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Alsace wines draw their roots from a millennia-old winemaking tradition dating back to Antiquity. As early as Roman times, vines thrived on the sunny hillsides located between the Vosges and the Rhine. Over the centuries, monks and then the great local families perfected the art of winemaking. The Alsace Grands Crus have their origins in the Middle Ages, when certain plots began to be recognized for their ability to produce exceptionally high-quality grapes.
After centuries of political and border changes, the Alsace AOC was officially created in 1962, followed in 1975 by the Alsace Grand Cru AOC. Today, the region produces some of the most elegant white wines in France. Each estate perpetuates a unique heritage, seeking to express the purity and typicity of the terroir through great wines with controlled designation of origin.
The Alsace Grand Cru AOC designates the most prestigious plots in the region. Each of these great terroirs benefits from a specific microclimate, exposure, and soil, directly shaping the aromatic profile of the wine produced.
The 51 Alsace Grands Crus thus stand out for producing cuvées offering remarkable aromatic intensity and pronounced minerality, as well as great aging potential. These wines are almost entirely made from a single noble grape variety: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, or Pinot Gris. These varieties reveal different expressions depending on the terroir: finesse and tension on granite, richness and depth on limestone. Note that since 2022, certain "Grand Cru" terroirs also allow Pinot Noir.
The Alsace Grand Cru appellation follows a strict set of specifications: limited yields, manual harvesting, optimal grape ripeness, and respect for the terroir. This high level of requirement helps make the cuvées produced within the AOC essential references in the world of French and global white wine. The specialized press is not mistaken and regularly rewards these wines, as seen in the Guide Hachette or the Guide des meilleurs vins de France produced by RVF (Revue du vin de France).
Here are some of the most renowned plots classified as "Grand Cru" :
Located in Sigolsheim, the Grand Cru Mambourg is one of the warmest and earliest in Alsace. Its full southern exposure indeed favors the ripening of grapes, especially Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris.
The wines from this terroir are full-bodied, rich, sometimes slightly sweet, with aromas of spices, exotic fruits, and dried flowers. This cru perfectly illustrates the power and depth of Alsace wines.
Located between Kintzheim and Orschwiller, the Grand Cru Praelatenberg benefits from an exceptional terroir dominated by the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg.The siliceous and gneiss soils, rich in ferruginous pebbles, give the wines an elegant minerality and beautiful tension. The East / South-East exposure and altitude promote the optimal ripeness of the grapes, especially Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat.
The wines of Praelatenberg are characterized by their fullness, concentration, and intense aromatic expression, combining finesse, floral notes, and exotic fruits, with excellent aging potential.
The Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim, located on the hillsides around the village of Bergheim, is among the most prestigious in Alsace. Its terroir, composed of clay-limestone soils, offers excellent exposure that promotes the ripeness and concentration of the grapes.The flagship grape variety of this cru is Riesling, which develops a solid structure, elegant minerality, and remarkable aromatic complexity.
The wines from Altenberg de Bergheim are characterized by their finesse, balance, and aging potential, making this cru an essential reference among the Grands Crus of Alsace.
The first Grand Cru officially recognized in 1975, the terroir of Schlossberg overlooks the village of Kaysersberg and offers a unique panorama of the valley. Its granite soil gives Riesling wines exceptional tension and minerality.
The cuvées produced here are precise and of great aromatic finesse, offering notes of white flowers, citrus, and sometimes honey. The Schlossberg is often cited as one of the iconic grands crus of Alsace white wine.
The Grand Cru Kirchberg de Barr stands out for its limestone slopes and its southeast exposure, ideal for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer.
The wines produced here are balanced, round, and generous, with a beautiful freshness. The Kirchberg embodies the perfect harmony between power and delicacy, and is among the most sought-after Grands Crus by lovers of great white wines.
In addition to these emblematic names, Alsace is full of other equally fascinating terroirs such as the Grands Crus Brand, Eichberg, Kessler and also Rosacker, each with its own unique signature.
All of these Grands Crus illustrate the richness and diversity of Alsace's wine heritage, which is certainly among the greatest vineyards in France. Each estate working on these exceptional crus also makes it a point of honor to reveal its terroir.
Four main grape varieties are authorized in the Grands Crus of Alsace: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat.Here is a brief description of each of them.
Emblematic grape variety of Alsace, Riesling is often considered to be among the greatest white grape varieties in the world. It produces dry white wines of remarkable precision, both straight, lively, and elegant. The aromas evoke citrus fruits, white flowers, and sometimes mineral and petrol notes typical of the terroir.
