June 18, 2012
For the first time in quite a while we have a broad assortment of Zind-Humbrecht wines. We aren't sure what the issues were, but it had been many years since we had seen, and had trhe opportunity to taste and select from a lineup from the master of Alsace and one of the best winemkaers in the world. The re-appearance of Zind Humbrecht's wine comes at an excellent time with the entry-level, go-to bottlings coming from the fresh and friendly 2011 vintage, the wines delicate, bright, and fruit driven with clean acidity keeping everything lifted. The 'bigger dogs' come from the firm, structured 2010 vintage which the winery refers to as an extreme vintage where some sites had as much a 70% fewer grapes at harvest. As a buyer's note, while we were quite pleased with the whole lineup, we were particularly taken with the dry Muscats. Great group here, the Alsace section looks much better now.
The 'bigger dogs' come from the firm, structured 2010 vintage which the winery refers to as an extreme vintage where some sites had as much a 70% fewer grapes at harvest. As a buyer's note, while we were quite pleased with the whole lineup, we were particularly taken with the dry Muscats. Great group here, the Alsace section looks much better now.
Winemaker notes: "At this early stage, the nose is still a mix of nutty/toasty flavors and some buttery/lees character from the fermentation. There is no doubt that this wine will open up quickly as the palate is already showing very well. It is a serious varietal wine, with good power and nice velvety finish. The sweetness is quite discreet, and it is also a wine very easy to use with food."
Alison Napjus writes in Wine Spectator: "Ground ginger, anise and allspice notes mix with flavors of ripe yellow apple, toasted almond and a hint of pastry. Round and creamy, this is balanced by a delicate backbone of acidity. Zesty finish. Drink now through 2017."
We mentioned our joy in having something of an Alsace section again but thought we should talk about an example as well. So what do we pick? Well the bottlings that were most striking the day we tasted the lineup were the Muscats. Now Muscat from Alsace is a totally different bird then from most anywhere else. Here they are “off-dry” and very expressive with spice and minerality instead of sweetness. The 2011 vintage was part... read more
VINEYARD PROFILE: In recent years, we changed a lot the proportion of Muscat d’Alsace and Ottonel in this vineyard. Previously, the Ottonel was dominant and now we do favour the Muscat d’Alsace, more adapted to our warmer climate. The Muscat d'Alsace is also called ‘petits grains’ and it is the same Muscat which is used in the South of France. The Muscat d’Alsace ripens slower, keeps a better acidity and structure and is more c... read more
