Technical presentation
| Bottling : | February 2004 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13.2° |
| Residual sugar : | 22.0 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 4.8 g/l H2SO4 (7.3 g/l Acide Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.25 |
| Yield : | 45 hl/ha |
| Average age of vines : | 28 years |
| Terroir : | Clos Windsbuhl |
| Sweetness index : | 3 |
| Soil : | Medium to steep slope, Muschelkalk calcareous, South facing |
Description of the wine Riesling Clos Windsbuhl 2002
The riesling is located on the top part of the calcareous Clos Windsbuhl in Hunawihr, where the soil is the thinnest with more apparent rocks. The slightly cooler climate in this vineyard obliges us to wait slightly longer to harvest those grapes. In 2002, the ripeness came as a surprise to us, because the grapes were perfectly healthy and one couldn’t say that September was warm ! Like all the riesling, the fermentation was also very slow (almost 12 months).
Tasting notes
01/2004 : The riesling Clos Windsbuhl is showing incredible aromatics at this early stage. Usually very mineral, the strong fruity/floral character dominates this wine. Considering the ripeness level and high acidity, it would have been almost impossible to see the fermentation finish to the end. The balance is slightly round today, but backed-up with a nice firm acidity. I expect this wine to be drier and drier in the ageing.
The Clos Windsbuhl of Hunawihr
The altitude of the vineyard coupled with Hunawihr’s tardy climate means that the Clos Windsbuhl is often one of the last of our vineyards to be harvested. This explains the aromatic quality of the Clos’ wines and the consistent balance of acidity, a guarantee of good ageing. Although often harvested late, the Windsbuhl grapes are only rarely botryitized, doubtless due to the altitude of the vineyard, but nevertheless often reach high levels of maturity.