Le Wineck Schlossberg Grand Cru de Katzenthal
History
The character and beauty of this Grand Cru are accentuated by the presence of the Château du Wineck, in the heart of the vineyards, dating from the 12th century and built by the Counts of Eguisheim-Dabo. This fortified castle was formerly called Windeck or Weineck, which literally means "the corner of wine". Until the 14th century, it was the property of the Winecks, knights of Colmar, before passing into the hands of the barons of Rathsamhausen. Currently, it is the property of the Society for the Conservation of Historical Monuments in Alsace, thus making this Grand Cru unique and contributing intimately to the landscape of this vineyard.
Since the 18th century, this vineyard was known as Schlossberg, meaning "hill with the castle". To avoid any confusion with the Grand Cru Schlossberg of Kaysersberg, the Grand Cru appellation became Wineck-Schlossberg, in reference to its chivalrous heritage. The Katzenthal hillsides have a long history in viticulture. As Michel Mastrojanni points out, "in 1211, the monks of Marbach cultivated vines on Katzenthal and the "castle hillside", which became the Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg, has been exploited for several centuries." It was on March 16, 1706, that the name Schlossberg appeared in the Ratsamhausen family's rent renewal lists. Several residents, including Hans Jacob Bläss and Peter Schmitt, owned vines there on which they were assigned to pay royalties. The territorial surface for the villages of Ingersheim and Katzenthal, established in 1760, shows a vast area of vines around the Wineck castle, the "Schloss Berg", occupying a prominent place among the vineyard plots in this area. References to Schlossberg have been increasing since the end of the 18th century. Many harvest authorizations dated from 1830 to around 1870 regularly mention the Schlossberg among the places where "it is permitted to harvest".
The reputation of these hillsides makes them the typical representation of a vineyard in Alsace, illustrated in particular by Hansi/Waltz (Le clocher dans les vignes, 1929), encyclopedias (Le Millio, 1970 - Découvrir la France, 1972) and even school geography textbooks. This long history led to the classification of this terroir as a Grand Cru in 1985.
Terroir
The Wineck-Schlossberg extends over the villages of Katzenthal and Ammerschwihr, in an open amphitheater, which effectively protects it from the winds. Spread over 27.49 hectares, the plots are meticulously delimited to optimize the specific climatic conditions of the terroir. The vines, planted between 280 m and 390 m above sea level, benefit from a steep slope mainly facing south, with some variations depending on the small valleys surrounding the Château du Wineck. This old restored fortress, overlooking the vines, offers its impressive 21-metre tower to the sun.
The soil, mainly made up of biotite granite with two micas (granite de Turckheim), is heavily decomposed into arenas, offering efficient drainage and a variable depth of 30 to 50 cm. Its mineral-rich soil and its crystalline basement in the subsoil are ideal for growing vines, especially Riesling. The microclimate of Wineck-Schlossberg is influenced by the particular topography of the Katzenthal Valley, protected from the prevailing winds by three hills. Unlike other grands crus located in open valleys, favouring air currents, Wineck Schlossberg benefits from a "cocoon effect". This effect brings warmth and promotes the precocity of this vineyard. The presence of the Galtz mountain at the bottom of the valley acts as a shield, protecting the Grand Cru from winds and precipitation.
Indeed, the Katzenthal valley is protected by several rows of medium-sized mountains before the peaks of the Hautes Vosges, which limit precipitation and give the area low rainfall (600 mm/year). Although crossed by a small stream, the Dorfbach, in summer reduced to a thin trickle of water, the vine does not suffer from drought thanks to its roots which draw deep from the rare clay veins providing them with humidity.
Finally, the steep slopes of the Wineck-Schlossberg, reaching up to 45% gradient, fully expose the leaves to the sun, highlighting its character as a hillside vineyard.
Wines
In 2021, 1 hectare of Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg was added to the Zind Humbrecht estate's portfolio of great terroirs. These old vines were brought to the estate by Jérôme Noll, the current winemaker and vineyard manager at the estate. This Grand Cru is located on different hillsides with varied exposures ranging from south-east to south on very steep slopes for some of them.
The soil is similar to the Brand and Sommerberg terroirs: biotite granite with two micas. However, the Wineck-Schlossberg is not at the end of a deep valley like the Brand, the microclimate is perhaps more extreme between cold and hot periods throughout the year. However, the proximity of the mountains guarantees cooler temperatures in the evening and less risk of sunburn.
In 2022, the first vintage vinified by the estate, the grapes were in their second year of organic and biodynamic conversion.