On granite crus such as Schlossberg or limestone ones like Altenberg, it expresses exceptional tension and complexity. This great grape variety captivates with its freshness and impressive aging potential.
Gewurztraminer is without a doubt, along with Muscat, the most expressive grape variety of Alsace. It produces off-dry, mellow, and sweet white wines. Its aromas are floral (rose, white flowers), exotic (lychee, mango, pineapple), generous, and delightfully aromatic.
On the palate, Gewurztraminer offers a creamy texture and usually a beautiful length. On warm terroirs such as Mambourg, it gains even more fullness and complexity.
The Pinot Gris stands out for its elegance and generosity.Fuller-bodied than Pinot Blanc, it produces structured white wines with aromas of yellow fruits, ripe pear, honey, and sometimes undergrowth as it ages.
This grape variety, very present in crus such as Kirchberg de Barr or Altenberg, develops a generous and harmonious texture. It can produce both balanced dry wines and sweet wines, depending on the ripeness of the grapes. It is also one of the preferred grape varieties for Selection de Grains Nobles, where its natural richness gives cuvées of exceptional aromatic intensity.
Less common than Riesling or Gewurztraminer, Muscat remains a highly appreciated grape variety in Alsace for its aromatic personality.It stands out for its aromas of fresh grapes, white flowers, and citrus fruits, which make it immediately recognizable.
Versatile, it can be vinified as a dry wine, off-dry, mellow, or sweet, thus offering varied, fresh, and elegant expressions. Muscat d’Alsace perfectly reflects the typicity of the terroir and the finesse of the region’s white wines, appealing both to lovers of dry wines and those who prefer rounder, more aromatic cuvées.
Alsace wines offer a rich and varied aromatic palette, directly linked to the typicity of their grape varieties and the diversity of the terroirs.
The Riesling and Muscat, often dry, reveal a beautiful freshness and minerality that pair perfectly with fish, seafood, shellfish, or slightly tangy dishes.
The Gewurztraminer, richer and often slightly sweet, pairs ideally with spicy cuisine, tagines, or strong cheeses such as Munster.
As for Pinot Gris, vinified dry or off-dry, and depending on the vintage, it can wonderfully accompany white meats in sauce, quenelles, or mushroom-based dishes, thanks to its roundness and aromatic richness.
The sweetness scale of Alsatian wines, from dry to sweet, also allows you to choose the perfect pairing: a drier wine will highlight the finesse and minerality of the dish, while a slightly sweet wine will balance spicy or robust dishes. Each terroir, from granitic soils to limestone marl, also influences the texture and profile of the wine, making each pairing unique.
You will have understood, Alsace and its Grands Crus embody the excellence and diversity of French viticulture. From the granitic soils of Schlossberg to the limestone marl of Altenberg de Bergheim, each terroir brings its unique signature, enhanced by noble grape varieties such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, or Muscat.
Whether they are dry, semi-dry, or sweet, these wines reflect the aromatic richness and precision of Alsatian vineyards, while offering remarkable aging potential. Whether to accompany fish, white meats, spicy dishes, or strong cheeses, Alsace wines offer subtle and varied pairings that highlight the terroir, the grape variety, and the finesse of the cuvées.
Discovering Alsace means exploring a millennial wine heritage, where tradition, diversity, and elegance come together to captivate all lovers of great wines !
With 15 600 hectares of vineyards, the Alsace wine region is renowned for its production of exceptional white wines. With its semi-continental climate, varied soils, and magnificent vineyard landscapes sheltered by...
With 15 600 hectares of vineyards, the Alsace wine region is renowned for its production of exceptional white wines. With its semi-continental climate, varied soils, and magnificent vineyard landscapes sheltered by...
Here is the long-awaited sequel to our first installment, which covered the viticultural classifications within the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions ! In this second chapter, we will now give you all...
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Discover the Grands Crus of Alsace, exceptional terroirs where history, climate, and unique soils shape wines of incredible richness.
Discover the Grands Crus of Alsace, exceptional terroirs where history, climate, and unique soils shape wines of incredible richness.
If you are a lover of white wine, you have surely already heard of Riesling! A symbol of Alsace, it is indeed one of the 4 noble grape varieties of...
If you are a lover of white wine, you have surely already heard of Riesling! A symbol of Alsace, it is indeed one of the 4 noble grape varieties of...
