Location and Natural Region
Gut Alsenhof is located near Lauf in the Baden wine-growing region Baden. The vineyard site extends at around 220 to 270 metres above sea level and is oriented from south-west to south. Its slope gradient is roughly 40 to 60 percent. In a sheltered side valley, the conditions provide a favourable setting for viticulture.
Soil and Vineyard Areas
The soils consist of weathered gneiss and Bunter sandstone. The gneiss has vertical jointing, which allows for deep rooting. The classified vineyard area comprises 3.65 hectares.
History and Context
Vine-growing around Alsenhof has been documented since the 14th century; a separate winery building is mentioned in records from the 16th century. The site was first documented in 1493. Historically, ownership arrangements are preserved from the Margraves of Baden and the Lords of Burg Aubach up to the Franckenstein winery; in 1740/41 there was a transfer to the Margraviate of Baden. Since 2012, the Laufer site has been farmed independently by the Weingut Freiherr von und zu Franckenstein.
Gut Alsenhof is classified as VDP.ERSTE LAGE®. The dry estate wines are produced, among others, from Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder and Spätburgunder; Chardonnay is also documented for the site.
Winemaking
For the 2022 Weißburgunder, the grapes were hand-harvested, destemmed, gently pressed and fermented spontaneously in a 300-litre barrel made of French oak. The wine remained on the lees until bottling in autumn 2023. For the 2023 Grauburgunder, there was hand-harvesting, destemming and gentle pressing, as well as spontaneous fermentation in a 600-litre barrel made of French oak; according to the product documentation, it remained on the lees until bottling in autumn 2022.
