberg de Barr

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The vineyard benefits from the protection of the Vosges massif against the cool, damp north-westerly winds, favouring establishment on the well-exposed slopes of the sub-Vosges foothills.
• The appellation is sheltered from cold northerly winds and is characterised by soils belonging to a single geo-pedological unit associated with a highly favourable mesoclimate.
• The marly-calcareous soils are very stony, ensuring good drainage and a thermal reserve for the vine.
• The vineyard extends across a hillside with slopes reaching 30° in places, situated at the southern tip of the Saverne fault zone. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The calcareous brown soils rest on Bajocian limestone at the base and on Oligocene conglomerate upslope, with numerous calcareous stones favouring root penetration by the vine. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The appellation Alsace grand cru Kirchberg de Barr was recognised in 1983 for white wines, and subsequently in 2022 for red wines.
• The vineyard is trained on a high trellis system in order to achieve an optimal leaf surface area, and the grapes are harvested by hand.
• The red wines, produced exclusively from Pinot noir, undergo no enrichment and must respect a minimum ageing period of 11 months.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles designations are produced from overripe and fragile grapes harvested by hand, with a minimum ageing period of 18 months.

• The white wines are characterised by a pronounced freshness underpinned by a dominant tartaric acidity linked to good grape ripeness.
• The dry, mineral wines as well as the aromatic, fruity, full-bodied, and rich wines display a sustained depth of colour ranging up to golden yellow.
• The Vendanges Tardives wines often display highly exotic aromas and candied fruit with a fresh finish, while the Sélection de Grains Nobles are more concentrated and powerful, often presenting fruit-paste aromas.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives or Sélection de Grains Nobles designations display a sustained depth of colour ranging up to amber yellow and are sweet wines with very long ageing potential.
• The red wines have a deep, dark red appearance, a complex nose of black fruits and spices, a broad acidity, volume, great finesse, a long and saline finish, and considerable ageing potential.

• Sheltered from the north and resting on a soil that warms rapidly, the grand cru imparts to the wines minerality and salinity as well as complexity of acidity.
• Excellent late-season climatic conditions favour concentration on the vine and the development of noble rot, enabling 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