The Vineyards
The Vineyards
The Bernhard & Reibel wine-estate is situated in the centre of Alsace (500 km from Paris), at the foot of the Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle on France’s borders with Germany and Switzerland.
Its geographic situation, at the juncture between germanic and roman influences, gives it its identity: sheltered from the sea influence by the Vosges mountain range, Alsace enjoys one of the lowest rainfalls in France (400-500mm per year) and a semi-continental climate – sunny, warm and dry. Buttressed by the Vosges foothills, at an altitude of 200 and 400 meters, the vineyards derive a maximum of benefits from their sunny exposition, particularly when they are situated on steep slopes.
LES DIFFÉRENTS TERROIRS DU DOMAINE
The particularity of Alsace wines is that each one is named after the grape variety from which it is made. At our Domaine we produce wines from all the authorized grape varieties in the range of Alsace AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée): Sylvaner, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir (red or rosé), Riesling, Pinot-Gris, Gewurztraminer.
The Bernhard & Reibel vineyards are spread over 6 terroirs:
1/ RITTERSBERG – The Mountain of the Knights
The soil in this vineyard is composed of a two-mica granite known as Dambach granite. This is a white granite rich in black mica. The rock is very hard but cracks and crumbles easily, giving it an aspect of coarse sand (arenite sand).
The Rittersberg plots are on steep inclines and mostly east/south east facing.
The wines
The grapes stemming from this vineyard with harsh soil are marked by the white granite. They produce very wines of great finesse, elegant, dry and mineral with bouquets of citrus fruits and a delicious freshness.
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2/ BISCHOFS WEINGARTEN – The Bishop’s Wine-Garden
This vineyard has a soil of porphyroblastique granite known as Thannenkirch granite. Red in colour, this rock contains a lot of minerals, including iron and magnesium.
The wines
The Bischofs Weingarten wines are extremely aromatic. They begin with the aroma of the grape, then open up on to mineral notes almost a little smoky (gunflint), which gives them a long-lasting after-taste. The slightly oily composition of the soil expresses itself in the wines, which are always a little stronger tasting than those of the neighbouring Hahnenberg vineyard.
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3/ HAHNENBERG – The Rooster’s Montain
In the Hahnenberg vineyard geologists have identified a rare specificity: the granite under-layer (porphyroblastique granite) is covered on the surface with a coat containing a small amount of limestone.
The wines
Hahnenberg wines are delicate. The surrounding acacia forest “imbues” the wines with a subtle bouquet of white flowers, consolidated with a welcome degree of acidity.
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4/ GEORGENBRUNNEN – Saint George’s Fountain
The multi-layered red soil here is a mixture of hard rock, granite and a softer rock, a local limestone (gré des Vosges).
The Wines
The structure of the soil is reflected in the wines which this vineyard produces: the aromas of the wine are influenced by the complexity of the soil, they emerge one after another, giving the wines a wonderful, long-lasting after-taste.
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5/ COTEAUX DU HAUT-KOENIGSBOURG
The plots of this vineyard are located on lower-lying hillsides. They are made up of scree from the slopes and of decomposing feldspar, producing clay. It is this clay which, thanks to its great capacity for retention of numerous mineral components, gives the soil a naturally high level of fertility.
The Wines
The wines coming from this vineyard enjoy their own special character. They possess a powerful structure with an admirable complexity. These wines lay down well.
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6/ TERROIRS DE PLAINE, THE GRAVELS
The vineyards in the plains have a gravel soil. Composed of dense pebbles of varying sizes, these soils are light and heat up very quickly.
The wines
The wines coming from these vineyards are light wines, expressive, with a strong taste of the fruit from the start, and they reach maturity quickly.
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