Alsace. Domaine Zind-Humbrecht
When you find yourself in Alsace I recommend you book a visit at the Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, one of the most famous wineries of the region with an amazing selection of labels made from Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Muscat. Alsace is famous for a wide variety of soils, which is also reflected in Zind-Humbrecht’s portfolio.
Winegrowers from the Humbrecht family have cultivated vines in Alsace since 1620. Domaine Zind-Humbrecht was created in 1959 and today owns around 40ha of vines. Production focuses on white wines with only 0,3 ha of Pinot Noir planted, in Alsace red wine accounts only for 5% of the total production.
The classic Alsatian style is aromatic, greasy, creamy, but also mineralized, which is clearly defined by the terroir. Olivier's wines are undoubtedly among the classics of the region. Every year they are a bit slimmer, they slowly abandon the baroque, oxidized style in favor of drinkability. Due to the climate change Alsace is experiencing hotter weather with intense periods of sun and heat, like in 2015 and 2018, which results in grapes lower in acidity, higher in sugar and wines higher in alcohol. To counteract this vineyards start the harvest as early as August. On the official website of the producer you will find an excellent guide on vintages.
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht is located in a small village called Turckheim and has been producing wine since 1959. Currently they cultivate 40 hectares of vines and produce a wide range of wines from different grapes. The most prestigious appellations are the Grand Crus in Rangen de Thann (5.5ha), Goldert in Gueberschwihr (0.9ha), Hengst in Wintzenheim (1.4ha) and Brand in Turckheim (2.4ha).
The stand out plot is the Clos St Urbain, which is a monopole. It takes its name from the 15th century chapel located in the middle of the vineyard named after Saint Urbain – the patron of growers. Out of 51 Grand Cru parcels in Alsace this is the one located farthest south and has a very long history of producing fine wines. It is also one of the steepest slopes, with the altitude ranging from 330 to 480 meters above sea level. The soils are mostly volcanic and thanks to the Thur river which runs below the Rangen hill this special site has the capability to create late harvest wines (Vendanges Tardives or Séléctions de Grains Nobles) with the help of noble rot. It comes as no surprise that the wines it produces are extraordinary and vary in style.
Next to the Grand Crus the domaine is also producing magnificent wines from smaller vineyards: Clos Windsbuhl, Hauserer and Jebsal - the best testimony to the quality of these wines is the fact that they were all sold out when I tried to purchase some.
It is difficult to pick a single bottling of the estate which stands out – across the entire range Zind-Humbrecht is producing exceptional Rieslings and Gewürztraminers but where they really excel are the Pinot Gris.
The domaine is currently run by Olivier Humbrecht who took over in 1989 and is a Master of Wine. The vineyards are cultivated with biodynamic principles and have been certified since 2002. Another very interesting aspect in the winery is the sweetness level of each wine which is graded from 1 to 5, with 1 being the driest and 5 the sweetest of the spectrum. This way you can get a good feeling about the vintage and style of wine you are buying even without tasting it.
All of Zind-Humbrecht’s wines are made to be kept at least for a little while, so all corks are treated for the cork defect and made specifically for them. There is small wax circle on top of each cork to protect it from the small insects which could spoil it.
During the visit lovely Linnea let me try some very exciting labels:
Zind 2019
Riesling Roche Calcaire 2017
Riesling Alsace Turckheim 2019
Pinot Gris Alsace Rotenberg Wintzenheim 2016
Pinot Gris Alsace Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2012 - smoky notes, like extinguished matches, volcanic soil, raisins, touch of honey, peaty whisky, ripe fruits, still fresh, complex, 4 in sugar. Food pairing: cheese, aperitif.
Pinot Gris Alsace Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2019 - fruity, apricot, flinty and white fruits aromas, smoky aromas, quite persistent and intense, exuberant on the palate, balanced acidity. Riesling would have shown the soil a bit better than Pinot Gris.
Gewürztraminer Roche Roulee 2018 - white flowers, lilac, lychee, grapes, 2 in sugar, less acidity than Riesling and Pinot Gris, tart, bitterness gives freshness. Thick skins of Gewürztraminer make it a bit tannic, it’s almost like a red wine behaving like a white wine. It needs longer maturation period to develop flavours. It has a long finish, but it’s a light Gewürztraminer, therefore you won't be tired after drinking a single glass. Food pairing: aromatic Asian food, not too spicy, like korma chicken, Caribbean food, sushi with wasabi and ginger. Aging: with age it will get dried herbs flavours, like mint leaves, fruit will become more ripe, dried. With age it should calm down a bit losing some of the intensity it has today.
Gewürztraminer Alsace Grand Cru Hengst 2019 - can drink now, but has potential for aging, more on the spicy side and sweeter than the previous wine, more balanced, refined. More complexity in the mouth with ripe, exotic fruits like mango, and spicy ginger and some eucalyptus. Food pairing: Thai food with lemon grass and coconut milk, Munster cheese, tarte flambee.
Pinot Gris Alsace Clos Jebsal Vendange Tardive 2012 - dessert wine, late harvest, golden colour, very small cru next to Brand Grand Cru, mix of botrytised and healthy grapes, 73g sugar. Food pairing: yellow hard cheese like Thun or Gruyère, soft cheese like brie, camembert.
Pssst: Rieslings from smaller crus, like Windsbuhl, Sommerberg and Brand are highly rated, sought after and sell out very fast, there is a reservation system in place. Sommerberg was first released in 2019 and only around 1000 bottles were made.
Where to eat? If you’re also a food lover you’re in the right place. Alsace is the region in France with the most restaurants with Michelin stars. Try a two Michelin ** JY's restaurant in Colmar. Excellent cooking, worth a detour!
Where to buy: Darwina, Winoblisko, Dyletanci.