As far as the Grands Crus go, there is absolutely no excuse for not including this vineyard among the first five Grands Crus that were created. It was, unbelievably, the last to be so recognized. Historically speaking, Kaefferkopf is the most famous of all Alsace vineyards, but it has been eclipsed--internationally, at least--by other vineyards that were included in the Grand Cru system. The names of Schlossberg, Rangen, Goldert, and Furstentum have been the worthy Grand Cru ambassadors...at least they have been to those who have a solid familiarity with Alsatian wine.

The vineyard is divided into three non-contiguous sections to the west of Ammerschwihr in the Haut-Rhin, each of which have a bedrock of granite, but the topsoils vary throughout. The topsoil is, in the end, of little import, as it will routinely change, while the subsoil will be the constant, as well as most influential, because the roots draw their principal energy from the bedrock depth.

The Backstory of Kaefferkopf
Kaefferkopf was first delimited in 1932, five years before the creation of the INAO (the branch of the French government which administers appellation--A.O.C.--regulations), and well before any other vineyard in Alsace received official recognition. These wines sold as "Kaefferkopf" could contain Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, or any combination of the five. Kaefferkopf was further recognized with its own sub-appellation (under the umbrella of A.O.C Alsace) in 1966. Kaefferkopf was offered Grand Cru status, but as legislation prohibited blended wines from Grands Crus, and blends were the principal production of Kaefferkopf, this was a non-starter for those with vines in Kaefferkopf. Kaefferkopf growers petitioned the INAO for permission to produce Grand Cru blends, using the history of the vineyard as their basis (precedence being the premise of A.O.C regulations in the first place), but their request was rejected.

INAO Offers Grand Cru Status, Growers Accept it 16 Years Later
In 1990, Kaefferkopf was recognized as a Grand Cru, but the growers continued their own rejection of this, and finally, in 2006, the blended wines of Kaefferkopf were acknowledged as Grands Crus (along with blended wines from Altenberg de Bergheim). However, the wines of Kaefferkopf are now limited to a range of proportions of only three varieties: Gewurztraminer (60%-80%), Riesling (10%-40%), and Pinot Gris (0-30%).

The Wines of Kaefferkopf
Kaefferkopf yields vin de garde, or wine that needs some time to mature. There are many single variety wines, mostly Riesling and Gewurztraminer, that are as glorious as they could be. Some of my favorites include: the Rieslings from J.B. Adam, Henri Ehrhart, Meyer-Fonné, and Sick-Dreyer; and the Gewürztraminers of Marcel Freyburger, Meyer-Fonné, Martin Schaetzel, and the cooperative of Kientzheim-Kaysersberg. The blends which made Kaefferkopf famous are by far the most captivating to me. I have only ever seen two in marketplaces west of France: J.B. Adam and Pierre Sparr. [Update 12/29/2011: I found a bottle of Maurice Schoech 2009 Kaefferkopf, which according to their website is 75-25 Gewürztraminer-Riesling. It was spectacular, exotic, honeyed without being sweet, full of ebullience AND mystery. Yeah--this one is worth seeking out!] I haven't seen a Kaefferkopf wine from Pierre Sparr in many years, so I gather they have given up their stake in the vineyard, but J.B. Adam continued to sell a Kaefferkopf blend after 1990 despite losing the Kaefferkopf A.O.C. designation (once the Grand Cru status had been extended and rejected). I tried a bottle of the 1999 J.B. Adam Kaefferkopf in November of 2009, and it was a sterling wine, radiant and pure with long flavors and a wonderful aroma of flowers and spices.

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