Alsace grand cru Ollwiller

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The soils derive from Oligocene conglomerates and marls, with a sandy-clay to clay texture, becoming sandier on colluvial deposits.
• The ancient piedmont alluvials, of undetermined age, consist of pebbles, gravels, and sands derived from Vosges sandstone with a predominantly red character. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The mesoclimate is particularly dry, with annual rainfall of 450 mm, thanks to the shelter provided by the Freunstein and the Vieil-Armand.
• The prevailing westerly winds lose their moisture on the western slopes of the Vosges and arrive in Alsace as a foehn, dry and warm.

• The appellation was recognised in 1983 around white varieties — Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris, and Muscats — with hand-harvesting mandatory.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles designations, made from overripe grapes, must undergo a minimum of 18 months' ageing.

• The dry, aromatic wines display a colour intensity ranging up to golden yellow, while Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles reach through to amber yellow.
• Vendanges Tardives often display highly exotic aromas and candied fruit with a fresh finish, whereas Sélections de Grains Nobles often present fruit-paste aromas and exceptional aromatic persistence.

• The clay character of the soil and the low rainfall favour wines with a supple, complex structure, generous body, and pronounced acidity, revealing their full potential after several years of cellaring.

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