©Wolfberger
Eichberg is an Alsace Grand Cru vineyard in the historic village of Eguisheim in Alsace, northeastern France. It is among 51 Grand Cru sites dotted along the eastern slopes of the Vosges mountain range and is located 4 miles (6km) to the southwest of Colmar, the administrative center of the Haut-Rhin department.
The vineyard covers 58 hectares (143 acres) in a roughly rectangular shape, running to the southwest away from Eguisheim towards the villages of Husseren-les-Châteaux and Voegtlinshoffen. The Eichberg slopes are some of the gentlest of any Alsace Grand Cru site, rising from 722ft (220m) at the eastern edge to 1116ft (340m) in the west. There is a marked difference between the topography here and the steep, almost unmanageable slopes of Grand Cru sites including Zinnkoepfle and Rangen. The aspect changes subtly across the Eichberg vineyard, but the majority of the slopes are southeast-facing.
The soils here are composed predominantly of sandstone, with a certain quantity of rocky limestone at the surface. Granite is to be found on the lower, eastern slopes near to Eguisheim, where the proportion of clay also increases noticeably. In terms of climate, Eichberg is one of the driest vineyard sites in Alsace, with its low levels of precipitation due in large to the rain shadow cast by the Vosges. The mountains also provide protection from the prevailing westerly winds. This combination of soil types and climate are ideally suited to the cultivation of Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris. Indeed, Eichberg wines are renowned for their finesse, fruit flavors and aging potential.
Eichberg gained Alsace Grand Cru status in 1983. The name Eichberg comes from the German word eiche, meaning "oak", and berg, meaning "hill". Eichberg is overlooked by the Trois Châteaux d'Eguisheim – a trio of towers constructed between the 10th and 12th centuries by local noblemen.
