The geology of our vineyard
The geology of the Alsatian vineyard is a real mosaic, from granite to limestone, passing through clay, schist, sandstone; this great variety of soils, occupying an area of about 15500 hectares, is favourable to the blossoming of numerous grape varieties. The imprint of the terroir gives Alsace wines that extra bit of soul, a touch that is both singular and complex.
Gueberschwihr is located in the southern part of the Alsatian wine road and benefits from the proximity of the microclimate of Colmar (the city with the least rainfall in France). Our village is situated in the heart of an amphitheatre facing south/south-east with:
- To the north: the Grand Cru Goldert and its marl-limestone-sandstone terroir made up of clay, limestone and sandstone. These deep soils are therefore fertile and have good water retention, the marl brings power, the limestone and sandstone are reduction factors. The wines take their time to harmonise these somewhat antagonistic components.
- To the east: the marl-limestone terroirs: they are composed of thick deposits of clay (marl) and limestone pebbles that form a rock called conglomerate, which evolves slowly and is not very visible. The wines are generous and long in their youth, and age admirably with mineralisation.
- To the south, the marl and sandstone terroirs: This is the sandstone variant of the marl and limestone terroir, this time the pebbles are sandstone. The marl gives the wine power while the sandstone lightens it. More generous than on an exclusively sandstone terroir, the wine's aromas are more complex than on a marl terroir.
