Alsace Grands Crus

The specification says Alsace growers noticed early that certain lieux-dits gave particular wines and for centuries named the origin of their wines, later on the bottle. Article 2 of the ordinance of 2 November 1945 already provided for sub-regional, communal and local appellations to be delimited on the proposal of local syndicates. The grands crus were recognised by decrees of 20 November 1975, 23 November 1983, 17 December 1992 and 12 January 2007: Schlossberg in 1975, Brand and Altenberg de Bergheim in 1983, and Zotzenberg in 1992, for example.

Some sites have long written records. The Altenberg de Bergheim appears in the oldest chronicles, bequests and religious holdings and belonged to the Cistercian order and then to the Ribeaupierre family. The sites were previously grouped within AOC Alsace Grand Cru; in 2011 they were recognised as 51 distinct appellations.

Each grand cru lies within the Alsace AOC area, on steep, well-exposed (east to south-west) slopes of the sub-Vosges hills, where the Vosges shelter vines from damp north-west winds. Each is defined by soils of one geo-pedological unit and a favourable mesoclimate, so the rock changes from site to site. Brand at Turckheim is fractured Turckheim granite with coarse, sandy soil. Schlossberg rests on acid soils from migmatite and granite, ventilated from the Kaysersberg valley. Zotzenberg is dense marl on limestone. Kitterlé, near Guebwiller, is coarse Vosges sandstone and quartzite conglomerate, terraced behind stone walls. Rangen, the southernmost, covers 22 ha at Thann and Vieux-Thann at 350 to 450 m, on Carboniferous volcanic-sedimentary rock (greywacke, tuffs, andesite), with slopes averaging 90% and about 850 mm of rain. Altenberg de Bergheim has red, stony calcareous soils rich in marl. The CIVA counts 51 terroirs selected on geographical and climatic criteria.

Because each site differs, the specification describes character site by site rather than for the grands crus as a whole. Two examples show the range. Altenberg de Bergheim, a calm, warm site where grapes are picked late, often as noble rot begins, gives keeping wines whose main blended type is "never technically dry" and which peak after 15 to 20 years; its Riesling alone is drier and more mineral. At Rangen, a long, slow ripening gives great complexity. Across all sites, vendanges tardives show exotic and candied fruit and sélection de grains nobles are more concentrated. Grand cru does not mean sweet.

Each grand cru is a separate AOC named "Alsace grand cru" plus the site, for example Alsace grand cru Rangen. All are reserved for still white wine except Hengst, Kirchberg de Barr and Vorbourg, which may also make red. White wines come from a single grape, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris or Riesling, or a blend of the Muscats; red wines from Pinot Noir. Zotzenberg also allows Sylvaner, and Altenberg de Bergheim and Kaefferkopf allow defined blends.

Grapes are picked by hand, and vines are planted at least 4,500 per hectare, more on some sites. Minimum sugar on most sites is 195 g/l for Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris and 170 g/l for other grapes. Base yields are 50 hl/ha for whites and 40 for reds. Vendanges tardives and sélection de grains nobles are additional mentions, not synonyms for grand cru.