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Alsace:
an anthology of vines
Does
Alsace's cultural heritage come from the Rhine? If you take
a stroll through the vineyards and hear the grape growers talking
or singing, you would definitely think so! The attachment is
a lot more than linguistic, and goes right down to the tendrils
of our nine varieties of vine: Black, White, Grey or Tokay Pinot,
Auxerrois, Klevener, Sylvaner, Muscat d'Alsace, Muscat ottonel,
Gewürztraminer and Riesling, vines that stir the depths of our
handsome local soil.
Firstly, let us take a closer look at the vintage I regard as
the Lord of Alsace:
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Riesling
The
historians believe it is the Romans' "Argitis minor".
It was first recorded in Alsace in the 15th century
after a detour via the Rhine and Orleans. A little closer
to home, the grape growers call it "Aromatic pleasure"
(Edle gewurtztraube). Before the Revolution, it was
only grown by a few select vineyards, the only ones
who could make it mature. In Beblenheim, my grandparents
planted it on the Burgraben (castle vine) and the Hagenschlauf,
two chalky soils that give the young Rieslings their
pretty floral lemony notes. With age, the mineral content
is enhanced and the wine acquires a smooth sweet note.
It goes remarkably well with slender fish, seafood and
the delicious coq au Riesling (for which I can give
you the recipe).
Let us now turn to the Gewurztraminer.
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Gewurztraminer
This
is a variation on the Savagnin rose quoted by the botanist
Bock in 1551 in his Kreuterbuch. The genius of Alsatian
grape growers knows no bounds, and the countless categories
of Savignon result in a muskier variety after the war
of 1570, the aromatic rose pleasure. The best quality
is only obtained in the hills below the Vosges, where
the climate is right. It is planted on the estate in the
soils of Ritterpfed at Zellenberg and the Sonnenglanz
great vintage at Beblenheim. These full bodied, well structured
wines are creamy and have a powerful spicy floral aroma.
My parents like serving these wines "to keep" par excellence
with foie gras (from Alsace), fairly spicy food or delicious
apple desserts.
Finally, let us look at a distant Burgundy cousin.
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Pinot
gris
According
to the Alsatians, General Lazare of Schwendi of the
Austrian Imperial Army, Lord of Kientzheim near Colmar,
seized the city of Tokay in Hungary in 1565. Overwhelmed
by the marvellous Hungarian wines, he brought some plants
back with him to grow on his Alsatian estate. It is
a nice legend, but the vine scientists compare it to
the Burgundy grey pinot (already grown on the estate
in Marsannay), a cousin related to the Badois Rülandor
or the Valaisan Malvoisie. It grows well on the soils
of Sonnenglanz and Ritterpfad at Zellenberg.
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