The Côte d’Or (Golden Coast) of the Alsace wine-growing area where wine-growers work the land like craftsmen, leaving Gewurztraminer to express all its finesse.
The fresh climate of Goldert provides a very healthy environment for all the grape varieties, providing the acidity needed to structure their aromatic richness and complexity. Thus, wines issued from this terroir are marked by aromatic maturity and intensity, always supported by a structured acidity, allowing them to be fully and sensually expressed.
Located to the north of the picturesque village of Gueberschwihr, Goldert stretches out between 230 and 330 metres in altitude. Its steep slope, from 50 to 60% in the upper part, becomes must more gentle towards the plain. It benefits from morning sunshine due to its east exposure, protecting it from the excess heat notably during the summer period.
Goldert is the only Alsace terroir where the geological substrate is only composed of marine Oolithic limestone. In the median part of and lower hillside, the subsoil is made up of tertiary conglomerates and covered by soliflucted Quaternary deposits where the calcareous and sandstone pebbles blend into a clayey template.
This Grand Cru soil is deep, relatively rich and fertile and benefits from a good natural draining.
In addition, this soil-type heats slowly and consequently gives the wines a beautiful acidity. The slow evolution of grapes into optimum physiological maturity allows the development of a powerful structure while preserving aroma finesse.
The east exposure protects the vineyards from strong afternoon heat and preserves the healthy state of berries until late in the year.
This terroir is a Gewurztraminer terroir par excellence! It’s undoubtedly for this reason it has been growing here for so long, initially as the «Traminer». In the same way, Muscateller (today Muscat) and Sylvaner are historically grown on this site. As for Riesling, it appeared for the first time in 1930 and only really encouraged around 1940. Pinot Gris is the major grape variety on the Goldert hillsides
The history of Goldert Grand Cru is inseparable from that of the village of Gueberschwihr. Within the winding streets there are old homes which have been lived in by successive generations of wine-makers.
The village of Gueberschwihr already appeared in 750 as a well-known wine-making locality, according to the historian Médard Barth.
From the Middle Ages to the Revolution, the bishoprics of Basel and Strasbourg, the parish of Gueberschwihr as well as the abbeys near and far, all owned vineyards in the lieu-dit of Goldert.
The name Goldert is explained by the golden colour of its wines so appreciated by connoisseurs. Abroad also, its reputation placed them up at the top «in quality, in bouquet and in vigour» according to a certificate delivered by the city of Luzern in 1728 (authorising its sales in a privileged part of the market).
The age-old reputation of Goldert helped its early-issued administrative recognition in 1932 by the Municipal Council of Gueberschwihr, some 50 years before its entry into the Grands Crus appellation.
