Alsace grand cru Steingrubler

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The soils are gravelly marl-limestone to clay-sandy, established on marls and conglomerates, partially covered by scree and granitic sand.
• The upper part of the grand cru is sandy, while the lower part is richer in limestone.
• The Vosges massif shields the vineyard from humid, cool north-westerly winds, allowing its establishment on well-exposed slopes oriented from east to south-west, with steep gradients.
• The appellation is characterised by soils belonging to a single geo-pedological unit, associated with a particularly favourable mesoclimate.
• The dominant westerly winds lose their moisture on the western slopes of the Vosges and reach Alsace in the form of foehn, drier and warmer. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The appellation d'origine contrôlée Alsace grand cru Steingrubler was recognised in 1992, as confirmed by the decree of 17 December 1992 cited for its inclusion among the grands crus.
• Since the law of 5 July 1972, bottling has been mandatory in the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin, traditionally in the flute of the 'Vin du Rhin' type described in the 1955 decree.
• The vineyard is trained on a tall trellis system 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 delicate hand-harvested grapes, and must undergo a minimum of 18 months' ageing.

• These are age-worthy white wines characterised by a pronounced freshness resting on a dominant tartaric acidity linked to full grape ripeness.
• Dry, mineral wines as well as aromatic, fruity, full-bodied and rich wines display a sustained colour intensity ranging up to deep golden yellow.
• Vendanges Tardives wines often show highly exotic aromas and candied fruit with a fresh finish, while Sélection de Grains Nobles wines are more concentrated and often present fruit-paste aromas.
• Wines bearing the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles designations are sweet wines of very long keeping potential, with remarkable concentration and great aromatic persistence.

• The grand cru tends to ripen relatively late owing to the proximity of the Vosges mountains, and the wines are characterised by a fresh acidity and aromas of great finesse that gain in expressiveness with time.
• The excellent late-season climatic conditions, favourable to concentration on the vine and to the development of noble rot, allow 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