Alsace red wines gain Grand Cru status

hite grapes Muscat, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer no longer have sole prerogative over Grand Cru appellation status in Alsace. Pinot noir has joined this select club for two vineyard sites – Kirchberg in Barr (Bas-Rhin) and Hengst in Wintzenheim (Haut-Rhin). The first covers 40.6 ha of marl and limestone, with a south-east aspect and elevation of 220 to 350 m. Pinot noir covers nearly 4 ha, farmed by seven producers, soon to be eight. The second extends over 53 hectares of marl-limestone with a south/south-east aspect at between 270 and 360 metres above sea level. Here, ten producers, four organic and six biodynamic, tend 5 ha of Pinot noir vines.

“Red Kirchberg has always been a good seller, but needed some explanations. Starting in 2022, it will be stated on the label. The range will gain in clarity”, feels independent winegrower Vincent Stoeffler who is charged with local management. His sole regret is the length of time it took to reach the decision. “There were many tastings. In 2016, a tasting of the 2009 to 2015 vintages showed that the wines were on the right scale, with price points of €20/bottle and over. I don't see why it was so difficult to get the go-ahead. This endorsement crowns many years of hard work”, adds Christophe Ehrhart, who is in charge of local management of Hengst. “This is only fitting for a grape variety that has been mentioned in Alsace since the 12th century”.