Technical presentation
| Bottling : | Septembre 2004 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13 ° |
| Residual sugar : | 12 g/l |
| Yield : | 47 hl/ha |
| Average age of vines : | 29 years |
| Terroir : | Clos Windsbuhl |
| Sweetness index : | 2 |
| Soil : | Medium to steep slope, Muschelkalk calcareous, South/South East facing, South East facing |
Description of the wine Riesling Clos Windsbuhl 2003
The Clos Windsbuhl enjoyed perhaps the coolest conditions of all our vineyards: higher altitude, cooler area, slow to warm calcareous soil, proximity of the forest and more humidity…. The Clos Windsbuhl was the last Riesling to be harvested in 2003, and still it wasn’t the one with the highest ripeness. The grapes tasted very fruity and balance with a good acidity, which certainly explains why the residual sweetness of this wine is so little noticeable.
Tasting notes
06/2004 : In January, when the rieslings 02s were still in cask, I tasted all the 2003 with some customers. When we had this wine, they told me that I made a mistake and served them the 2002. I thought that myself, as both 2003 and 2002 were side by side in the cellar. I had to go back to the cask, taking the customers with me, in order to see that I wasn’t taking the 2002! The nose is fresh and fruity, with already good minerals. The palate shows great acidity and freshness, unbelievable for this vintage. (we did NOT use any tartaric acid on any wine). This is potentially the Riesling with the highest ageing potential in this vintage.
10/2004 : Even more aromatic after the bottling. Nice structure, capable of balancing the residual sweetness, with the help of a better acidity and good tannins.
10/2013 : Very fresh pale colour. The nose shows elegant aromatics, classic Windsbuhl, mixture of wet stones and ripe Riesling fruit. The palate hasn’t changed much, perhaps feels slightly drier and the little RS is more integrated now. Beautiful elegant finish. This kind of wines shows all the positive side of this vintage.
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.