Alsace grand cru Pfingstberg

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The summit of the grand cru rests on a micaceous sandstone called Buntsandstein with a calcareous-sandy texture, while the base presents a shelly calcareous sandstone called Muschelkalk with a marly-calcareous-sandy texture.
• The vineyard rests on a calcareous-sandy substrate in which the proportion of clay increases towards the lower part of the slope.
• The summit forest of the Pfingstberg ensures a constant water supply and moderates climatic variations, while its sandstone soil, which is highly free-draining, prevents any excess of water.
• The Vosges massif provides protection against the cool, humid winds from the north-west, allowing the vineyard to find its ideal conditions on the well-exposed, steeply sloping hillsides of the sub-Vosges hills, facing from east to south-west.
• The prevailing westerly winds lose their moisture on the western slopes of the Vosges and arrive in Alsace in the form of foehn, drier and warmer, reducing rainfall and raising temperatures. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• At the foot of the slope lies a layer of wind-borne silt, also known as loess, while the upper part of the terroir presents an acidic brown soil rich in sandstone. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The appellation d'origine contrôlée 'Alsace grand cru Pfingstberg' was recognised in 1992 and its wines come from plots that have been rigorously and precisely delimited, inspired by the historic production heartlands.
• The vineyard is trained using a tall 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.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles designations are made from overripe and fragile grapes harvested by hand and must undergo a minimum ageing period of 18 months.

• These age-worthy white wines are characterised by a pronounced freshness based on a dominant tartaric acidity, linked to good grape maturity.
• The mineral dry wines and the aromatic, fruity, full-bodied wines display a sustained depth of colour ranging up to golden yellow, while the Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles range up to amber yellow.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives or Sélection de Grains Nobles designations are sweet wines of very long keeping potential, with a remarkable concentration and great aromatic persistence.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives designation often display highly exotic aromas and candied fruit with a fresh finish, while those in the Sélection de Grains Nobles category often present fruit-paste aromas.

• The limestone imparts breadth to the wines and develops an aromatic complexity and a power underlined by a harmony linked to the temperate climate and the sandstone.
• The 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