Zind-Humbrecht | Alsace | Pinot Gris Rotenberg | 2017 | 1500ml | bio

Description

Product description for Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rotenberg 2017 (bio)

Wine Information

Vintage The 2017 vintage will go down in the history of this winery. For Olivier Humbrecht, it is one of the three best vintages since the winery was founded in 1959. However, frost and hail limited the harvest to an average of less than 20 hl/ha. After an early bud break, two cold spells with sub-zero temperatures on April 21 and 22 exposed even those more sheltered areas to frost. An unusually icy east wind froze vines in vineyards like the Herrenweg de Turckheim, which had never froze in the 60 years that Olivier’s father witnessed. A hailstorm in the Brand vineyard fortunately had no major consequences. Midsummer was hot, August milder, and the harvest began on August 29 with Pinot Gris Roche Roulée, followed by terroirs such as Rotenberg, Heimbourg, Goldert… A light rain on September 2 accelerated ripening. The Rieslings were harvested from September 11, and the harvest was completed with Rangen, Hengst, and Clos Jebsal on September 26. Only Clos Jebsal showed minor signs of botrytis. Vineyard From the same perspective that allows you to see Heimbourg and Clos Jebsal from the Grand Cru Brand site, look south across the valley to Wintzenheim, where Rotenberg lies directly on the Vosges Mountains. Like Heimbourg, the limestone at Rotenberg dates back to the Oligocene. However, the iron oxide content is significantly higher, which is why the vineyard gets its name; the soils are brick-red. The slope is steep, with an incline of 30 to 40%. Its surface has been eroded by the passage of glaciers in the Quaternary period. The topsoil is thin and very stony. This terroir naturally produces very low yields and is harvested partly in the middle phase and partly late. The vines were planted between 1972 and 1992. Fermentation The wine has 2.6 g/l of residual sugar with 3.6 g of acidity and a pH of 3.3. The yield was 20 hl/ha.

Colour

Bright golden yellow

Nose

Six Pinot Gris (apart from the Vendange Tardive and the Sélection de Grains Nobles) are part of Zind-Humbrecht’s 2017 offering. And each one is more beautiful than the last. Above all, the wines are fundamentally different and yet bear the stamp of one and the same house – and this is quite unmistakable. This hallmark signifies precision, transparency, clarity, balance, and minerality. The 2017 Rotenberg already embodies all of this in its aroma. Added to this are the attributes of the north-northwest-facing, iron-rich vineyard. This imparts a muscat and rose aroma to the Pinot Gris, along with oranges, nuts, almonds, rust, a touch of musk, Provençal spices, and lightly toasted almonds. Finally, there is a distinctly stony and cool component in the background.

Palate

On the palate, the Rotenberg appears brighter aromatically than on the nose. Here, too, one has floral, especially rose, aromas, and the muscat is becoming increasingly noticeable. The wine is still only showing half its potential; it’s still too reserved at the moment, but beneath the surface thrums the power and energy that will fully break through in the future. But the charm of this wine is already evident, with its fine tannic texture and creaminess. And the precision already mentioned is equally evident. The Rotenberg is a Pinot Gris of great intensity and with potential for at least twenty years or more.

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Keywords: Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rotenberg 2017 bio Alsace France

Wine Advocate

Score: (92-93)

From 35-year-old vines cultivated in a west/northwest-facing vineyard on iron-rich limestone soils of the oligocene period, the 2017 Alsace Pinot Gris Rotenberg de Wintzenheim shows notes of wet stones on the very pure and precise nose. Tasted as a sample from the vat, this is a generous, round and very elegant Rotenberg with charming texture, fine tannins and lingering salinity. Very Intense. Tasted October 2018.
Stephan Reinhardt

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