Vorbourg is an Alsace Grand Cru vineyard and corresponding appellation split between the villages of Westhalten and Soultzmatt in Alsace, north-eastern France. It is among the more southerly of the 51 Grand Cru sites dotted along the eastern slopes of the Vosges Mountains. Vorbourg includes one of Alsace's famous Clos vineyards – the Clos Saint Landelin, an ancient walled vineyard owned by the Mure family.
(© CIVA / Z Vardon)
Vorbourg is one of two Grand Crus situated immediately north of the Ohmbach river (Zinnkoepfle is the other), amongst the intriguing topography it has created. In this area of the lower Vosges there is an layer of marlstone and limestone which has been exposed after centuries of glaciation during the last ice age. The Ohmbach, flowing down from the harder granite strata in the upper Vosges, has carved a deep path through this softer rock, leaving two isolated limestone hills on the plains between Westhalten and nearby Rouffach. The more northerly hill is known as the Strangenberg and it is here, on the lower eastern slopes, that Vorbourg is located. The Grand Cru site covers roughly 178 acres (72ha) immediately above the Ohmbach as it veers to the north through Rouffach town.
Vorbourg has an ideal south-easterly aspect, meaning that its vines have maximum exposure to gentle sunshine throughout the morning. The slopes are also relatively gentle (particularly compared to those of Zinnkoepfle), climbing steadily from 655 to 985ft (200–300m) above the western houses of Rouffach. The soils here are composed mostly of the Strangenberg's limestone and marlstone. On the lower parts of the site, closer to the river, they include a higher proportion of soft, calcareous clays and have a thin covering of loess.
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 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 produced from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris or Muscat.
