2017 Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl, Zind Humbrecht, Alsace, France
OVERVIEW
An iconic, delicious and age-worthy sweet Gewurztraminer from legendary Alsatian producer Zind Humbrecht and the inimitable MW Olivier Humbrecht.
This tropical, sweet wine with searing acidity is delicious today and will evolve into something yet more complex and interesting over the coming two decades.
CRITIC REVIEWS
A dense and tight white with dried pineapple and apple aromas and flavors, as well as hints of brittle and toffee. Full body. Tight and focused. Long and flavorful. Drink or hold 95 Points. James Suckling
Zesty blood-orange aromas have both a floral and a smoky touch. The concentrated palate fills the mouth with peachy, ripe roundness while zestiness pervades and brightens. Blood-orange aromatics keep countering and contouring the gentle sweetness of the midpalate and provide bite until the finish. The wine is certain to evolve. Drink until 2040. 94 Points. Wine Enthusiast
Dense and creamy, this mouth-watering white is medium- to full-bodied and finely knit, with racy acidity and a subtle note of smoky mineral underscoring the rich range of baked melon, blood orange sorbet, ginger biscuit and aromatic spice flavors that linger on the finish. Drink now through 2029.—A.N 93 Points. Wine Spectator
FOOD PAIRING INSPIRATION
This Gewurztraminer, thanks to the 70g of sugar, will pair well with a range of desserts and could be tried with smoked fish dishes, Thai and Indian food although some would consider the residual sugar content too high - it's all a matter of personal taste.
VINTAGE AND WINEMAKING
A difficult vintage for the winemaker with frost damage taking its toll on the yields of the Gewurztraminer harvest but the ensuing reduced crop left fruit of a very high standard.
The Clos Windsbuhl vines were planted between the the 1950s and 1970s so the vines are now between 50 and 70 years of age producing high quality fruit. The vineyard is south-east facing and on calcareous rocky soils, this exposure and soil composition aids the slow, warm ripening of the grapes over the long growing season.
The time taken in the vineyard is replicated in the winery with slow and long fermentations with lots of time on the lees in barrel and bottle age too.
PRODUCER NOTES
A winemaking family since the 1620s, the domaine Zind Humbrecht was not officially founded until 1959 and today owns 40ha of vines in the Grand Crus of Rangen de Thann (5.5ha), Goldert in Gueberschwihr (0.9ha), Hengst in Wintzenheim (1.4ha) and Brand in Turckheim (2.4ha); as well as the terroirs of Rotenberg (1.8ha) and Clos Häuserer (1.2ha) in Wintzenheim; Herrenweg (11.5ha), Clos Jebsal (1.3ha) and Heimbourg (4ha) in Turckheim and the Clos Windsbuhl (5.15ha) in Hunawihr.
Everything at Zind Humbrect is about exacting standards and taking the finest fruit and the correct length of time to tease out the finest expression from all the noble varities. There is a high ratio of staff at Zind Humbrect to carry out the biodynamic and organic principles that go into their winemaking with most viticultrual tasks carried out manually and with the aid of horses in the vineyard too.
The result of this time, care and attention is perfectly ripe fruit meeting exemplary, vinification techniques with the resulting output some of the finest wines produced anywhere in the world.
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SERVICE AND STORAGE TIPS
The wine will evolve over the coming decades and take on delicious tertiary characteristics of Gewurztraminer but can be enjoyed young too, drink from now to 2035.
This wine should be served lightly chilled.
DELIVERY INFORMATION
Delivery is free when you spend over £150. For orders under this amount then a £9.99 delivery charge will be applied.
We use a tracked UPS delivery service who provide text and email tracking updates.
Every bottle sold by CoolerSomm is subject to our quality guarantee. If a wine is corked or faulty, we will replace it.
2017 Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl, Zind Humbrecht, Alsace, France
| Wine Card | |
| Wine Producer | Zind Humbrecht |
| Wine Region | Alsace |
| Wine Classification | Alsace AOC |
| Wine Type | White |
| Grape Variety | Gewurtztraminer |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Vintage Quality | Outstanding - Parker |
| Maturity | Drinking Now & Will Improve |
| Body | Full Bodied |
| Sweetness | Sweet |
| Alcohol % | 13.5% |
| Bottle Type | Alsace 75cl |
| Serving Temperature | 7-12°C |
| Food Pairing | Smoked Fish, Indian Food, Desserts |
| Awards | 95 Points - James Suckling |
| 94 Points - Wine Enthusiast |
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