Mambourg is an Alsace Grand Cru vineyard in the commune of Sigolsheim in Alsace, north-eastern France. At roughly 153 acres (62ha) it is one of the largest of Alsace's 51 Grand Cru sites.
Mambourg is one of a quartet of Grand Crus located on the northern slopes of the Weisbach valley, at the heart of Alsace. Schlossberg, Furstentum and Marckrain are the other three in this group, which is significant because of the degree to which the vineyards' south-facing slopes extend out onto the plains north of Colmar.
(© CIVA / Z Vardon)
The majority of Alsace's Grand Cru sites closely hug the lower slopes of the Vosges Mountains, away from the over-fertile soils of the alluvial plains. They are generally restricted either to incidental south-east-facing slopes or to south-facing slopes on finger-like promontories. The unbroken south-facing slope which runs west-east for three miles (4.8km) from Kayserberg to Bennwihr is therefore something of an exception. The ridge stands so prominently over the landscape that it has long been the chosen location for watch towers and fortresses. Today it is the site of the international Sigolsheim WW2 memorial and French national cemetery. Mambourg is located at the eastern end of this slope, known as the Blutberg ('Hill of Blood') and as Hill 216.
The Mambourg slopes rise steadily from 690 to 1150ft (210–350m). They have a southerly aspect, meaning that the vines are exposed to the ripening rays of the sun in the late morning and throughout the afternoon. As the promontory reaches its apex, the slopes sweep around to the north; this section is within the commune boundaries of Bennwihr, and is thus a part of the adjacent Marckrain Grand Cru site. The soils on both of these sites are composed of a rough mixture of limestone and marlstone, mixed in with granitic, magnesium-rich sand.
The climate of the area is of continental type with particularly low rainfall – a result of the rain shadow cast by the Vosges. 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; it is not uncommon to see Alsace vineyards lined with snow.
Apart from a few notable exceptions, all Alsace Grand Cru wines are varietals and may be made from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris or Muscat. Mambourg has each of these planted, although Gewurztraminer is the variety best suited to the site.
