Zind-Humbrecht | Alsace | Pinot Gris Rotenberg | 2016 | 750ml

Description

Product description for Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rotenberg 2016

Wine Information

The Rotenberg vineyard is west/northwest facing and hidden behind the Grand Cru Hengst. However, it benefits from a beautiful opening to the Munster Valley and the Vosges Mountains. The late-ripening vineyard is mostly planted with Pinot family varieties. The poor red Olizocene limestone, rich in iron, naturally reduces the vines’ vitality, and yields are generally very low. This vineyard was known in the past for producing harmonious, rich, and sweet wines. However, due to the natural concentration of the grapes, complex dry Pinot Gris wines have also been produced in recent years.

Vine Information

Avoiding overripeness was easier in 2016. And it was easier to complete fermentation with wild yeasts.

Colour

Light, muted golden yellow.

Nose

The smoky, malty, and powerful character of the 2016 Pinot Gris Rotenberg is already noticeable on the nose. In addition to aromas of beetroot, boxwood, pepper, and roasted walnuts, a fine buttery and vanilla scent emerges from the glass. After some aeration, the delicate vineyard peach and acacia blossom notes are truly captivating and beautifully complement its earthy and malty structure.

Palate

The attack on the tongue is firm, salty, and extremely powerful. The mid-palate is expansive and powerful, cushioned by fine fruit and charming sweetness, which allows hints of juniper and lavender to emerge in the finish. The long finish is cool and refreshingly herbal. This wine is in a constant interplay of countless impressions and it will be interesting to see how it will develop over the next few years.

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Keywords: Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rotenberg 2016 Alsace France

Wine Advocate

Score: 91

From 34-year-old vines, the 2016 Wintzenheim Pinot Gris Rotenberg is from a west/northwest-facing vineyard on iron-rich limestone soils of the oligocene period. The pale yellow colored 2016 offers an intense, pure and fresh bouquet of ripe white fruits intermixed with spicy and earthy-mineral notes. Lush and even piquant on the palate, this is an elegant, intense, fresh and well-structured Pinot Gris with fine tannins and a long, pretty complex finish. This is an excellent food wine even though it is not fermented completely dry (6.1 grams per liter of residual sugar and 12.5% alcohol). So, if you like Pint Gris but often find it too rich and powerful, this 2016 is the wine you should try. Bottled in August 2017, tasted at the domaine in June 2018.
Stephan Reinhardt

Vinous

Score: 93

Bright golden-tinged yellow. Very smoky nose of mirabelle, peach and minerals. Then fresh and juicy, presenting a lively mouthfeel and bright spicy nuances to the ripe apple and lime fruit flavors. Finishes long and dense. Very impressive Pinot Gris that tastes classically dry despite its 6.1 g/l residual sugar.
— Ian D’Agata
Drinking window: 2020 – 2029
Review date: Jan 2019

Producer website: http://www.zindhumbrecht.fr/