Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling "Clos Häuserer" dry white 2023

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Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling "Clos Häuserer" dry white 2023

Tasting comments from the domaine (01/2025): Intense pale yellow color. The nose is still reserved upon opening but quickly reveals a classic expression of citrus, stones, and minerality. Magnificent precision and tension, the wine coats the palate, finishing with a saline touch where bitterness and acidity confer a very dry style. At this stage of its evolution, still very young, this wine impresses more on the palate than on the nose. A beautiful evolution over time is expected, and this 2023 vintage will benefit from some aging to appreciate its full potential.

Guide Bettane + Desseauve 2026 (Sept. 2025): 93/100.

Technical sheet written by the domaine:

Description: The Clos Häuserer is located at the foot of the Grand Hengst in the municipality of Wintzenheim. Planted and created by Léonard Humbrecht in 1973, it takes its name from the rural path bordering it, "Häusererweg," or the path that leads to the houses, certainly referring to the ancient Roman settlements nearby. The Riesling grows here on an Oligocene limestone substrate covered by a thick layer (1 to 1.5m) of limestone marls. This deep soil warms slowly, has an extraordinary water reserve, and allows the roots of the vines to plunge deeply. It is normal to find significant acidity in the wines from this Clos, regardless of the vintage. Unlike most Rieslings in 2023, Clos Häuserer did not suffer during flowering, and the 2023 harvest was magnificent. Slow fermentation in large casks with aging on total lees until bottling.

Terroir: Oligocene Limestone Marls. More in detail:

The subsoil is identical to that of the Hengst, namely marls and Oligocene limestone. However, due to the location of this Clos in a small hollow at the bottom of the slope, many elements have been deposited on the surface due to erosion phenomena: we speak here of slope colluvium. The Oligocene limestone substrate is located 1 to 2 meters deep, covered by a thick layer of marls that ensure perfect vine development. In its youth, the vine sometimes suffered from excessive vigor in this cru. It took time for the roots, thanks to competition among the vines and appropriate viticulture, to penetrate deeply for the Riesling to grow in balance.

This terroir excels in warm years and always retains a very nice acidity, giving it great aging potential.

Clos Häuserer also enjoys a very varied climate due to its location in a hollow at the foot of the slope, protected from winds. It can be both very hot and very cold. Thus, it is a terroir that can experience winter frost (2010) as well as late spring frosts (1991).

The wines:

The richness of the soil in clay and limestone gives a lot of structure to the Riesling wine. Although benefiting from an early and warm climate, maturity is late compared to the surrounding terroirs. This results in an aromatic expression that may seem austere in youth but becomes intense and complex with aging. The acidity is impressive, even in warm years. In the early vintages, noble rot was more frequent, as the vine still had strong vigor, which translated into an earlier appearance of noble rot. Since the late 1990s, as the plants have aged, their vigor is now more moderate, and this terroir produces more consistent and dry wines.

Bottling: January 2025

Alcohol content: 12.8°

Residual sugar: 1.6 g/l

Total acidity: 4.0 g/l H2SO4 (6.1 g/l Tartaric Acid)

pH: 3.16

Yield: 53 hl/ha

Optimum tasting: 2027-2043+

Average age of vines: Vines planted in 1973

Grape variety: Riesling

Terroir: Clos Hauserer

Sweetness index: 1

Soil: East-facing, Gentle slope, Oligocene limestone marls