Steingrubler is an Alsace Grand Cru vineyard and corresponding appellation in the historic village of Wettolsheim in Alsace, north-eastern France. It is one of the more southerly of the 51 Grand Cru sites dotted along the eastern slopes of the Vosges Mountains.
Steingruber is one of four Grand Crus which run in a line just to the south-west of Colmar, the administrative center of the Haut-Rhin department; Eichberg, Pfersigberg and Hengst are the other three. Pfersigberg is one of the largest Grand Crus in Alsace, but Steingrubler is less than one-third of its size. It covers 57 acres (23ha) on the lower slopes of a granite promontory jutting out from the eastern Vosges. This promontory is mirrored one mile (1.6km) to the south in Pfersigberg, and again to the north in Hengst.
(© CIVA)
Due to its location, the topography of Steingrubler is more extreme than that of its neighbors, rising steeply from 755 to 1130ft (230–345m). The slopes, which enjoy a south-easterly aspect, have a heavy colluvial influence on their soils. A rough scree made up of granite, marlstone and limestone covers the hillside – particularly lower down – improving the drainage of the already-dry site. The sandier soils higher up are mostly planted with Riesling, while the richer clay and limestone below is well suited to Gewurztraminer.
Steingrubler is one of the driest vineyard sites in Alsace (Colmar, nearby, receives less annual rainfall than any other town in France). The climate of the area is of continental type, with marked low rainfall resulting from 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.
Steingrubler reaches right into the western edge of Wettolsheim village, with the most easterly of its vines actually occupying garden plots. It is overlooked by the Trois Donjons d'Eguisheim on the hilltop to the south – a trio of towers constructed in 10th–12th centuries by local noblemen. Workers on the plains below have traditionally used the towers as a timepiece, noting the position of their relative shadows to track the progress of the sun.
Apart from a few notable exceptions, all Alsace Grand Cru wines are varietals and may be produced from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris or Muscat.
