Zind Humbrecht Pinot Blanc – 2023

Bottling date: 8/2024; Alcohol: 12° alc; Residual sweetness: <0.5 g/l; Total Acidity 3.1 g/l H2SO4 (4.8 g/l Tartaric), pH: 3.3; Yields: 65 hl/ha; Optimum drinking period: 2025/2029; Average age of the vines: 20 years; 50% Auxerrois/50% Pinot Blanc. Terroir: gravely soil. Indice 1/EU Dry wine.

This wine is made from a blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois (50/50), from vines located on the gravelly terroir of Turckheim (Herrenweg) but also since this vintage, from vines planted just below Clos Windsbuhl, on limestone soil covered with a thin layer of sandstone. This large plot benefits from a later ripening climate and allows for a very interesting blend. Pinot Blanc is certainly a grape variety that has adapted well to climate change in Alsace for several decades now. It tolerates higher temperatures in summer and is less sensitive to sunburn. It has always been blended with Auxerrois in the past, but its presence will certainly become more important in the future for this style of wine. The 2023 fermented quite quickly to achieve a nice dry balance.

Olivier Humbrecht MW tasting note August 2024:

Bright pale-yellow colour. The nose is already open on white fruits (peach, pear…) with however a significant influence of the presence of limestone soils in this blend. The grapes located under the Clos Windsbuhl bring a smokiness and an unusual minerality to this blend. The mouth is enveloping, with a velvety and round touch developing a beautiful elegance. It is a very dry wine but without sharpness which offers a very beautiful drinkability associated with a surprising length in the finish.

“Brimming with mandarin orange and pear aromas, this is barely medium-bodied but with some density on the mid-palate. Elegant and animating finish with candied citrus character. Just under 12% alcohol. A 50-50 cuvee of pinot blanc and auxerrois. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now.” 91/100 James Suckling