Alsace Grand Cru: Vineyards, 10 Best Wines, Prices (2024)

Established in 1975, the Alsace Grand Cru appellation is home to some of France's finest white wines. 

Predominately made from single grape varieties, the Alsace Grand Cru wines are incredibly vibrant with delicious tropical fruit flavors and honey notes.

And thanks to the unique terroir, these wines also have a distinct flinty minerality and earthy notes.

In this article, we’ll take a tour of the Alsace Grand Cru vineyards, discover all the Alsace Grand Crus and the 10 best bottles you can try. We’ll also highlight some delicious food pairings and investment opportunities.

The Great Alsace Grand Cru Vineyards: Terroir And Grape Varieties 

The Alsace Grand Cru sites represent only 8% of the region’s total vineyard size and 4% of the total wine production. 

The Alsace Grand Cru appellation is located on the hills of the sub-Vosges, 200–400 meters above sea level. The vineyards benefit from a semi-continental, dry climate characterized by hot springs, dry summers, long autumns, and cold winters.

Additionally, the Alsaces vineyards are surrounded by rivers and creeks, giving the appellation its diverse mosaic of soils – limestone, marl, alluvial, granite, shale, gneiss, and sandstone.

Although the Alsace wine region produces sparkling wine and red wine styles, the Alsace Grand Cru appellation mainly produces single-variety white wines made with Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat.

However, a few Grand Cru vineyards like Kaefferkopf and Altenberg de Bergheim also produce blend wines. 

The Prestigious Alsace Grand Crus

To be granted a Grand Cru status, vineyards must meet the following requirements of the Alsace Grand Cru system: 

• The vineyard must yield 55 hectoliters per hectare or less.
• The vineyard must be at an altitude between 200–300 meters. 
• The wine must come from a single-named Grand Cru vineyard (called a lieu-dit in Alsace).
• The Grand Cru vineyard name must be on the Alsace wine label.

Here are 10 well-known Alsace Grand Cru sites:

10 Best Alsace Grand Cru Bottles

Here are 10 amazing Alsace Grands Crus wines every white wine lover should try out:

• 2001 Rene Mure Muscat Vorbourg Clos Saint Landelin Selection de Grains Nobles 
• 1996 F E Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune 
• 2008 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Mambourg Quintessence de Grains Nobles Cuvee d'Or 
• 2001 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Selection de Grains Nobles 
• 2015 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Cuvee Sainte Catherine 
• 2015 Domaine Marcel Deiss Altenberg de Bergheim 
• 2012 Albert Mann Pinot Gris Hengst 
• 1989 F E Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune 'Hors Choix' Vendanges Tardives 
• 2017 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Muscat Goldert
• 2017 La Grange de l'Oncle Charles Kaefferkopf

1. 2001 Rene Mure Muscat Vorbourg Clos Saint Landelin Selection de Grains Nobles ($120)

Made from the Gewurztraminer grape variety, this bright golden Alsace wine has a delicious aroma of sweet oranges and exquisite ripe fruit flavors with hints of lacy apricot. 

2. 1996 F E Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune ($1,026)

Produced by the Trimbach winery, this white wine offers green apple and lemon aromas. 

The palate has intense acidity and exquisite lime flavors with hints of minerality.

3. 2008 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Mambourg Quintessence de Grains Nobles Cuvee d'Or ($679)

Made from Gewurztraminer grapes affected by noble rot, this Alsace Grand Cru wine has concentrated dried apricot flavors and hints of honey. If you want to impress your guests with this expensive wine, pair it with a delicious garlic pork roast. 

4. 2001 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Selection de Grains Nobles ($478)

This noble rot wine opens with a bouquet of lemon, apple, and ginger aromas. The palate’s smokey notes and high acidity give the wine a long, lingering finish.

5. 2015 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Cuvee Sainte Catherine ($449)

The Riesling grape variety is the main ingredient in this fruity vintage. The wine’s subtle honeyed lemon zest aroma and delicious tropical fruit flavors give way to great freshness and racy acidity. 

