Letzenberg is a named site (‘lieu-dit’) in Ingersheim, in the Haut-Rhin, Alsace.

Vineyard area: Around 40 hectares (99 acres), mainly Riesling and Gewurztraminer (Tom Stevenson: 1993, p.252).

Terroir: Jean-Baptiste Adam describes the geology of Letzenberg as an ‘eroded marl–clay–limestone slope whose limestone layers formed during the Jurassic era, with other interesting outcrops from the Triassic era. The clay-marl-limestone (red earth) soil of Letzenberg settled on conglomerates with pebbles of sandstone and limestone. The soil is heavy, fat, and rich in trace elements. In some areas, there is barely 20cm of topsoil, which forces the roots to dig deeper into the soil to find their required nutrients.’

Tom Stevenson (1993, p.252) describes Letzenberg as ‘a raised [Jurassic] limestone plateau west of Colmar between Ingersheim and Turckheim with a slight north-east-facing slope. A particularly good source in very hot years.’

Wineries

Certified Biodynamic: Jean-Baptiste Adam.

Bibliography

Tom Stevenson, The Wines of Alsace, Faber & Faber, 1993.