Alsace: Top Riesling terroirs

Standing in one of Alsace’s 51 grands crus, the owner nodded towards his parcel and explained: ‘As you can see, the soil here is granite,’ before adding unhelpfully, ‘but of course it’s a different granite from the hill behind it.’

Scroll down for Stephen Brook’s pick: the best of Alsace Grand Cru Riesling

That’s the problem with Alsace. Its grand cru system is admirably based on terroir, but Alsace simply has too many of them. Burgundy, the model for the Alsace system, is relatively uniform: limestone soils and east-facing sites, with the mid-slopes offering the best and most consistent quality. Alsace’s slopes, in contrast, are composed of limestone, clay, sandstone, marl, volcanic soils, schist and more.

Nor is there widespread agreement on how those soils influence the flavour or structure of the wines. Terroir consists of more than soil type: exposition and elevation – not to mention the human contribution of individual viticulturists and winemakers – all play a part too. Yet there is almost a recognition that, at least for Riesling, the most transparent of grape varieties, it is possible to identify the supreme sites. Such sites are often shared with other grape varieties, although some are better suited to Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer than Riesling. Alsace isn’t simple.It has to be pointed out that many grands crus are far too large and not of uniform quality. Moreover, many grand cru wines are produced by cooperatives, some aiming high, others humdrum. So the presence of a famous name on the label is no guarantee of quality. That said, the crus highlighted on the following pages do produce some of the world’s greatest Rieslings, and the competition for dry styles from Germany, Austria and Australia, has forced the top producers to ensure their wines are not left trailing in their wake.

Rangen

If Schoenenbourg is bafflingly complex, Rangen is simple: a very steep volcanic slope overlooking the southerly town of Thann. There used to be hundreds of hectares of vines in Thann, however urban sprawl disposed of all but Rangen, making this the only town in Alsace with nothing but grand cru vines.

Rangen is renowned for two great Rieslings: Clos St Urbain from Zind-Humbrecht and Clos St Théobald from Schoffit, each about 6ha. The Eguisheim cooperative Wolfberger also owns more than 4ha. Rangen voluntarily reduced its maximum yield to 50hl/ha, so it’s not surprising that the wines have great concentration, and natural springs ensure the vines are rarely stressed. The site is the steepest in Alsace, and dry stone walls contribute further to its warmth. The soils are deep and it can take 15 years for root systems to develop and transmit the mineral grandeur of Rangen. These are mighty Rieslings, greatly prized and invariably expensive.

Kitterlé

This moderately sized grand cru in the southerly town of Guebwiller is mostly owned by the Schlumberger estate, which first named the vineyard on its labels in 1830. The sandstone terraces are partly south-facing, but as the site is horseshoe-shaped there are numerous exposures. Only one-third is planted to Riesling, mostly on the higher slopes, but the wines show smoky aromas – perhaps derived from volcanic elements in the soil – and exceptional elegance.

Saering

Saering, like Kitterlé, lies close to Guebwiller. Whereas Thomas Schlumberger rates Kitterlé very highly, he sees Saering, with its marl and sandstone soils, as ‘an approachable, beginner’s grand cru, delivering Rieslings that age well in the medium term’. Jean Dirler of Dirler-Cadé is more enthusiastic, though, noting that it excels most in top vintages and that its wines are citric and not especially powerful.

Vorbourg: Clos St Landelin

Vorbourg is a very large southerly grand cru planted to many varieties. Its most exceptional terroir is this 15ha Clos, a monopole of the biodynamic Domaine Muré. It’s south-facing, dry and sunny, planted to a high density, and its stony clay-limestone soil has good drainage. The Rieslings are not especially mineral, but they do have richness, texture and complexity. The lower sectors can attract botrytis, and in the past the Muré wines often had residual sugar, but today they are essentially dry and all the better for it.

Eichberg

This large grand cru sprawls southwest of Eguisheim along gentle slopes. The soil is decomposed sandstone over clay and limestone, and can be quite stony. Although climatically very dry, hydric stress is rare, and the drainage is good. Christian Beyer of Emile Beyer says that Eichberg Rieslings have good acidity and salinity, but also ample body and elegance. Kuentz-Bas also produces good Rieslings from here that it defines as tight and mineral.

Hengst

In Wintzenheim, also close to Colmar, is another large grand cru that delivers wines in a different style to Brand. Its soils are composed of stony marl and limestone with clay, which is why Gewurztraminer is the dominant variety planted. The late Jean Meyer of Josmeyer once described them to me as ‘powerful wines that cling to the palate’. His daughter Céline elaborates: ‘The soils retain moisture so they don’t suffer from stress, and they give wines with amplitude. They are long-distance runners that are not too accessible when young. Yet they have less acidity than wines from Brand.’

Brand

Not far from Colmar is the village of Turckheim, which is flanked by the large grand cru of Brand. It’s a sunny, early-ripening site with soils of granite and mica, and a thin loess topsoil that can lead to hydric stress in very hot years. Olivier Humbrecht MW says there are mineral elements in the soil, but they lie deep and vines need to be mature to extract them. Another biodynamic producer, Josmeyer, also makes fine Riesling from Brand. According to Céline Meyer, ‘the wines are linear and pure, quite austere and saline, like an arrow in style’. Jean Boxler, however, says the warmth of Brand can mean that some wines lack acidity.

