Terroir of Alsace

Here in Alsace, we have a sprawling vineyard nestled between the verdant foothills of the Vosges Mountains and the majestic Black Forest. It boasts a rich terroir, where every vine tells a story stretching back centuries. Our vineyard proudly extends along the Wine Route, a 170 km trail from Marlenheim in the north to Thann, dotted with picturesque villages and stunning landscapes that trace the rich history of this wine-growing region, including our enclave in Herrlisheim near Colmar.

During the Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries), the influence of monasteries contributed to the rise of the great Alsatian vintages, renowned for their quality and finesse.

The 16th and 17th centuries were marked by a period of religious upheaval and wars, impacting Alsatian viticulture. Nevertheless, the 18th century saw a revival of the vineyard, with the introduction of new grape varieties that enriched the palette of Alsace wines.

The 19th century marked a major turning point: the arrival of phylloxera. This devastating aphid decimated European vineyards, including those in Alsace. Faced with this blight, Alsatian winegrowers embarked on a bold reconstruction of their vineyards.

Adopting American rootstocks resistant to phylloxera, they replanted the vines and introduced new grape varieties, thus fostering greater diversity in the Alsatian vineyard. But it's since 1935 that the seven main grape varieties all benefit from the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC), originally created to protect and defend the market for Alsatian wines. In 1918, Alsace once again became a French wine-growing region, breathing new life into this precious heritage. After the Second World War, a restructuring of the vineyard was carried out, highlighting the diversity of Alsatian grape varieties rather than the estates themselves. This is how Alsace wines are distinguished today by appellations classified by grape variety, each revealing a unique character.

The Alsatian vineyard is composed of a mosaic of terroirs with many facets, shaped by millions of years of geological history. From clay-limestone soils to marl soils, each plot offers unique conditions that give Hertzog's Alsace Wines their distinctive character and incomparable richness. Embark on a fascinating journey through the different geological strata that make up this unique terroir:

1. Clay-Limestone Soils: Vestiges of a Jurassic Sea

These soils, originating from a Jurassic sea that once covered the region around 200 million years ago, are composed of a subtle blend of clay and limestone. Their acidic structure promotes excellent development with age, imparting to the wines produced from them:

Remarkable elegance and finesse.
Complex and persistent minerality.
Exceptional ageing potential.
2. Marl Soils: Legacy of a Cretaceous Sea

These soils, formed around 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous period, are distinguished by their richness in clay and limestone. They inherit from the sea that then covered the region, offering the wines remarkable generosity and fullness on the palate:

Incomparable richness and unctuousness.
Admirable minerality that reveals itself over time.
Significant ageing potential.
3. Alluvial Soils: A Patchwork of Sediments

These soils, formed by the deposition of sediments over millennia, are composed of a variety of materials, from sand to gravel and clay. Their diversity offers a range of textures and varied drainage, contributing to the richness of the Alsatian vineyard:

A diversity of styles and expressions.
Remarkable freshness and vibrancy.
Variable ageing potential depending on the soil composition.
4. Granitic Soils: A Rare but Precious Influence

Present in certain areas of the vineyard, granitic soils are distinguished by their sandy-silt texture and acidic pH. They impart a unique minerality and freshness to the wines:

Crystalline and refined minerality.
Intense freshness and vibrancy.
Interesting ageing potential for certain grape varieties.
5. The Alsatian Terroir: A Kaleidoscope of Riches

The diversity of the soils in the Alsatian vineyard, the result of a complex geological history, offers a unique environment for the vine. Each plot, with its own characteristics, contributes to the richness and diversity of Hertzog's Alsace Wines. Indeed, it should be noted that the diversity of the Alsatian terroir is such that all types of soils where vines grow in the world are all present without exception in a single region: Alsace.

Numerous Exceptional "Lieux-dits", Witnesses to a Wine-Growing History:

The Alsatian vineyard is distinguished by its wealth of "lieux-dits" (specific vineyard sites), these emblematic plots with evocative names that reveal a unique terroir and a deeply rooted wine-growing history. Among these treasures, two "lieux-dits" stand out particularly within the Vins d'Alsace Hertzog Estate:

Le Bildstoecklé: A sunny hillside on limestone soil, ideal for the development of noble grape varieties such as Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Pinot Noir.
Le Masel: A south-facing terroir, perfect for the flourishing of Gewurztraminer, whose exotic aromas are fully expressed.
The Grape Varieties of Alsace

The choice and interest in working with single grape varieties throughout the region offers a pure and singular expression, indicating the use of only one Alsatian grape variety per wine. Discover below the details of each grape variety, each one distilling unique sensory experiences.

