Alsace grand cru Praelatenberg

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• South/south-east-facing slope of a sub-Vosges hill, exposed from east to south-west, with a steep gradient.
• Soils on very dense marls resting on a limestone bedrock, well drained with a balanced water supply.
• The Vosges massif shelters the vineyard from cool, moisture-laden winds from the north-west.
• A homogeneous geo-pedological unit combined with a favourable mesoclimate form the criteria underpinning the delimited area.

• Only four white grape varieties are permitted: riesling, gewurztraminer, pinot gris, and sylvaner, each of which may be vinified under its own varietal designation.
• Hand-harvesting is mandatory; Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles wines require a minimum of 18 months' ageing.

• Dry wines are mineral or aromatic, fruity and rich, with a golden-yellow colour; Vendanges Tardives wines (exotic aromas, candied fruits) and Sélection de Grains Nobles wines (fruit paste) range through to amber yellow.
• Long ageing potential: dry wines gain complexity over time; Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles are described as 'very long-lived sweet wines' of 'remarkable concentration'.

• The dense marls link soil to style: the wines are full-bodied and rich, with an elegant salinity and great aromatic finesse.

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