Alsace grand cru Kitterlé

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The Kitterlé forms a spur on the Unterlinger massif, overlooking the Alsatian plain at the mouth of the Lauch valley, north of Guebwiller.
• The grand cru offers several aspects — south, south-east, and south-west — on a single slope.
• The subsoil consists mainly of coarse Vosges sandstone and Buntsandstein quartzite conglomerate from the middle Buntsandstein, with graywacke volcanic-sandstone terrain of Carboniferous origin at the western end.
• The viticultural landscape is characterised by terraced cultivation and a succession of dry-stone walls.

• The appellation, recognised in 1983, is reserved for six white grape varieties: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris, Muscat à petits grains blancs, Muscat à petits grains roses, and Muscat ottonel.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles designations are made from over-ripe grapes harvested by hand and must undergo a minimum ageing period of 18 months.

• The dry, aromatic wines display a colour intensity ranging up to golden yellow, while the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles reach an amber yellow.
• Vendanges Tardives often show highly exotic aromas and candied fruit with a fresh finish, while Sélection de Grains Nobles often present fruit-paste aromas in a more concentrated and powerful profile.

• The sandstone soils and the very favourable aspect of the Kitterlé leave their mark on the wines through finesse of aroma and great concentration.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 29 juin 2016,
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVA