Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer "Roche Calcaire" sweet white 2022

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Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer "Roche Calcaire" sweet white 2022

Tasting notes from Olivier Humbrecht (January 2024): Pale gold color. The nose is very expressive with intense aromas of exotic fruits (lychee, mango, passion fruit, grapefruit…). It resembles a varietal wine cliché, but it is actually an elegant and refined wine strongly influenced by the two great terroirs of Hengst and Windsbuhl.

The palate is fresh, quite tense, and vibrant. A lovely sweetness on the finish is very well balanced by ripe tannins. This is a classic Gewurztraminer that is slightly sweet and does not betray its origin. It can be enjoyed young but will develop more complexity (spices) over time.

Technical sheet written by the domaine

Description: The sedimentary limestone geology, primarily located on the foothills of the Vosges in Alsace, has always been the first choice for producing structured and long-lasting Gewurztraminer. The presence of clay, varying in significance, adds an element of freshness to the soils, slowing down the ripening process and preserving better acidity. The presence of limestone influences the aromatic profile and texture of the wine. The wines become spicier, less floral, with a tighter tannic structure that is crucial for the wine's balance. Gewurztraminer, more than any other in Alsace, requires complete physiological ripeness. Otherwise, it can result in a wine that is overly aromatic, lacking complexity, and bitter. The quality of the terroir greatly contributes to this, as does patience at harvest time! With the grape variety's naturally low acidity, later harvests do not affect the wine as much as other varieties that would suffer more from the loss of acidity. All the grapes used in this wine come from our best lieux-dits or Grands Crus, where we select the youngest vines planted among the vieilles vignes of origin.

Bottling: August 2023

Alcohol content: 13.1°

Residual sugar: 28.7 g/l

Total acidity: 2.9 g/l H2SO4 (4.4 g/l Tartaric)

pH: 3.5

Yield: 47 hl/ha

Average age of vines: 40 years

Terroir: Oolitic Limestone and siliceous marls

Vintage 2022
Gewurztraminer can be a very tannic grape variety.
Having a naturally lower acidity, like a red wine, it requires a certain phenolic maturity to acquire a structure suitable for aging. This is the main reason it is often the last to be harvested in Alsace. The limestone geology has the advantage of being less early, providing structure, sometimes a bit more acidity, but above all, it masks some of the exuberant varietal aromas with more complex spicy/mineral flavors.
On limestone soil, Gewurztraminer will also technically ripen more slowly (sugars). Thus, unless harvested very late, it is also easier to manage the alcoholic potential. In the vineyards of Hengst and Windsbuhl, which are very vieilles vignes, we replace missing vines with young plants. As the vineyard ages, the proportion of these replacements becomes more significant. Therefore, in a century-old vineyard, you can find plants ranging from 100 years to 1 year old! Before harvesting the vieilles vignes, we walk through these two vineyards and select the young plants, those also planted at the beginning of the row (more vigorous), and all grapes that we prefer not to add to the grand wine but are still of good quality and origin. These grapes are generally very ripe, which is why Gewurztraminer Roche Calcaire often naturally retains a certain amount of residual sugars.