6. 2015 Domaine Marcel Deiss Altenberg de Bergheim ($77)

This wonderfully balanced white blend is made with Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat grapes sourced from the limestone-rich Ribeauville vineyards. 

The fragrant nose exudes pear, apple, and honey aromas. The palate is just as flavorful and is accompanied by melon notes and hints of earthy minerality.

7. 2012 Albert Mann Pinot Gris Hengst ($56)

Produced by the exceptional Albert Mann winery, this Pinot Gris is dominated by tropical fruit freshness and mineral notes. The wine’s elegance lies in its lingering stone fruit finish. 

8. 1989 F E Trimbach Riesling Clos Sainte Hune 'Hors Choix' Vendanges Tardives ($866)

Pale gold in color, this prestigious French wine bursts open with green apple and lemon zest aromas. The palate is incredibly dry with fruit tea flavor and flinty ginger notes. 

9. 2017 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Muscat Goldert ($57)

This Grand Cru has a mesmerizing citrus fruit aroma and notes of flinty white blossoms. The lemon sorbet and green apple flavors on the palate make it a great wine to drink while enjoying oysters or sushi. 

10. 2017 La Grange de l'Oncle Charles Kaefferkopf ($61)

Produced by the most recent addition to the prestigious Alsace Grand Crus list, this classy and subtle white wine has enhanced mineral freshness, tropical fruit flavors, and hints of citrus. 

The Best Food Pairings For Alsace Grand Cru Wines

Pair a glass of a delicious Alsace Grand Cru with the following dishes:

• Single-varietal white wines: Cold meats, roasted lamb and chicken, chicken salad, and seafood dishes

• White blends: Duck, goose, and other game birds

• Sweet wines: Fruit-based desserts, cured meats, pork chops, spicy food, and salmon

Should You Invest in Alsace Grand Cru Wines?

If you want to invest in exceptional wines, it’s a good idea to partner with a reliable wine investment company like Vinovest. With their AI-based platform, you can easily buy, store, and sell any fine wine.

Alsace Grands Crus wines have fantastic aging potential and can be stored in a cellar for up to 10 years.

These bottles also showcase excellent price appreciation. For example, the 2015 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Cuvee Sainte Catherine price went up by a whopping 647%, from $61 in 2020 to $456 in 2021.

Additionally, Alsace Grand Cru bottles have performed exceptionally at auctions. For example, six bottles of Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste Hune 1990 were sold for $2,983 at a Christie’s auction in 2016.

Other Interesting Facts About The Alsace Wine Region:

Here are a few other fascinating facts about the charming Alsace wine region:

How are Alsace wines made?

Here are the steps in the Alsace winemaking process:

• Pressing: After harvesting, the grapes are put into horizontal pneumatic presses, where the juice is extracted. The must (the skins, vine stems, and seeds) is then stored in vats. 

• Fermentation: Alsace wines undergo fermentation in stainless steel vats for around 3–4 weeks. Once fermentation is complete, the wines undergo a 3–4 month fining process where unwanted material is removed from the wine. 

• Bottling: Bottling is done in February and March for wines meant to be drunk young. The finest wines are bottled in August just before the next harvest.

Why does the Alsace region mainly produce white wines?

The Alsace Grand Cru vineyards are nestled in a unique valley between France’s Vosges Mountains and Germany’s Rhine River.

As a result, the Alsace region’s wines have similar characteristics to German wines. This also explains why the Alsace vineyards mainly produce grape varieties used in German wine – Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Chardonnay. 

Although the Alsace Grand Cru produces a small amount of Pinot Noir wines, they are not classified as Grand Cru. 

Add An Alluring Alsace Grand Cru Bottle To Your Collection Now!

The impressive Alsace Grand Cru AOC is renowned for some of the world’s finest white wines. You can choose from various wine styles, from the elegant Riesling to the fruity Muscat.

So, if you’re searching for exceptional wines with intense aromas and remarkable texture, Alsace Grand Cru wines are definitely the right choice.

You can get your hands on an exquisite bottle of Alsace Grand Cru wine, sparkling wine, red wine, and more through Vinovest.