Domaine Zind Humbrecht Tasting at Wine Watch with Special Guest Jolene Hunter

“Wine had such ill effects on Noah’s health that it was all he could do to live 950 years. Show me a total abstainer that ever lived that long.”

Will Rogers

The wines of Alsace are just as good and some just as age worthy as those of Bordeaux and Burgundy but for some reason many collectors don’t even have a bottle of these great wines in their collection.

Domaine Zind Humbrecht made an impression on me the very first time that I experienced these wines.  I had the pleasure of tasting through a good portion of the Zind-Humbrecht’s 1998 vintage on a balmy afternoon at Norman Van Aken’s restaurant in Coral Gables with Oliver Humbrecht.  In a word- stunning!  Domaine Zind-Humbrecht makes a plethora of different wines, an invariably excellent cross section of what is being produced in Alsace today.  From the Pinot D’ Alsace to the Vendange Tardive dessert wines this producers wines are all candidates for best in show.  One of the reasons that Domaine Zind-Humbrecht is one of the best is because they have access to the top vineyard sites in Alsace.  As any of the top winemakers in the business today will tell you- the world’s greatest wines are made in the vineyard.

Come and experience some of the greatest wines from Alsace along with a few tasty treats from Wine Watch Caterings.  This is a walk around tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this event is $35 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Tasting at Wine Watch
with Special Guest Jolene Hunter
Thursday June 16th
7pm

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Calcaire Pinot Gris 2012
Price: $45.00       Sale $39.60          Case $459

Grown in the village of Turckheim, Pinot Gris vineyards are at higher altitudes with very little top soil, resulting in a great structure. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 18 months in 40-year-old French barrels.

Domaine Zind Humbrecht  Calcaire Riesling 2012
Price: $45.00       Sale $39.60          Case $459

"Calcaire" means limestone, describing the soil in which the grapes are grown. Averaging 37 years old, vines grow in limestone/calcareous/siliceous soil, facing east and south in the village of Gueberschwihr. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 18 months in 40-year-old French barrels.

Domaine Zind Humbrecht  Gewurtz Clos Windsbuhl 2012
Price: $90.00       Sale $79.20          Case $918

A unique Gewürztraminer that captures the delicate structure that characterizes the Windsbuhl Vineyard. The Windsbuhl compensates for its cooler climate with a capacity to let the grapes ripen on the vines longer, allowing for a better physiological ripeness. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 18 months in 40-year-old French barrels.

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen Clos St Urbain Gr Cru 2013
Price: $112.50    Sale $99.00          Case $1148

The Riesling vines are spread all over the 5.5ha of the Clos-Saint-Urbain in the Rangen Grand Cru vineyard. Being located at the opening of a cold and higher altitude valley, the Rangen enjoys a late ripening climate, but eventually catches up in October, when the steep slope (90%) and dark warm volcanic rocks allow the grapes to reach a high ripeness level. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 18 months in 40-year-old French barrels.

Domaine Zind Humbrecht  Muscat Goldert Gr Cru 2012
Price: $57.75       Sale $50.82          Case $590

At a considerable altitude for Alsace of between 820 feet and 1150 feet, Goldert Vineyard’s slope is oriented east, southeast and enjoys an appreciable amount of sunshine. The vineyard benefits from late maturation, guaranteeing wines with well-balanced acidity. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 18 months in 40-year-old French barrels.

Domaine Zind Humbrecht  Pinot Gris Rotenberg 2012
Price: $57.75       Sale $50.82          Case $590

Rotenberg Vineyard is named for its red, iron-rich soil. It enjoys a cool climate due to its altitude (300m) and proximity to the forest. Pinot Gris is best-suited to this vineyard's limestone soils. The Rotenberg produces small yields of concentrated grapes which can also develop noble rot. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 18 months in 40-year-old French barrels.

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Herrenweg 2012
Price: $54.75       Sale $48.18          Case $559

Elegant combination of exotic fruits, citrus and light rose aromas, very typical of this precocious vineyard. There is an agreeable false sense of sweetness, very inviting, but the palate comes a total surprise. The wine has an elegant power, tastes dry with a smooth finish. Perfect physiological ripeness explains the absence of harsh phenols, often problematic on dry Gewurztraminer. The finish is delicious. The wine keeps extremely well and can stand a long aeration.

Menu

Shrimp Ceveche with jalapeno and Avocado

Pork Satay with coconut curry sauce

Caramelized Onion and Brie tartlet

Cashew Nut crusted Goat Cheese balls with Raspberry drizzle

This is a walk around tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this event is $35 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463.

A bit about Alsace and Domaine Zind Humbrecht

The foothills of the Vosges mountains play host to some of the most distinct and unique wines that France has to offer.  They run for more that 100 miles parallel to the Rhine.   Because of the areas strategic importance, it has been a battleground for most of its existence as well.  As noted winemaker Jean Hugel put it- “we specialize in wars and white wine”.  On and around the foothills of the Vosnes are the wine villages, these marvelous fairy tale places are full of atmosphere and character of a bygone era.  The half timbered gabled houses, old churches, and picturesque fountains compliment the orchids full of blossom and are reminiscent of peace rather than war for most visitors.

