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Alsace Grand Cru is the appellation for the finest still white wines from the Alsace region of north-eastern France. Created in 1983, the appellation was based on a classification of the region's vineyards carried out in 1975 and has been the subject of several subsequent revisions.
There are now 51 Grand Cru vineyards in Alsace, dotted along the lower slopes of the Vosges Mountains. Rangen in the south is separated from Steinklotz in the north by an almost unbroken 60-mile (96-km) belt of vines. Villages which have a Grand Cru in their parish regard it as a source of pride; a Grand Cru vineyard site will often have a large sign mounted on its slopes, proudly stating its name.
The terroir variation between the Grand Cru sites is as clear in their soils as it is in their wines. While the steep slopes of Rangen are famous for their volcanic formation and the rich, full-flavored wines they produce, the much gentler slopes of Steinklotz are rich in limestone and produce a more delicate style of wine with higher acidity.
During the last ice age, the impact of glaciation on the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine Valley was significant. The glacial movement removed layers of overlying sandstone from the hard granite at the core of the region's geology, resulting in alternating outcrops of granite and sandstone. This is visible particularly in the more mountainous southern end of Alsace's wine country, in contrast to the limestone and marlstone of the lower-lying north, deposited during the Jurassic period. Even within a single vineyard, the soil variation can be considerable – the result of soils and rocks being moved and coarsely sorted by glacial movement. (© Proprietary Content, Wine-Searcher.)
The denomination Grand Cru does not hold quite the same value in Alsace as it does in Burgundy. This is not always the result of any perceived inferiority in the terroir (although many have questioned the breadth with which the Grand Cru title is applied), or the wines themselves. It stems from the fact that Alsace has not been developed as a wine-producing center with the same intensity as its southern cousin, and its history has been more disrupted by war and politics. The noble grape varieties were not systematically planted on Alsace's hillsides until the early 20th century; Burgundy's wines have one thousand years of history on which to build their prestige.
An Alsace Grand Cru wine is – almost without exception – produced from a single grape variety. This will be stated on the label, along with the name of the vineyard where the grapes were grown. The varieties permitted for use under the appellation laws are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat. A small number of exceptions to this rule have emerged in the past few years – the result of vociferous lobbying by local producers. The Altenberg de Bergheim, Kaefferkopf and Zotzenberg vineyards are allowed to produce blended wines, each with its own permitted varieties and relative proportions. The case of Kaefferkopf is of particular significance; its promotion to Grand Cru status and the delimitation of the appellation caused a controversy which made headlines in France.
Not all wines from Grand Cru sites are labeled with the Alsace Grand Cru appellation. Such is the prestige of certain long-established wine names in Alsace that their producers choose to retain that name in preference to the Grand Cru title. By not claiming the title (they are sold as either Alsace or Vin d'Alsace) these wines are exempt from the stricter production laws of the appellation.
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