Altenberg de Bergbieten is a named vineyard of the Alsace Grand Cru appellation. It is located in the commune of Bergbieten, 14 miles (23Km) west of Strasbourg, at the very northern end of the Grand Cru belt in the Bas-Rhin sub-region of Alsace.
The name Altenberg translates as "old mountain" in German, and was first referenced in historical documents dating from the 11th Century. In 1983, Altenberg de Bergbeiten was recognized as an Alsace Grand Cru vineyard. The vineyard is situated in an area only sparsely populated with prime sites. This is the result of the local topography, which is markedly flatter and less defined than further south (the Vosges mountains are lower-lying and less dense in Bas-Rhin than in Haut-Rhin).
©Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d'Alsace (CIVA)
Altenberg de Bergbieten covers nearly 75 acres (30ha) of gentle southeast-facing slopes, immediately northeast of Bergbieten. This southeasterly aspect means that the vines are protected from winds and are also ideally exposed to the morning sun throughout the growing season. The land here rises only slowly to a maximum height of 870ft (265m), which somewhat lessens the effect of the aspect.
The clay-rich soils across the Altenberg de Bergbieten vineyard are littered with pebbles and are mostly made up of marl and limestone. While the loose topsoil assists with drainage, the lower strata retain water reasonably well, helping the vines to survive in Alsace's famously dry climate. This combination forces the vines to create strong, healthy root systems and means that they dig deep into the ground in search of water. A final element which helps to balance the vines' access to water is the presence of soft gypsum.
The climate throughout Alsace is continental, with particularly low rainfall – a result of the protective rain shadow cast by the Vosges mountains to the west. The mountains also provide protection from the prevailing westerly winds, making the Alsatian summer one of the driest and warmest in the northern half of France. At the other end of the temperature scale the winters here are cold and it is not uncommon to see Alsatian vineyards lined with snow.
Apart from a few notable exceptions, all Alsace grand cru wines are varietals and may be made from Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris or Muscat. Altenberg de Bergbeiten produces all four of these varieties, but specializes in Alsace's two key grapes – Riesling and Gewürztraminer. These varieties account for approximately 95 percent of the cultivated vines in Altenberg de Bergbeiten. Indeed, winegrowers in Altenberg de Bergbeiten have taken steps to protect the dry-style of Riesling typical of the Grand Cru vineyard and signed a local charter in 2001 to restrict the residual sugar content of these wines to 9g/l.
Domaines Loew, Frédéric Mochel and Roland Schmitt are among some of the most well-respected producers in Altenberg de Bergbieten.
