Introduction
• West : Vogse Mts & France / East : Rhine River & German
• Germany vs France
• 870 : Germany
• 1648 : Thirty years war -> France
• 1871 : Franco-Prussian War -> Germany
• End of WW1 : France
• During WW2 : Germany
• End of WW2 : France
• Grand cru 만으로는 품질보장이 어려움, 생산자가 중요 : Lieu dit 지정을 위해 노력, Premier Cru 설립 논의중
• 전통적으로 잔당 없는 스타일이나 최근 잔당감이 있는 스타일들의 등장 : Back lable에 sweetness scale 표시의무
• Cremant 생산이 늘어나고 global warming으로 Pinot noir가 성공적임
Business & Market
• 75% comsumed in France
• Co-op : 40%
• Majority of Alsace's grower sell their grape (81% sell & 19% Self vinification) : Co-op 50% / Negotiant 31%
• Many different wine from : Different grape variety, terroir, proprietary tier (reserve personelle...), special cuvee, dessert category
• 33M Cremant produced
• First French vigneron (Eugene Meyer) to convert to Biodynamic (Now 16% is Organic/Biodynamic)
Viticultural History
• Roman에 의해 포도나무 재배 시작
• Wine shipment document (2 CE)
• Germanic tribes invasion (5th Century)
• Chistianity expansion (~9th Century)
• Renaissance peak!! (16th Century)
• Thirty years war (1618-1648) -> France, French revolution (1789), Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), Franco-Prussian War (1870) -> Germany
• Phylloxera (1871)
• Geman은 Alsace를 경쟁상대로 여겨 Auxerrois, Chasselas나 French-American hybrid를 심게 했다
• German culture에 영향을 받은 부분 : Flute d'Alsace, Varietal bottling, Riesling
• End of WW1 -> France : Hybrid 제거령, but 대공황으로 쉽지않음
• End of WW2 -> France : Hybrid 완전 제거령 (~1962)
Location & Climate
• Continental : high diurnal gap -> good natural acid
• Rain shadow of Vogse Mts
• Spring frost
• Isolated weather incident : convoluted foothill
• Humid autumn : noble rot
• Cold winter : true dormancy
Geography, Topography & Soils
• Western section of Rhine Graben
• 13가지 soil 종류!!
• 3 Topographical feature
• Vosge Mts (some vineyard) : granite, schist, volcanic, sandstone
• Vosge foothill (most vineyard) : limestone, marl, sandstone - Most GC located
• Rhine Plain / Alsace Plain (Cremant) : loam, alluvium & colluvium
• cf) Voges Mts 서쪽에는 Lorraine 존재
Grape Varieties
• 7 Focal : Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner
• cf) Auxerrois는 focal grape에 해당하지 않음
• Red 11% / White 89%
• Top 3 : Reisling 21% / Pinot Blanc & Auxerrois 21% / Gewurztraminer 20%
• White : Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner, Auxerrois, Muscat a Petits Grains Blanc, Muscat Ottonel
• Rose / Gris : Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Klevener de Heiligenstein
• Red : Pinot Noir
• Noble Grape : Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat -> Noble Grape만 VT & SGN & GC (3개 GC 예외)
Riesling
• 독일출신!!
• Dry wine으로 주로 양조됨
• VT & SGN 가능
Pinot Blanc
• Klevner, Pinot Vrai
• Cremant 생산에 대부분 활용
• Auxerrois와 같이 count됨
Sylvaner
• Modest flavor
• Zotzenberg GC에서 허용
• Austria 출신
Auxerrois
• Alsace-Lorraine 토착
• Pinot Blanc과 같이 count
• Cremant 생산
• Neutral & L acid : Blanc canvas
Muscat a Petits Grains Blanc
• Musky grapy, peach, mango, citrus, spring blossom
Muscat Ottonel
• 추위에 강함
• MPGB에 비해 아로마틱 정도가 적음
Gewurztraminer
• 프랑스 출신!!
• No umlaut
• Often to VT & SGN : ripenign curve = autumn mist
• Aromatic version of Savagnin Rose
Pinot Gris
• Often to VT & SGN : ripenign curve = autumn mist
Klevener de Heiligenstein
• Savagnin Rose
• Savagnin의 pink skinned mutation
• Heiligenstein 마을 주변에서만 허용됨
Pinot Noir
• Global warming으로 집중도와 색깔이 발현됨
• 점점 증가중
Viticulture
• 80% Varietal / 20% Blend
• Long harvest time (9-11월) : 품종마다 완숙 커브가 다양하고, 햇빛과 열을 반사하는 토양이 다양함
• Low area -> high training (frost 피해 줄임)
• Higher area -> low training (light & warmth 극대화)
Wine making
• 89% white / 80% Varietal (must be 100%)
• Very old foudres
• Blended : Edelzwicker, Gentil, Pinot Blanc, Pinot d'Alsace, Cremant d'Alsace, GC Altenberg de Bergheim, GC Kaefferkopf, Terroir blend
• 2008년까지 리슬링은 max 9g/L의 잔당을 허용했다 (GC, VT, SGN 제외) -> 현재는 없어짐
• Sweet style : Demi sec (off dry), Moelleux (m sweet), Doux (sweet) / VT & SGN
• Tartaric acid가 높을수록 드라이하게 느낌
Pinot Blanc / Klevner
• 100% Pinot Blanc
• 100% Auxerrois
• Both blending
Pinot d'Alsace
• Pinot Blanc, Gris, Noir, Auxerrois 중 아무거나
• 단 Pinot noir는 white wine으로 양조
Edelzwicker
• White grape blending
• Vinified together or seperately
• Vintage는 옵션
Gentil
• >50% Noble grape
• Vinified seperately
• Require testing panel
• Vintage 필수
Vendange Tardive
• Late harvest wine (noble rot 포함 가능)
• Hand harvest
• 발효 자연 중단
• MLC : X (당도와 산도 밸런스를 위해)
• Gw & PG : Sugar at harvest 270g/L (potential Alc 16%)
• R & M : Sugar at harvest 244g/L (potential Alc 14%)
Selection de Grains Noble
• Late harvest wine (noble rot 필수)
• Berry by berry harvest, multiple pass
• Gw & PG : Sugar at harvest 306g/L (potential Alc 18.2%)
• R & M : Sugar at harvest 276g/L (potential Alc 16.4%)
Appellation
• 53개의 AOC (Regional Alsace 69%, Cremant d'Alsace 25%, 51 GC AOC 6%)
Alsace AOC
• Any vineyard of Alsace
• Dry to Sweet / White to Red / Special cuvee...etc
• Possible Lieu-Dit or Communal Designation
• Communal Designation : 13 DGCs
• Lieu Dit designation : Techinal cadastral unit
• Non Regulated term : Prestige, Reserve, Reserve Personelle
Alsace Granc Cru AOC
• 51개의 별도 AOC (2011년 : 1개 -> 51개)
• Pinot Noir 허용 : Hengst & Kirchberg de Barr
• Blend 허용 : Altenberg de Bergheim & Kaefferkopf
• Zotzenberg : Sylvaner 허용 / Muscat 금지
cf) Clos Sainte Hune : Rosacker 내의 Monopole이나 표기 안함
Cremant d'Alsace AOC
• 점점 생산량 증가 중
• Pinot Blanc이 대부분이다
• Gewurztraminer는 금지
• Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling도 가능
• Rose & BdN는 무조건 Pinot Noir
• 9mo on lees
Key Terms to Know
• Vendanges Tardives
• Selection de Grains Nobles
• Graben
• Communal designation
• Biodynamic
