A Pinot Noir Awakens in Alsace
Pressed up against Germany’s border in France’s far east, Alsace is often simply described as magical. Its rolling green vineyards, Vosges mountains, old castle ruins, and half-timbered houses make for a fairytale-like setting. And while it has earned a reputation for stunning white wines, it has a fabled history with Pinot Noir as well.
Once upon a time, and not that long ago, Alsace Pinot Noir was made primarily in one of two styles: Pinot Noir d’Alsace Rouge léger were simple, fruity, and soft wines. The more serious and barrel-aged Pinot Noir d’Alsace Rouge were, even as recently as a decade ago, too often greenish, grippy, and outright sour. As hectarage in the region continues to grow (today constituting 12%), Alsatian Pinot Noirs are now presenting as serious, origin-driven wines of body, intensity, and texture.
Given Alsace’s historical and geographic proximity to Germany, the developments at both the barrel and political level seem worthy of exploration in these pages.
A ripening relationship with climate change
Like the fairytale form itself, the story of Pinot Noir in Alsace has undergone a significant rewrite in recent decades. Ripening Pinot Noir fruit is no longer the challenge it once was. Where harvest used to start in late September or early October, we now see first harvest dates shifting to as early as the end of August.
The variety thrives on stony vineyards with good drainage, such as in the south-facing grand crus of Furstentum, Schlossberg, Frankstein, and Altenberg de Bergheim. Here, where white grapes once served the region well, the vineyards are now being replanted with Pinot Noir. The warm limestone sites cannot (yet) be labelled as Pinot Noir Grand Cru, but do deliver terroir-driven quality fruit. Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, and other favored white grape varieties, on the other hand, are now being relegated to “lesser” vineyards with indirect sunlight that tend to face north more than south.
Climate change does not only concern the increase of temperature, but also brings with it extreme weather conditions — drought, hail, frost, and even a whirlwind in 2023. The increasing variation between vintages also highlights the differences within the region itself. For instance, in significant parts of the Haut-Rhin, 2024 was a very wet year. The Bas-Rhin up north, by contrast, suffered some spring frost but not nearly the extreme precipitation as Haut-Rhin. Particularly in July and August, some parts of the region had difficulty beating mildew, due to exactly the sort of wet conditions Pinot Noir suffers under. Yet, winemakers in the region let me know that the fruit nonetheless shows promise: even if quantities were small, the quality was good.
A Pinot tale of terroir and transformation
A little less than 300 kilometers northeast of Puligny-Montrachet sits picturesque Colmar, the beating heart of Alsace. The Pinot Noirs from here strive for a Burgundian elegance, earthiness, and pleasant freshness, yet at a price point more akin to a Burgundy village than a grand cru.
Alsace’s relationship with barrel maturation has been one of extremes. Back in the ’80s, there was hardly any oak usage. The trend later swung in the other direction, with wineries either relying heavily on oak, or not at all. Today, the best estates are pursuing a more balanced barrel regime in the cellar. The “beginner mistake” in making Pinot Noir d’Alsace is to overuse oak, cloying an otherwise origin-driven wine.
Where the average price of Burgundy reds are greatly influenced by the DRCs and auction wines, Pinot d’Alsace remains a hidden secret. A “daily Burgundy” could easily run between 30 to 50 euros, while the average Pinot Noir d’Alsace costs only 20 to 30 euros. There are of course highly sought after exceptions that cost a significant amount more, such as Marcel Deiss’ Burlenberg, Albert Mann’s Clos de la Faille, or, for instance, Weinbach’s Pinot Noir S. But these remain more the exceptions that prove the rule.
Pinot Noir d’Alsace comes of age
Passionate Alsatians are preparing to make a whole lot more Pinot Noir in the future. Original data from the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE) and the CIVA shows that Pinot Noir plantings quintupled in 50 years, from 198 hectares in 1969 to almost 2000 hectares in 2022. When I spoke with Thierry Mann from Wunsch & Mann, he mentioned that he tries to plant more Pinot Noir every year, at the expense of otherwise excellent Pinot Gris vineyards. Wineries such as Ginglinger and Weinbach have shown a 33% increase in plantings between 2022 and 2024.
Based on market demand and consumer trends, wineries such as Justin Boxler, Kirrenbourg, Meyer-Fonné, and René Muré all predict a bright future for Pinot Noir in Alsace. Their belief reflects the aforementioned growth, ongoing climate change, and, in some cases, a progressive mindset.
