{"id":3957,"date":"2020-10-29T09:44:54","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T13:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wine365.com\/?p=3957"},"modified":"2020-11-02T12:58:16","modified_gmt":"2020-11-02T17:58:16","slug":"roche-any-other-name-alsace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wine365.com\/stage\/roche-any-other-name-alsace\/","title":{"rendered":"A Roche by Any Other Name"},"content":{"rendered":"

Grapevines are like icebergs \u2013 much of the action is below the surface.<\/strong> That is why many vignerons<\/em> speak of soil (or rather sub-soil) as en profondeur<\/em> or \u201cin depth,\u201d \u201cdeep-seated,\u201d \u201cprofound\u201d \u2026There is an almost mystical appreciation for ancient rock strata such as schist, gneiss, granite, basalt, silex, and of course limestone in all its many variations. With mature vines developing root systems which can extend many meters deep in their unending search for moisture and nutrients, the inter-relationship between vine and rock takes on real significance. As it turns out, certain vines thrive best among certain sub-soil types, for example the symbiosis of granite with Syrah, or granite with Gamay, or limestone (calcaire) with Pinot Noir<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Some of the most fascinating and rigorous explorations of this phenomena takes place in Alsace<\/strong>. Here one finds diversity of terroirs, sub-soil rock types, and vine varieties. One clarifying attempt to make these distinctions more apparent to general consumers are the range of wines from Domaine Zind-Humbrecht grouped under the Roche<\/strong> (or \u201crock\u201d) label. These are wines whose flavor profile, texture, and overall impression remains defined by the sub-soil rock type.<\/p>\n

Soils, Vines, and How Alsace Wines Are Affected<\/h1>\n

Roche Granitique<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 subsoils with strong granite presence<\/p>\n