Alsace grand cru Kitterlé

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Kitterlé forms a spur on the Unterlinger massif, at the mouth of the Lauch valley and to the north of Guebwiller, overlooking the Alsatian plain.
• The bedrock consists essentially of coarse Vosges sandstone and Buntsandstein middle-series quartzite conglomerate, together with sandstone-volcanic terrain belonging to the Carboniferous grauwacke at the western extremity.
• The Vosges range provides shelter from the cool, humid north-westerly winds, allowing the vineyard to find its ideal growing conditions on the well-exposed, steeply sloping hillsides of the sub-Vosges foothills.
• This grand cru offers a range of south, south-east, and south-west aspects, and all the soils belong to a single geo-pedological unit associated with a highly favourable mesoclimate.
• The subsoil consists mainly of Triassic sandstone fractured by north-north-east/south-south-west-oriented faults, with coarse, micaceous variegated sandstone containing quartz pebbles on the cultivated south-west-facing slope. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Beneath the intermediate layers lies a stratum of conglomerate with a sandstone cement, quartz pebbles, and quartzite, some 15 to 20 metres thick, known as the Poudingue de Sainte-Odile, corresponding to the German Hauptkonglomerat. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The appellation d'origine contrôlée Alsace grand cru Kitterlé was recognised in 1983, corresponding to the selection of Kitterlé from among the twenty-four lieu-dits that became geographic designations.
• The only authorised grape varieties are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris, Muscat à petits grains blancs, Muscat à petits grains roses, and Muscat Ottonel, which may be vinified and marketed under their respective designations.
• The vineyard is trained using a high trellis system in order to achieve an optimal leaf canopy, with a minimum planting density of 4,500 vines per hectare and manual harvesting of the grapes.

• These are age-worthy white wines characterised by a pronounced freshness grounded in a dominant tartaric acidity associated with good grape ripeness.
• The mineral dry wines and the aromatic, fruity, full-bodied, and rich wines display a sustained colour intensity ranging up to deep golden yellow.
• Vendanges Tardives wines often show highly exotic aromas and candied fruit with a fresh finish, while Sélection de Grains Nobles wines are more concentrated and powerful, often with fruit-paste aromas.
• The designations Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles are invariably followed by the names Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot gris, and Riesling, with mandatory indication of the vintage.

• Excellent late-season climatic conditions favour concentration on the vine and 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