Wine Advisor
Zind Humbrecht, Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephan Reinhardt
From vines averaging 49 years of age, the 2018 Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl opens with a deep, intense and concentrated, clearly limestone-driven and pure bouquet with concentrated ripe fruit aromas but also yeasty, nutty and phenolic notes. On the palate, this is a full-bodied, rich, refined and very elegant, balanced, stimulating saline and tightly structured Pinot Gris with fine, ripe tannins and stunning, vibrantly mineral acidity. The finish is long, intense and finely bitter, still textural and very long. Bottled in January 2020. 14.3% stated alcohol plus 6.3 grams per liter of residual sugar. Natural cork. Tasted in January 2023.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl offers lovely concentration and depth. Apricot, passion fruit, tangerine oil and dried flowers all develop nicely in the glass. I would give the 2018 a year or two in bottle to soften, as it is a bit severe today.
About the Producer
Founded in 1959, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht is one of the most prestigious wineries in Alsace. The Humbrecht family has been growing grapes in the region since 1620. Since the 1980s, the estate has been run by their son, Olivier Humbrecht. Olivier is a world-renowned winemaker and the first Frenchman to be awarded the title of "Master of Wine". In France, it is common that the vineyards owned by Château Humbrecht are not located in the same place. The vineyards of Château Humbrechts are located in 5 different villages and cover a total area of 40 hectares. A wide range of grape varieties are planted, mainly Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. The average age of the vines is 30 years, with some vines as old as 70 years. The winery produces 13,000 to 16,000 cases of wine per year, with yields of 3,000 to 4,000 liters per hectare. Old vines, the best vineyards, low yields, late harvesting, a biologically based growing system and vinification in old, temperature-controlled vats are the hallmarks of the winery's wines. The harvest at Château Humbrechts generally lasts more than 3 months, as the grapes are picked only when a parcel of vineyards has reached their approved full ripeness. The grapes are pressed in whole bunches and they tend to use heavy vats with large capacity. All materials are moved by gravity and aged with premium vats, with little to no use of sulfur dioxide. The fermentation process is completely natural - indigenous yeasts are used, no enzymes and such additives as oxygen, nitrogen, clarifiers, vitamins, etc. are added. The fermentation process at Château Humbrechts is very slow, ranging from 3 months to 1 year, even longer for very sweet wines, and 12 to 18 months for the drier ones. Generally speaking, Château Humbrechts produces mostly sweet wines (depending on the vintage), but in years when natural conditions allow, it also produces less sweet wines with an alcohol content of 15% to 16%. The wines of Château Humbrechts, however, are made with the utmost care and reflect the best local winemaking techniques.