The Romans had planted most of the foothills with vines by the second century.  By the time the Franks took over in around 500 AD, the area was already deeply entrenched in winemaking tradition with over 40 Abbeys in the region.  Since then, Alsace has been traded back and forth between Germany and France almost too many times to count.  Despite generations of suffering and warfare, the Alsatians are by nature optimistic bon vivants with a keen sense of humor.  There is an old wartime tale about an episode concerning the great statue of Christ with outstretched arms that stands near Les Trois-Epis.  As this statue, paid for by wealthy Jews, stood poised to be destroyed by the Germans, one of the villagers is reputed to have remarked to the German commander- “Why are you doing this?  He is the only man in Alsace to have received you with open arms!”   The statue still stands today.

One of the things unique to Alsace from the rest of France is the method of labeling its wines.  The system of labeling came about because of the turbulence in Alsace’s history.  Wherein the rest of France the wines are labeled by the region from which they are produced to stress the quality of that particular vineyard site, in Alsace, they are labeled by the grape variety.  This is in part due to the fact that after World War II the people who had the power to promote Alsace as a wine region were the large wine companies, and since their objective was to produce large quantities of wine at various but consistent levels of quality, they needed to blend numerous different vineyards and hardly ever named the actual vineyard site, preferring to promote their own names as brands.

At present there are 50 Grand Cru sites covering approximately 12 percent of Alsace vineyards, this may seem like a lot but due to the restrictions on yields in Grand Cru vineyards this accounts for only 4% of the wine produced here.  As with most wine regions today the vintners name on the bottle can mean more than the vineyard name on the bottle and one of the undisputed heavyweights of the Alsacian wine business is Zind-Humbrecht.

The marriage of Leonard Humbrecht and Ginette Zind created the present day Zind-Humbrecht domaine in 1959.  These two winemaking families were steeped in viticulture tradition for many years, Domaine Humbrecht had been passed from father to son since the Thirty Years War (1620).  Today, the able handed Oilver Humbrecht runs the estate.  Oliver is not only an immensely talented winemaker but he is also a Master of Wine: a title held by only an elite few the world over.  We had the pleasure of tasting through a good portion of the Zind-Humbrecht’s 1998 vintage on a balmy afternoon at Norman Van Aken’s restaurant in Coral Gables.  In a word- stunning!  Domaine Zind-Humbrecht makes a plethora of different wines, an invariably excellent cross section of what is being produced in Alsace today.  From the Pinot D’ Alsace to the Vendange Tardive dessert wines this producer has a stunning array of juice.  One of the reasons that Domaine Zind-Humbrecht is one of the best is because they have access to the top vineyard sites in Alsace.  As any of the top winemakers in the business today will tell you- the world’s greatest wines are made in the vineyard.

One of the most famous plots of land in all of Alsace is the Hengst Grand Cru vineyard at Wintzenheim.  The Hengst was first mentioned in the 9th century AD, when the Abbey of Murbach bought some land in this vineyard.  Later, the lord of Haut-Landsbourg and Kayserberg both shared the feudal rights to this land until the grand revolution in 1789.  Since then many noble families, abbots and rich bourgeois from Colmar had interest in this vineyard.  The Hengst is located in the village of Wintzenheim on the same level as Colma and on the bottom of the castle Haut-Landsbourg.  With an altitude varying between 270-370m on a steep facing slope, this vineyard benefits from the dry and warm micro-climate of Colmar.   Rainfall averages 640mm per year and the soil is essentially made of marl and limestone conglomerate.

The Rotenberg (red hill) at Wintzenheim is the west slope of the Hengst hillside.  It lies on a very steep slope and has similar characteristics as the Hengst, but contains more limestone and mineral components, especially iron.  The iron is what gives the soil its red color.  The climate is cooler, but very often best suited for producing grapes with botrytis.  Considering the poor soil, it is only possible to produce small crops from very small yields (20-25 hl/ha).  This increases the aromatic powers of wine produced form this vineyard. 

Another key vineyard for Domaine Zind-Humbrecht is the Clos Windsbuhl at Hunawihr.  This vineyard is located on a south-facing hillside, rather high in altitude, between the two villages of Hunawihr and Riquewihr.  The slopes are made of limestone, mineral, clay-rich soil.  The vineyard is protected from the northern winds and enjoys a warm microclimate.  The first wines at Clos Windsbuhl were planted at the end of the seventeenth century when, by royal wishes, the production of wines were limited and controlled.  Today, the vineyard is planted to Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Chardonnay.    Zind-Humbrecht purchased Clos Windsbuhl in 1987.

