Des terroirs

The Alsace wine region lies over one of the most formidable geological faults in Europe. The Vosges mountain foothills are comprised of a mosaic of different rocks, which have created very different soils in terms of their physical character or mineral composition.
In addition to the composition of the soil, the altitude of a plot, its slope, its exposure and the proximity of a river or a forest, will strongly influence the life of the plant and the makeup of the grape.
Each vineyard slope therefore produces a wine with a unique character! This is what we refer to as the “Terroir”!

Domaine Paul Buecher works more than 50 different plots. Wines from certain complementary vineyards are blended together to add harmony and consistency to the “grandes cuvées”. The terroirs with the most personality are kept separate and give birth to wines with an assertive character!

Grand cru Brand :

Overlooking Turckheim, Brand lies on south-facing steep slopes. Resting on a twin-mica granitic substrate, the soil is poor and sandy and the vines have to dig deep to take root!  This early ripening, warm and sunny terroir creates svelte, subtle Riesling and Pinot Gris wines.

Grand cru Hengst :

Located between Wintzenheim and Wettolsheim, Hengst is east-facing and protected by the mountain range. The calcareous, sandy and clayey brown soils enable a slow, even ripening of the Gewurztraminer and the Pinot Noir grapes, which find themselves at home in this terroir.  The wines have a big, broad character, which is always balanced by lovely acidity.

Grand cru Sommerberg :

This imposing and very steep slope in Niedermorschwihr is made up of granitic sand. The Rieslings grown here are nervy, taut and crystalline. The domaine’s vineyard plot is located at the bottom of the slope, to the east of the Grand Cru, and sits on a subsoil with a higher limestone content, an original feature which often results in overripe grapes and wines of great complexity.

Rosenberg :

Rosenberg is on the eastern slope of the hill that separates Wettolsheim from Eguisheim. The soils are clay-loam, with calcareous rocks breaking through the surface in places. The vines thrive in these deep soils which enables the creation of wines from overripe grapes. The Riesling and Pinot Noir grown here are very attractive.

Clos Gottesthal :

Located in Leimbach, to the extreme south of the Alsace wine region, this high-lying plot (400m) boasts an ideal southeast-exposure and sits alone in the middle of a forest.  Fairly late ripening in a sandstone-marl soil, this terroir gives the Pinot Gris wine nice body, aromatic complexity and a lovely lively character.

Heimbourg :

Heimbourg is a limestone-marl slope from the Oligocene epoch, located in the heart of the Turckheim fault zone.  The Riesling and Pinot Gris plots sit on a fairly steep, west-facing slope and receive the late afternoon sunshine. These late ripening plots often develop Noble Rot. The wines are opulent with deep and very complex acidity.

Boland de Turckheim :

Boland de Turckheim is located below Brand and opposite Heimbourg, but its geological make up is different.  This medium gradient slope rests on grey shell limestone that breaks through the surface in places. This east-facing terroir gives the Riesling and Pinot Noir wines depth, aromatic finesse and volume on the palate.

Herrenweg :

Located at the exit of the Munster Valley, this gravelly soil of the plain is composed of Vosges alluvium. It is one of the sunniest, driest and earliest ripening areas in Alsace. Wines from here are very aromatic and opulent, especially the Gewurztraminers.