Pinot Blanc - A fresh and balanced wine.
Sylvaner - Aromatic freshness at its peak.
Riesling - Pure elegance and delicate minerality.
Muscat - A floral symphony in every sip.
Pinot Gris - Richness and complexity in a bottle.
Pinot Noir - The finesse of red in an ocean of white.
Gewurztraminer - Spice and exoticism in harmony.
You can appreciate that each of these offers wines with different experiences. It goes without saying that with the same grape variety, each winemaker, like a master craftsman, plays with the fermentation processes to create a symphony of distinct cuvées, each bottle being a unique ode to its grape variety. This allows us to obtain different Alsace wines in order to let the grape varieties express themselves and develop various aspects.

Ancestral Know-How: Practices for the Vine

Guided by our passion for wine and our respect for the environment, we work every day to reveal the richness and diversity of this wine-growing heritage. Over the seasons, we care for our vines with ancestral practices passed down from generation to generation:

A Cycle of Meticulous Care:

Pruning (La taille): A delicate art that consists of selecting the most promising shoots to promote the quality of the grapes. This rigorous selection allows us to obtain berries concentrated in aromas and sugars, thus guaranteeing the excellence of our wines.
Arching (L'arquage): An ancestral technique that allows the leaves to be exposed to the sun and the bunches to be aerated, thus promoting optimal ripening. By optimising photosynthesis and air circulation, arching contributes to the balance and complexity of the wines.
Trellising (Le palissage): Meticulous work that consists of guiding the shoots on wires for better distribution of vegetation and better air circulation. This technique ensures harmonious development of the vines, thus preserving the health of the vines and the quality of the grapes.
Trimming (Le rognage): A precise operation that consists of removing poorly placed buds to concentrate the energy of the vine on the fruit-bearing bunches. By eliminating parasitic shoots, trimming promotes better nourishment of the bunches and a harvest of homogeneous grapes.
Meticulous work that is reflected in every glass of Hertzog's Alsace Wines. But before we can do the work in the cellar, we must first harvest them. And this happens every year at a very specific time, the harvest season (les vendanges).

The Ritual of the Harvest: A Crucial Moment in the Pursuit of Quality

Each year, the winegrower prepares for the sacred moment of the harvest. While traditionally expert hands selected the bunches by hand, health and climatic considerations have led to the use of mechanical harvesting. However, for our Grands Crus, Vendanges Tardives (Late Harvest), and Grains Nobles (Noble Rot), the ritual persists – manual harvesting and cork stoppers are de rigueur, in accordance with a strict quality charter. Too much rain, diseases, and heatwaves are factors on which we are too dependent. However, the quality charter for Grands Crus, Vendanges Tardives, and Grains Nobles requires manual harvesting as well as the use of cork for the stoppers.

The date for the start of the harvest, as well as the pre-harvest for Crémants (sparkling wines), is set by prefectural decree in Alsace. Conversely, there is no cut-off date; everyone is free to harvest at the time that seems most opportune to them, while respecting the specifications of the AOC according to the different appellations or designations and conditions, all of which has been carefully regulated for years.

The so-called "Ice Harvest" or "Vin de Glace" takes place under particular conditions, requiring freezing temperatures to harvest the frozen grapes. This unique process gives rise to luscious wines of great rarity and incomparable aromatic intensity. There is no time limit for harvesting grapes for the classic cuvées, nor even for a late harvest.

Alsace Late Harvest (Vendanges Tardives) and Selection of Noble Grains (Sélection Grains Nobles)

The magic of the harvest extends to the Late Harvest and Noble Grains of Alsace, recognised since 1984. Producers seek a minimum "potential" alcohol level to be reached for their plots, adding a superior dimension to Alsatian viticulture.

Bunches affected by "noble rot" (pourriture noble), guided by Botrytis Cinerea, earn the designation "Grains Nobles". The result is a concentration of aromas of rare intensity, the fruit of this unique symbiosis between nature and the winemaker's expertise.

Immerse yourself in this world where time, terroir, and the winemaker's passion unite to create wines that transcend the ordinary. Discover our history, explore our grape varieties, and taste the essence of winemaking Alsace.