Alsace grand cru Schoenenbourg

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The vineyard is established on dolomitic and gypseous marls of the Keuper (Upper Triassic), rich in nutrients, covered by thin layers of siliceous gravel derived from Vosges sandstone and Muschelkalk.
• The deep clay-marl soil, particularly rich in nutrients, contains a greater or lesser proportion of pink sandstone and glacial sands, and retains moisture well.
• Located at the mouth of a small enclosed valley, this grand cru is remarkably sheltered from the prevailing westerly and northerly winds, generating a significant diurnal temperature range.
• This lieu-dit is rather late-ripening and warms slowly in spring, ensuring a slow, steady maturation of the grapes.
• Calcareous marls of the Lias (Lower Jurassic) outcrop at the eastern end of the vineyard. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles designations, made from overripe grapes harvested by hand, must undergo a minimum of 18 months' ageing.

• The dry, aromatic wines display 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 and candied-fruit aromas with a fresh finish, while Sélection de Grains Nobles often present fruit-paste aromas in a more concentrated and powerful profile.

• The marly and gypseous soils impart a distinctive acid structure to the wines, marked by gypsum character and pronounced bitter length.

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