Vintage 2007 Review by David Schildknecht Robert Parker's Wine
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The Next Generation in Fine Wine DOMAINE ZIND-HUMBRECHT Vintage 2007 Review by David Schildknecht Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate –April 2010 fter the experience of 2003,” remarks 2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Olivier Humbrecht with an eye to his Gewurztraminer 2007s, “I’m never going to complain A Gewurztraminer Dry White Table wine from , about having and extra gram or two of Turckheim, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France, “Aacidity.” In fact, Humbrecht considers 2007 ideal in nearly Also recommended, but no tasting note given. Importer: every respect, having permitted the grower the luxury of picking under optimum conditions for each grape variety 2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht and style. The fruit was completely healthy, insists Clos Windsbuhl (Chardonnay) Humbrecht, “you could walk through the vineyards for half A Chardonnay Dry White Table wine from , Turckheim, an hour and fine one spoiled berry,” … except, of course, Haut Rhin, Alsace, France, where the rot was noble! This year’s generally dry-tasting, Rating: 88 relatively low-alcohol, high acid, high-extract Rieslings are Each year, the Humbrechts have vinified at least one barrel not always the most youthfully approachable or winsome in of pure Chardonnay from the Clos Windsbuhl to follow its style, but the best are profound; whereas Pinot Gris and potential, and having new barriques left over from the red Gewurztraminer ran to extremities of potential alcohol, Pinot Noir that he had expected to make but didn’t, Olivier even though the harvest was finished before mid-October. Humbrecht vinified a pure Chardonnay 2007 Clos Far fewer wines went through malo-lactic transformation Windsbuhl, “using as little sulfur as possible during the here from 2007 than usual – the pHs were often so low they elevage, to see how it would develop.” How he labels it proved inhospitable to the necessary bacteria. As for 2006, remains to be seen, since Chardonnay cannot legally be it’s clear that this is a year to test the meddle of any grower, mentioned. Lanolin, lemon zest, and lightly toasted, milled and it is therefore not surprising that Zind-Humbrecht was wheat on the nose lead to a firm, implacably chalky palate among the estates to demonstrate that excellence and even and long, nutty, macaroon-tinged aftertaste. How it will age excitement were not ruled out by the weather. Furthermore, is anybody’s guess, but Humbrecht claims some of the he arrived at an average 2006 yield virtually identical to previous experiments have demonstrated stamina that of 2005. “Of course,” asserts Humbrecht, “quality in 2006 depended on how you handle your vineyards and your 2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht vines the whole year through. It was a vintage where, if you Gewurztraminer Goldert made a mistake in the vineyards, you got slapped pretty Rating: 91 hard at harvest time, unlike 2007 where if you made a Candied brown spices and citrus peel along with litchi, mistake, nature was forgiving.” The completion of banana oil, and smoked meat in the nose of the Zind- fermentations in 2007 was spread over even more months Humbrecht 2007 Gewurztraminer Goldert usher in a than usual, often with late bottling; frequently with no strikingly creamy palate that no doubt reflects the low racking; and my notes are based both on tastings from acidity here (unusual by vintage standards) and introduces bottle early this year (sometimes referencing the wine’s quince preserves and nougat to the already rather performance from cask) and in a few instances solely on confectionary array of flavors on display. Precisely the tastings from cask. Two 2007 Pinot Gris “Trie Speciale” – wine’s creaminess and sweet personality held keep its 15% from Clos Windsbuhl and Clos Jebsal – were not even wine alcohol from burning, although it leaves my lips slightly yet last I visited, and will in any case not be released for at numb. In theory a powerful, rich Goldert like this should least another year. Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; age well for 15 or more years, and I have had a few great, old-fashioned, dry Gewurztraminer from vintages like 1967, 1959, or 1953 that no doubt harbored 15% alcohol. DOMAINE ZIND-HUMBRECHT As in so many instances among the 2007 Zind-Humbrecht somehow refreshing. Cashew brittle, candied ginger and non-Rieslings, I’d simply caution to regularly monitor the lime zest along with liquid floral perfume dominate the wine in your cellar. But for the foreseeable future, I would soothing, buoyant, almost endlessly enticing finish. This rather drink the village-level Gueberschwihr bottling. benefits from some of the highest acidity of any of the Zind-Humbrecht 2007s, even though one doesn’t taste that 2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht as such. You can lock this away for 20 years if you wish, Gewurztraminer Gueberschwihr but it is still going to have sweetness to spare, I suspect, so Rating: 92 why not savor it all along, even if that means Drink 2010 - 2020 