Mandelberg is an Alsace Grand Cru vineyard and corresponding appellation split between the communes of Mittelwihr and Beblenheim in Alsace, north-eastern France. At roughly 22 hectares (54 acres) it is one of the smaller of Alsace's 51 Grand Cru sites. Mandelberg means 'Hill of Almonds' in German; almond trees have been planted here for many centuries and now live side by side with grape vines. The vineyard is planted solely to white wine grapes; mostly Gewurtzraminer (40 percent) and Riesling (30 percent) with smaller amounts of Pinot Gris, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and its pink-skinned variant Muscat Rose à Petit Grains, plus Muscat Ottonel.
(© CIVA)
Mandelberg is part of a cluster of about ten Grand Crus between the towns of Colmar and Ribeauville. Located slightly apart from the main slopes of the Vosges, the topography here differs somewhat from the more typical site for Grand Cru vineyards elsewhere - the area of transition between the slopes and the plains.
The result of the more-sprawling topography around Mandelberg is that the sites are less consistent in their shape and size. Smaller vineyards like Froehn and Sporen are squeezed into niches with favorable aspects, while larger sites such as Schoenenbourg and the combined might of Mambourg and Marckrain capitalize on the unusually long stretches of sunny, south-facing hillsides. Mandelberg falls into the first category, occupying a slightly raised area on the northern side of the village.
The Mandelberg slopes rise gently from 200 to 250 meters (660 to 820ft). They have a south-easterly to south-westerly aspect, so the vines are exposed to plenty of afternoon sunshine. This warmer mesoclimate, combined with effect of the limestone-marl soils which cover the site, leads Mandelberg wines to be opulently fruity, powerful and ageworthy rather than restrained and delicate. They are perceptibly different from the wines grown on cooler, limestone-dominated sites such as Rosacker, just to the north.
