The (very) good news we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived: the AOC Alsace Grand Cru appellation has been extended to include a 3rd exceptional terroir!
Following on from Grands Crus Kirchberg de Barr and Hengst in 2022, it’s now Grand Cru Vorbourg’s turn to be recognised as a terroir on which Pinot Noir can be produced within the AOC Alsace Grand Cru appellation (as decreed on the 4th July 2024 and published in the Journal Officiel on the 7th July).
This legal change acts as a mark of recognition for the hard work that has been carried out by winegrowers over the past few decades, in the vines as well as in the cellar, to gain this new classification within the AOC Alsace Grand Cru appellation. All their determination, and their tireless commitment to excellence, has now been rewarded.
This official decision confirms the outstanding quality of Pinot Noir grown on this terroir and reinforces its position within the ranks of the Alsace region’s most iconic grape varieties.
Grand Cru Vorbourg extends over the communes of Rouffach (95%) and Westhalten, sitting at the foot of the Grand Ballon and Petit Ballon d’Alsace at between 210 and 300 meters above sea level (690 and 985 feet). Its 73.61ha (180.4 acres) occupy the jutting hillside (“vor Berg” in German), with a south/southeast exposure. Vorbourg wines are both powerful and elegant. They get their strength and weight from the area’s clay soils, while limestone brings a fine, saline minerality. Pinot Noirs grown here are deep, bright red in colour, offering aromas of red and black berries combined with mineral notes. The wines are full-bodied with a dense, silky structure integrated with powerful, fine tannins. Vorbourg’s minerality exhibits aromas reminiscent of pencil lead or licorice. These are wines with an outstanding capacity to age.
