Alsace grand cru Moenchberg

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The soil of this grand cru is marly-sandstone in character with significant stoniness, which gives it good heat retention, aeration, and porosity while also maintaining good water retention.
• The soils rest on Quaternary soliflucted materials composed of sandy gravels, sand, and clay, formed by the slow downslope movement of loose ground material. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• These deep soils have a good water-holding capacity and are overlain by Muschelkalk limestone conglomerate that outcrops at the top of the hill. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The vineyard is sheltered by the Vosges massif from cool, moist north-westerly winds, allowing it to find ideal conditions on well-exposed, steeply sloping east- to south-west-facing slopes.
• The appellation is characterised by soils belonging to a single geo-pedological unit, associated with a highly favourable mesoclimate, within a grand cru that also benefits from generous sunshine.

• The appellation d'origine contrôlée Alsace grand cru Moenchberg was recognised in 1983, on plots delimited with rigorous precision based on the historical production core areas.
• The vineyard is trained using a high trellis system to achieve an optimal leaf canopy surface area, with a minimum planting density of 4,500 vines per hectare and hand harvesting of the grapes.
• Wines carrying the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles designations are made from overripe and delicate grapes harvested by hand, and must undergo a minimum of 18 months of ageing.

• These age-worthy white wines are distinguished by a marked freshness linked to a dominant tartaric acidity, itself associated with good grape ripeness.
• Four wine styles are distinguished: dry and mineral, aromatic and fruit-forward with richness and weight, Vendanges Tardives, and Sélection de Grains Nobles.
• The dry wines and aromatic wines show a sustained depth of colour ranging up to golden yellow, while the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles range up to amber yellow.
• Vendanges Tardives wines often display very exotic and candied fruit aromas with a fresh finish, while Sélection de Grains Nobles wines are more concentrated and powerful, often showing fruit-paste aromas.
• The sweet Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles wines age extremely well and display remarkable concentration and outstanding aromatic persistence.

• The stoniness of the soils gives the wines a consistent, full, and enveloping acidity, contributing salinity, length on the palate, and power.
• The excellent late-season climatic conditions favour concentration on the vine and the development of noble rot, enabling the production of wines from overripe harvested 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