Wine Advisor
Zind Humbrecht, Riesling Grand Cru Brand 2018
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephan Reinhardt
From vines averaging 68 years old on a steep and dry granite slope, the 2018 Riesling Brand is pure, very intense and elegant on the precise and very fine and layered nose with lime zest, herbal and ethereal aromas of crushed stones and concentrated citrus fruits. On the palate, this is a rich and elegant, seemingly lean, straight and mineral, pretty energetic dry Riesling with fine, vibrantly saline acidity, fine tannins and a pure, dry and cleansing finish. This is a great and very particular Riesling with a great personality and complexity. It's fabulously vital and tensioned for this hot vintage. Bottled in January 2020 with 13.2% alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in January 2023.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Riesling Brand is such a gorgeous wine. In this range, it is distinguished by an interplay of textural richness and energy that is just compelling. All the elements are so alive in the Brand. Citrus, floral and mineral overtones form the strands of the wine’s fabric. It’s the kind of wine that gets better and better with time in the glass. Dry, bracing notes inform the beautifully chiseled finish.
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.