Rosacker is an Alsace Grand Cru vineyard and corresponding appellation in the commune of Hunawihr, in Alsace, north-eastern France. Covering 26 hectares (64 acres), it is one of the most respected of Alsace's 51 Grand Cru sites, ranked alongside Altenberg de Bergheim and Schlossberg, three miles (4.8km) north and south of it respectively.
About half of the Rosacker vineyard is planted with Riesling vines and one-third with Gewurztraminer. Apart from a few notable exceptions, all Alsace Grand Cru wines are varietals and may be produced from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris or Muscat.
(© CIVA / Z Vardon)
The Clos Sainte-Hune, one of Alsace's oldest and best-regarded vineyards, is a walled site within Rosacker. Domaine Trimbach, the owners of the clos, have so far chosen not to adopt the Grand Cru Rosacker title, relying instead on the considerable prestige of the Saint-Hune name. This is not a unique occurrence in Alsace, as the Grand Cru appellation here is much younger and less prestigious than its equivalents in Burgundy.
Rosacker is very much at the core of Alsace's prime vineyard belt, located in a crop of about ten Grand Crus between the towns of Colmar and Ribeauville. These sites are slightly removed from the lower slopes of the Vosges, whereas most of the other Grand Crus are to be found in transition areas between the slopes and the plains. This situation is mirrored (albeit less obviously) around Eguisheim on the southern side of Colmar, particularly in the lower sections of Eichberg and Pfersigberg.
The result is that the Grand Crus are highly varied in their shape and size. Vineyards like Sporen and Mandelberg are squeezed onto smaller patches of land with favorable aspects, while larger sites such as the famous Schlossberg and the combined might of Mambourg and Marckrain capitalize on the unusually long stretches of sunny, south-facing hillsides. Rosacker – or rather the Hunabach stream which flows along its lower southern edge – marks the end of this pattern.
The Rosacker slopes rise steadily above the north-west of Hunawihr, from 850 to 1082ft (260–330m). Their easterly aspect means that the vines receive the very earliest rays of sunshine every day and are spared the harsher heat of the late afternoon. This cooler location, combined with the limestone soils which are present throughout the vineyard, is the key ingredient in the famously complex, racy style of Rosacker Riesling and Gewurztraminer. A high magnesium content, found in only a small number of Alsace's top Grand Crus, is another distinguishing feature of the terroir.
The climate throughout Alsace 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.
