Technical presentation
| Bottling : | January 2024 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13 ° |
| Residual sugar : | 5.7 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 4.6 g/l H2SO4 / (7.0 g/l Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.27 |
| Yield : | 31 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2026/2041+ |
| Average age of vines : | 53 years |
| Terroir : | Clos Windsbuhl |
| Sweetness index : | 1 |
| Available for sale : | Yes |
| Soil : | Medium slope, Muschelkalk calcareous, South East facing, South facing |
Description of the wine Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl 2022
The Clos Windsbuhl is a historical vineyard in Alsace whose story goes back to the 14th century when it belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Habsburg family. The domaine Zind-Humbrecht made its first vintage in 1988. Pinot-Gris was back then the obvious grape variety. Ripening early (the Clos has a late ripening climate), enjoying poor limestone geology and also mentioned in 1759 as a good grape variety when the prince of Wurtemberg acquired this estate. We firmly believe that Pinot-Gris is one of the greatest grape varieties in Alsace, but it is a also a needy cultivar that can easily underperform if not planted in the best vineyards. It is also a grape variety that will produce very rich wines if planted in precocious solar expositions and lighter soils. Here on the Windsbuhl, as shown in the 2022 vintage, the Pinot-Gris is thriving and can produce wines of high elegance.
Tasting notes
01/2024: Bright yellow intense colour. This wine was for a long time closed and restraint on the nose, quite smoky. The bottling and its little aeration really allowed this wine to show now its beautiful fruit quality. Still discreet but persistent and its get better and better as the wine opens up in the glass, developing white fruits, honeydew, flowers… The palate has a dry, acidity driven structure, but also a caressing silky concentration. This is a great example of what a dry Pinot-Gris can be from a vineyard like Clos Windsbuhl. Long finish, showing a liveliness and sapidity that is quite a surprise in a vintage like 2022. Excellent ageing potential!
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.