Sommerberg

Close to Colmar, Sommerberg is a steep curvaceous site composed of granitic sand that’s rich in mineral deposits. Jean Boxler is the principal producer, who notes that the wines are quite open when young, and always elegant. He bottles two parcels within Sommerberg separately, the airy Eckberg and the dense Dudenstein, so there are clearly variations in exposition and terroir.

Schlossberg

This great terraced hill looms over the villages of Kaysersberg and Kientzheim and is mostly granite, with some loess on the lower slopes. Philippe Blanck of Domaine Paul Blanck notes that Schlossberg was already recognised as a top site in the 1920s. Terraces are supported by dry stone walls that retain the soil and warm the vines. The forest above the hill both protects the vines from cold air and funnels water to them. ‘Granite is a perfect match for Riesling in a Chablisien style,’ says Blanck.

Jacky Barthelmé of Domaine Albert Mann observes: ‘It’s not a site that likes too much heat as it can suffer from hydric stress. Yields shouldn’t exceed 45hl/ha and you should get full ripeness at 12.5%. I’d describe the wine as dry and flinty, spicy and long: slender wines with great finesse that age well.’

Weinbach is the other great domaine here, producing Rieslings in a variety of styles, as the richer, lower slopes are ideal for lightly sweet wines. ‘It’s an unforgiving site,’ says owner Catherine Faller, ‘and we often have to declassify some lots.’ Curiously, there is a separate parcel of Schlossberg that is southeast-facing and called Kirrenbourg. ‘It’s high up and there’s a lot of clay,’ says Blanck, ‘but with global warming its elevation is advantageous and the site is much prized.’

Schoenenbourg

This large, well-drained site in Riquewihr is a geological nightmare, composed of clay, marl, gypsum, limestone and sandstone. It’s not uniform and faces both south and southwest. Lower down, the soil has too much vigour and its wines are less distinguished. Despite being impossible to define as a single terroir, Schoenenbourg is renowned for rich, succulent Rieslings, in sweeter as well as dry styles.

It’s significant that Hugel, an estate that never labelled its wines as grand cru despite owning parcels in two of them, changed tack in 2007, inaugurating ‘Schoelhammer’, a Riesling from mid-slope marl parcels within Schoenenbourg that are planted with lowvigour massal selections. It’s a splendid wine, as is its second wine Grossi Laüe (no, I can’t pronounce it either). There are countless proprietors here, including the iconoclastic Jean-Michel Deiss and Dopff au Moulin.

Rosacker

Although documented from the 15th century, Rosacker is not that well known. A well ventilated site, it faces east and southeast, and its soil is composed of fossil limestone and clay. Half the site is planted with Riesling. It owes its fame to Alsace’s most prestigious wine, Trimbach’s Clos Ste Hune, a wine that’s chiselled, pure and very long-lived. This 1.67ha parcel has been in the Trimbach family for more than two centuries, and many vines date from 1953 or earlier. A single vineyard worker is employed just to care for the Clos.

Geisberg

One of the smallest grands crus, Geisberg is located in Ribeauvillé. The soil is stony but geologically varied, with fossil limestone over clay and sandstone. It’s refreshed by cool winds at night and is almost entirely planted with Riesling. According to Jean Trimbach: ‘Geisberg has breadth on the palate but becomes more mineral with bottle-age.’ André Kientzler was the first grower to demonstrate the quality of this site, and Trimbach followed more recently. Both make splendid Rieslings here.

Kanzlerberg

This tiny grand cru in Bergheim is divided between two principal owners: Gustave Lorentz and Sylvie Spielmann. A 12th-century house at the foot of the vineyard suggests it was probably planted by that time. It’s a cool site as it doesn’t face due south and has heavy clay soils that give slow maturation. Slabs of gypsum, often embedded with semi-precious fluorite slivers, have been unearthed here. These are not the easiest or most approachable Rieslings: they demand ageing yet always retain freshness. Spielmann says: ‘They aren’t that aromatic or fruity, but they have substance on the palate, with volume and minerality.’ They are worth sourcing and cellaring.

Muenchberg, Kastelberg, Wiebelsberg

These grands crus are in northern Alsace. Kastelberg and Wiebelsberg are side by side in Andlau but geologically separate. The very steep Kastelberg looms over the town and its schist and granite soils deliver stylish Rieslings that age very well. It performs best in hot years. The larger Wiebelsberg is composed of weathered sandstone over schist. It’s more precocious than Kastelberg, and its Rieslings have finesse but lack the tension and intensity of the best wines from Kastelberg. Kreydenweiss and Gresser are the best-known producers.

Muenchberg shouldn’t be confused with Moenchberg, a third grand cru in Andlau, although that’s easily done. It’s a spacious and sheltered site in Nothalten that resembles a shallow bowl. From top growers such as Ostertag, it produces concentrated, spicy and structured Rieslings.

Stephen Brook has been a contributing editor to Decanter since 1996, and is a widely published and awarded wine journalist, author and judge

See Stephen Brook’s pick: the best of Alsace Grand Cru Riesling

Wines are ordered, as in the main text, south-to-north according to the location of each grand cru, and then by point scores

You may also like

From the archive: Refreshingly dry Alsace Riesling 2012 – panel tasting resultsAlsace Riesling: Comparing grand cru sitesOn rocky ground: The science of soil and wine tasteSouth American Riesling: Expert’s ChoiceDry German Riesling Grosses Gewächs: Panel tasting results