The last component of the Pinot D’Alsace is the Herrenweg at Turkheim.  The Herrenweg is a vineyard located in a high plain which lies between the villages of Turkheim and Wintzenheim.  From its location at the exit of the Munster Valley, this vineyard enjoys very long sunshine hours, especially in the evenings.  The microclimate is very dry (525-600 mm/yr) and the valley winds have a strong effect on the vines.  A large part of the Herrenweg’s soil is made of alluvial gravelly deposits from the river Fecht, which runs toward the Rhine River.  This soil has very good drainage and can warm up very quickly, which ensures a better faster maturation of the grapes, especially in cooler vintages.  This, along with a warmer, dryer climate, makes the Herrenweg the first of all the vineyards to ripen.  While all the classic varietals are planted in the Herrenweg, Riesling and Gewurztraminer succeed the best.  The wines are always delicate and very flavorful, with the ability to be enjoyed in their youth.

Other Domaine Zind Humbrecht Wines in the store:

2012 Zind Humbrecht Zind White blend Alsace
Price: $32.25    Sale Price: $15.75
Quantity in Stock: 57

We started to blend and separately bottle the Chardonnay (65%) and the Auxerrois (35%) from the Clos Windsbuhl vineyard in 2004 when we believed the vines to be old enough to produce a certain quality (15 years old). Unfortunately (or funnily) the presence of the Chardonnay is the reason why we are obliged to declassify this wine to the Vin de Table category, despite the fact that this vineyard is one of our top sites. In 2012, the grapes harvested were very healthy with a nice acidity. Due to a structural problem, cask 51 (105hl) needed to be replaced with a new cask and the Zind 2012 was the obvious choice for the first wine in this cask. Being the first wine, the cask did not contain any yeasts from previous vintages and explains perhaps partly why the 2012 kept a little more residual sweetness than expected.

The new foudre (large old oval oak cask) influence is negligible and only a very sharp taster would be able to detect its presence. The light toasty aromas combine with herbal and white fruit, light smokiness and chalk on the nose. The palate is very elegant and shows little of the sweetness. I did rate this wine indice 1 for a long time before I saw the analysis! Long finish that feels dry but so easy to drink, already today.

2012 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling
Price: $25.00    Sale Price: $15.00
Quantity in Stock: 15

(90 points) This bright, aromatic white shows excellent cut, with hints of orchard blossom and rose to the flavors of quince, lychee, mandarin orange and ground ginger underscored by a light smoky vein of minerality. Drink now through 2018. 700 cases imported. (10/2013) Wine Spectator

2011 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl
Price: $90.00    Your Price: $79.20
Quantity in Stock: 8

This is a single vineyard wines, they do not have premier cru here in Alsace this wine has a pretty bouquet that is classic spicey grape, lavender, hibiscus flower, very prerfumed and floral with gorgeous peach, lychee nut and white pepper spice. Rich and decadent on the tongue with sweet juicy fruit, tongue tingly acidity and that floral perfumed nuance from the nose through the finish, hints of white pepper spice, wonderful balance despite the residual here must be high, very rich. Finsih 45+ Excellent +

1998 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris CLos Jebsal Selection Grains Noble
Price: $208.50    Your Price: $183.48
Quantity in Stock: 2

1994 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Tokay Pinot Gris Rangen Clos St Urbain Vendange Tardive
Price: $295.00    Your Price: $259.60
Quantity in Stock: 5

(99 Points)  The 1994 Tokay-Pinot Gris Rangen Clos St.-Urbain V.T. was made from microscopic yields of one-half ton of fruit per acre, and attained 16% alcohol naturally. The wine is absolutely amazing. With its honeyed, exotic fruit, buttery, spicy, waxy nose, thick, unctuously rich, massive flavors, vibrant acidity, and smashingly long finish, this Z-H wine could be classified as a food product rather than as a beverage. Like several of these wines, 5-6 years of cellaring is essential, but the Clos St.-Urbain V.T. will last for 25-30 years. This 1994 Tokay-Pinot Gris is virtually perfect.

I tasted four Vendange Tardive Pinot Gris offerings from the Domaine Zind-Humbrecht in 1994. Almost all were made from yields that averaged one-half to just over a ton of fruit per acre! Their alcohol levels are in the 15%+ range. Readers should recognize that all of these wines take concentration, extract, intensity, alcohol, purity, and mouth-savoring characteristics to the maximum. In short, they represent the essence of great winemaking - tiny yields from profoundly well-placed vineyards, spectacular concentration and balance, and the potential for 25-30+ years of ageability. Depending on the level of acidity (unusually high in this vintage) these wines taste off-dry rather than moderately sweet. To reiterate, only the greatest Montrachets from Burgundy attain this stature. And if the truth be known, these wines are richer and more ageworthy than most Montrachets.

With respect to the recently released wines, Olivier Humbrecht stated that he had never seen such intensely ripe Pinot Gris with such high levels of acidity.  Wine Advocate #105, Jun 1996