WINE REGIONS OF THE WORLD: Mambourg Grand Cru AOC (Alsace)
Alsace, France….suffice it to say that it is possibly one of the most misunderstood (or said differently, least understood) wine regions on earth!
But while it doesn’t have the name brand recognition or mass following of other French region such as Champagne, Bordeaux or even Burgundy, there are many beautiful wines made here.
Alsace is a vast region, sitting on the border of France and Germany. Amongst many redeeming qualities, Alsace is known for its single varietal wines, its special green bottles with labels that often hint at its Germanic past and its stunning scenery.
The Alsace Wine Region
No doubt Alsace deserves its own post. But we’re not going to get into all about Alsace here.
Instead, we are focussing on one of Alsace’s Grand Cru vineyards, namely Mambourg.
You see, Alsace has 51 Grand Cru vineyards. Yes, you read that right - we did mean to say 51. If you’re are seeing this data point for the first time and its baffling, we understand. For the uninitiated, let’s break it down.
Map of the 51 Grand Cru vineyards of the Alsace wine region in north east France
In the world of French wine, the term “Grand Cru” generally conveys a moniker synonymous with the highest levels of the appellation system. This applies not only to the Alsace region but also to noteworthy others, such as the aforementioned Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy. And generally speaking, one expects the highest levels of any system to be an exclusive club for the privileged few. For example, there are only 33 Grand Cru vineyards in all of Burgundy which is arguably one of the world’s most parcelled regions. So yes, Alsace having 51 appellations is a lot.
But what does this mean for the average wine drinker?
Simply put, it means that there can be a lot of variety in Alsace wines, even at the Grand Cru level. Some Grand Cru sites are more famous than others, others are larger, some are better associated with specific grapes, while others carry historical significance.
You don’t really need to understand all of this detail to enjoy Alsace wines, but it can be fun to go down rabbit holes sometimes, can’t it?
As we like to say at Wineitupanotch - use the wine in your glass to wine things up a notch and learn something new. That’s what we’ve done with Mambourg for you, below! Be sure to read to the end to see the very delicious wine that inspired our interest in getting to know this Grand Cru vineyard better and sharing that information with you!
Cheers!
All About Mambourg Grand Cru AOC
General Description:
Located almost right in the middle of the Alsace wine region and stretching over 1.3 kilometres, Mambourg is a slope side site that sits atop of the small wine town called Sigolsheim, in the Haut-Rhin département. It covers a surface area of almost 62 hectares, making it one of the larger Grand Cru sites in Alsace.
Historical records indicate that the wines from this specific area were very highly regarded as early as 783 AD. In the present day, Mambourg is not one of the most famous and/or well known Grand Cru vineyards in Alsace.
Aside from wine, the small town of Sigolsheim is also significant for a much-visited national necropolis that is located here.
Geographical Features
Map Source: www.vinsalsace.com
Mambourg is located in the lower contours of the mighty Vosges mountain range.
The altitude of this site is 210 - 360 metres above sea level, giving some altitude which contributes to a higher difference in the temperatures between day and night (also known as diurnal range) which thereby extends the growing season and affords growers a better opportunity to ripen their fruit fully without losing the acidity and/or freshness that is inherent in the variety they are growing.
Notably, the Mambourg site is not as high in altitude as some other Grand Cru vineyards in Alsace and is often described as reaching far out into the Alsace plains (presumably because they are right beside/underneath the slope).
The slope itself is south facing, providing ideal sun exposure, which is especially helpful for attaining ripeness in northerly latitude at which the Alsace region is located. South-facing exposures are highly sought out and prized in Alsace.
The soils here are marine calcareous in nature. Said more simply, they are laden with limestone chalk derived from marine deposits and contain high levels of calcium carbonate. They also have good levels of magnesium.
The combination of the growing conditions described above make Mambourg one of the earliest ripening sites in Alsace.
Wines of the AOC:
Mambourg Grand Cru AOC wines are known for being dry, concentrated and rich, but elegant. Often they are age worthy. There are only white wines produced in this AOC. They can represent very good value.
Grape Varieties Permitted in the AOC:
Mambourg, Alsace (image credit: Vins d’Alsace)
Gewürztraminer (Mambourg is especially highly regarded for this grape variety and it is the most plentifully planted at about 70% of total acreage)
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Muscat - very small amount planted
Climate: Cool Continental
Noteworthy Producers: Bestheim (this post was in fact inspired by the 2019 Bestheim Mambourg Grand Cru Riesling!), Pierre Sparr , Kuehn