Technical presentation
| Bottling : | August 2023 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 12.8 ° |
| Residual sugar : | 2.7 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.4 g/l H2SO4 (5.2 g/l Acide Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.3 |
| Yield : | 50 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2024-2034+ |
| Average age of vines : | 33 years |
| Terroir : | Clos Windsbuhl |
| Sweetness index : | 1 |
| Available for sale : | Yes |
| Soil : | Muschelkalk calcareous |
| Format : | 75 cl |
Description of the wine Zind 2022
In 1989, a few years after acquiring the Clos Windsbuhl in Hunawihr, we had to pull out some of the vines previously planted with the wrong rootstocks and clonal selection. Part of the southern exposure is very close to the imposing Vosges forest and is in the shadow a little earlier than most vineyards. We opted for early ripening grape varieties, and Chardonnay became obvious on this rocky limestone. Muschelkalk is in fact an old seashell based calcareous, similar to most found in burgundy. Fortunately, yes fortunately, we didn’t check whether this grape was allowed for still wine in Alsace because we might not have planted it. It thrives in this vineyard and is capable to express the beautiful character of the Clos Windsbuhl and yet retain elegance and structure. The Zind is vinified in large traditional oak foudres and stays on full lees until bottling.
Tasting notes
01/2024 : Pale yellow colour. The nose is still discreet, typical of the Windsbuhl restraint style in its youth. It expresses delicate citrus/fresh herbs aromas and a lees ageing influence with toasty, nutty, stony flavours. The palate is crisp, elegant and finishes with a sharp ripe acidity. The mineral dry limestone Windsbuhl backbone is showing in this wine. The Zind 2022 also shows a youthful texture, it needs more time to fully open up. It is a dry wine with a certain softness, very easy to enjoy.
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.
