I have just written up a visit to Zind Humbrecht, the celebrated Alsace wine producer, where we tasted 27 different wines – perhaps a record for me for a single producer visit? The quality across the board was incredible, so I wanted to highlight a few of the stunners.
Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive Clos Windsbuhl 2005 Alsace, France Amazing smoking mineral edge to the very sweet, ripe melony fruit. Some crystalline notes. Wonderfully ripe, open and sweet with melon, ripe apple, herb and spice, as well as apple pie and vanilla. Amazing complexity. 97/100
Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Clos Windsbuhl 2005 Alsace, France Amazing nose of nectarine, satsuma and grape with incredible purity. The palate is textured and powerful: very sweet with melon, tangerine, mandarin and spice notes. Smooth with some minerality, as well as peppery freshness that offsets the sweetness. Incredible. 97/100
Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Grand Cru Hengst 2008 Alsace, France Honey, melon and lychee. Rich aromatics. Rounded, peachy and melony. Lush and ripe with good balance. It is quite sweet with 48 g/litre sugar, but there’s some spiciness balancing this. Brilliant wine. 95/100
Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Clos St Urbain Grand Cru Rangen de Thann 2010 Alsace, France Rounded, taut and peppery with some fresh melon and grape notes. Lively, rich and bold. Mineral, grown-up wine with some fatness but also lovely spicy minerality and some smoky notes. Brilliant. 95/100
Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl 2010 Alsace, France This is a late-ripening, high altitude limestone vineyard site with lots of seashells. Full yellow colour. Incredibly lively, dry and mineral with dense, taut, citrus and white peach fruit. Great acidity with lovely full, ripe fruit. So mineral. 95/100
5 Comments on Some remarkable wines from Zind Humbrecht
I have a few of the wines listed from the 2005 vintage. I am told however,that they ideally need at least ten years bottle age to be at their best. It would appear from your notes, that you would not agree,or are you anticipating what the wine will, taste lie when at its best?
Wow – some very high scores. Do you think there is any Gewurz anywhere around that could top the Clos Windsbuhl?
Keith, when they are at their best depends on your taste. I would leave them a couple of years, but then get cracking. They are absolutely lovely now, though – and my scores reflect the experience I had tasting them, not some projected maturity. But I’d be in no hurry to crack through them. That’s the great thing about top Alsace wines – there isn’t a bad time to drink them.
Andrew, the wines deserved the scores. Maybe some weinbachs? But hard to top.
Ok will bring one to the lunch on the 15th and we will see how it is progressing.The Rangen de Thann riesling 2005
Had the pleasure of drinking a 1997 Gewurtz Grand Cru Hengst earlier this year, one of the best wines I have tasted.