Grand Cru Alsace: Redefining Pinot Noir’s Potential
This in turn led to further change. In July 2022, in a moment that suddenly made clear the stakes at play here, two Alsatian grand crus became Pinot Noir grand crus. The first is Kirchberg de Barr, which sits nestled between two hills, the Zotzenberg and the Kirchberg de Barr, in the Bas-Rhin. Whereas the Zotzenberg faces north, the Kirchberg faces southeast and offers, among other things, the limestone soil Pinot Noir tends to love.
The second is the south/southeast facing Hengst Grand Cru vineyard, which translates to “Stallion” and is located around 45 kilometers south of the Kirchberg de Barr, near Colmar. The soil is primarily limestone, with deposits of marl and sandstone as well.
Both of these grand crus had been excellent sites for Gewurztraminer, which sometimes requires an extended ripening period that may mimic Pinot Noir’s. Where Gewurztraminer sometimes has issues with sudden overripeness, Pinot Noir ripens more gradually. Hence the reason Pinot Noir was replanted in this place. Yet even at this relatively young stage in their planting, both grand crus are already producing red wines that I consider excellent.
This may, in part, reflect the advances that Alsace has made in winemaking. Many wineries are switching from using new wood to older oak, with less intervention and longer aging times. Whole bunch fermentation is also utilized to boost aromas, freshness, and structure. Although the latter creates a more drinkable style, it should be noted that, with the exception of Pinot Noir, destemming is still unusual in the region.
The result is fresher Pinot Noir with a refined minerality and texture that was previously absent in the légere style. These changing techniques also open up a fresh style capable of embracing the Alsatian lightness while still reflecting the complex terroir and winemaker’s vision, a tightrope walk between extremes that was previously unavailable.
Kreydenweiss offers a fine example of how the changes in style have achieved more balanced wines. The estate’s KB Pinot Noir from the Kirchberg de Barr shows the finesse of the légere style, with a ripeness light years away from the grippy, unripe wines of even a few decades before. It tastes of fresh red fruit and cherries, with earthy notes and minerality. Its color is the typical lighter shade of garnet and on the palate the texture sings with impeccable silkiness.
Lieux-Dits: The Unsung Heroes of Alsatian Terroir
A third site, the Vorbourg, has now been elevated into the region’s latest Pinot Noir grand cru. As of 2024, its wines can feature both Pinot Noir and grand cru on the label. Most Alsatian wineries that make quality Pinot Noir have been eagerly awaiting this development, as it seems likely to draw even greater international status and recognition to their efforts.
The Vorbourg’s rise, as perhaps best embodied by the Pinot pioneer Véronique Muré, is well deserved. A Pinot Noir pioneer since day one, her wines have earned high praise from both Jancis Robinson and Panos Kakaviatos of Decanter for their subtle aromatics, pristine finesse, and impressive length.
But any forward-looking assessment of Pinot Noir in Alsace must also take note of a trend in a lower key: the lieux-dits. These are designated vineyards with names such as Vogelgarten, Altenbourg, Strangenberg, Bollenberg, Letzenberg, Salzhof, Hinterburg, and Stierkopf that can be labeled as such since 2011, when these villages and lieux-dits were added to the appellation.
Lieu-dit labeled wines are often the specialty of the winery in question, not only for Pinot Noir. Several factors differentiate these sites from the crowd and from the grand crus. Perhaps most important is that stringent criteria must be met to label a wine with a grand cru status, including hand-harvesting, defined style, and yield limitations. Lieu-dit wines, by contrast, are subject to less strict legal oversight.
Of the hundreds of lieux-dits that are allowed in the region, just under 100 are predominantly limestone. When I asked Félix Meyer from the Meyer-Fonné winery about the lieux-dits with the brightest Pinot potential, the names he cited without hesitation were all on limestone.
Trends
Classic expectations of a Pinot Noir d’Alsace include pale color, earthy notes, silky tannins, and a juicy mouthfeel. Winemaker Adrien Stoeffler from Domaine Vincent Stoeffler supports the younger generations increasing interest in fresh, low-intervention wines. And given the freshness and drinkability of the local Pinots, the wines benefit from a slight chill — a style that has been growing in popularity over the last few years.
Alsace is smack in the middle of change. Increases in Pinot Noir plantings, the internal validation of grand cru status, and a significant shift in winemaking philosophy are creating a happy-ever-after for the variety in a region long dominated by its reputation for sweet and white wine. Will we see more grand crus being eligible for Pinot Noir? I think we will.
