2016 Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Grand Cru Wintzenheim Hengst Alsace

This wine comes from two very old vineyards located in the middle of the Grand Cru, both planted with old massal selection that produce beautiful Gewurztraminer, more dark orange than purple, the ugly colour of the modern clones…. Hengst is in a warm and dry precocious micro-climate, facing south-east and an average to steep slope. The red marl limestone soil brings great structure to the wines, interesting tannins that are always perfectly ripe. The Hengst is ripe early, but because it has the capacity to keep the grapes healthy for a long time, it can be harvested quite late. Understanding Gewurztraminer is tricky, and I would say that this grape is in fact a red wine, which is sweet and looking like a white wine! Just like for a red wine, it is the phenolic and skin ripeness that matters the most for such wines.