unaccompanied? From their sole remaining “village level” parcel in the Humbrecht family’s home town, their 2007 2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Gueberschwihr smells of brown spices, Gewurztraminer Goldert cocoa powder, curry powder, black tea, rose petal, freesia, Selection de Grains Nobles and peach preserves. Opulent and creamy on the palate, Rating: (96-97) with alcoholic fullness yet buoyancy, and only moderate Humbrecht’s 2007 Gewurztraminer Goldert Selection de sweetness; it finishes soothingly and long with caramelized Grains Nobles – vinified in a once-used demi-muid, and salted caramel, pit fruit preserves, honey, praline, and representing the first ever S.G.N. from these vines – had not refreshing suggestion of sweet lime. Amazingly, I can been bottled when I last tasted it, as he was waiting for it to detect no heat. Such remarkable balance in Gewurztraminer clarify. Candied lemon rind, licorice, faded gardenia, rose, is what one associates with this village’s unique sort of musk, peppermint, and coconut are among the exotic chalky soils, except that one might more expect it from the aromas that then transfer themselves to a creamy, Goldert grand cru. This should be fascinating to follow for practically weightlessly buoyant palate loaded with honey, a decade or more. marzipan, and quince paste. Despite this elixir’s confitured and confectionary cast, a marine, saline streak and a seam 2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht of fresh citrus enliven and invigorate in a finish of Gewurztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos St Urbain kaleidoscopic dynamics. As with the Hengst, there’s no Rating: 87 track record here – not, at least, at this estate – but one To my knowledge, the Humbrechts’ 2007 Gewurztraminer could reasonably conclude from other selections made in Rangen Clos Saint Urbain sets a new record for the estate at this site and its longevity in far less-concentrated form that 16.4% alcohol, in effect following the trajectory of recent we have here a half-century wine. At the same time – and vintages in Rangen, though 22 grams of residual sugar in granted that my tasting note does not reflect bottling – this this instance may simply indicate that it will be up to the is showing much more intricacy and personality at this yeasts to say “when.” The acidity here is high for the early state than are its two immediate S.G.N. siblings. variety, as has been noted in numerous wines of the vintage, especially those accentuated by noble rot. Lavender, rose 2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht petal, celery root, and whiffs of wood smoke on the nose Gewurztraminer Heimbourg are attractive and entirely predictable, if backed by a faintly Rating: 91 spirituous sense of nose-tweaking intensity. In the mouth, The Zind-Humbrecht 2007 Gewurztraminer Heimbourg though, this catches fire – and not in a good way – features rose water, cinnamon candy, and caramel, though sweeping across the palate, and leaving behind charred, at the same time suggestions of mint and celery root. The smoked meat, and high-toned notes of banana oil, citrus oil, sense of richness and density here is at once creamy, leesy, and distilled pit fruits, and peat. The old “drink-it-before-it- and chalky offering suitable buffering for the high residual drinks-you” line is insufficient to express the relentless, sugar. While more conventional in terms of its alcoholic virtually incendiary ferocity, eye watering smokiness and weight than the corresponding Wintzenheim bottling and searing brightness on display here. Ok, it’s done drunk me – less marked by botrytis, this is another virtual vendange now what? I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to see what tardive. Here – given the track record of the site – there is becomes of it after a few years in bottle. more reason to anticipate further complexity emerging after a decade or more in bottle. 2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl Rating: 93 Mango, musk melon, litchi, jasmine, black tea, and ginger on the nose of the Zind-Humbrecht 2007 Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl join with honey, lime, and marzipan on a creamy, buoyant palate for an effect confectionary and yet THE SORTING TABLE PAGE 2 OF 8 DOMAINE ZIND-HUMBRECHT 2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht 2007 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Hengst Gewurztraminer Turckheim Selection de Grains Nobles Rating: 90 Rating: 95 Drink 2010 - 2018 Zind-Humbrecht’s 2007 Gewurztraminer Hengst Selection Humbrecht’s 2007 Gewurztraminer Turckheim – from de Grains Nobles – their first such wine ever from this site, younger vines in the Herrenweg – is quite sweet from its 38 and vinified in a new mini-oval cask – offers distilled- grams of residual sugar, even after reaching 15.2% alcohol, strength mint, sage flower, rose petal, and litchi. Licorice, and its tactile impressions of ginger, clove, orange rind, and herbal liqueur, vanilla icing, cinnamon candy, and candied white pepper are thereby amplified, but this voluminous, citrus rind saturate the palate, their confectionary character rich wine manages to steer clear of heat.