26 Oct 2021

The 2019 vintage from Domaine Zind-Humbrecht has just been released, with superb scores from James Suckling.  Olivier Humbrecht is one of the world's great winemakers and his grands crus in particular are a bargain when compared to equivalents from Burgundy, so it is madness that his wines are not more widely enjoyed in this country.  Unfamiliar names and perhaps a bit of uncertainty over style and sweetness levels are one reason for this.  The three lieu-dits and five grands crus below are all dry on the palate, except for the Gewurztraminers, which show some sweetness in youth.  All are in strictly limited quantities with scores ranging from 95-98 points.

2019 already had the makings of a good year, following on from the excellent 2018 vintage (vines have a two-year growing cycle and in good years lay down embryonic buds for the following growing season).   The summer was warm and largely dry, with some timely rainfall in August, avoiding excessive water-stress and allowing the grapes to reach perfect ripeness.  Despite this, acidity levels were also excellent, so much so that the fermentations, which are slowed by high acidity, took up to a year to complete.  This acidity also means that most will still be drinking in 20-30 years.  The wines have brilliant concentration, structure and refinement.

Suckling's high scores and succinct notes heap praise on the 2019s, but these are wines which defy simple explanation.  For us, the best writer by far among the current wine critics is Andrew Jefford, who wrote an article in the FT this summer in praise of Olivier as a winemaker:

"Many domains in Alsace and Germany produce huge ranges of 30 or more wines, but their diversity is chimerical: a matter of labels and vineyard names, while the wines resemble each other.  Not so with Zind-Humbrecht.  Every wine...Humbrecht makes each year is clearly differentiated from its peers - strikingly characterful, saturated with scent texture and flavour.  They are singular sensual objects of huge personality and impact."

Jefford's lyrical conclusion is that, since wine is "a liquid subject to the depredations of time (it) can be neither monumental nor abiding. Yet Humbrecht’s come close."  We agree with this conclusion and cannot recommend these wines highly enough.

See Oliver Humbrecht introduces his domaine in this short film:

Offered pre-landing, available by January 2022

 

Producer Profile

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Alsace

The Humbrecht family have grown grapes in the great terroirs of Alsace since 1620.  Domaine Zind Humbrecht was created in 1959 and today owns 40ha of vines in the Grand Crus of Rangen de Thann (5.5ha), Goldert in Gueberschwihr (0.9ha), Hengst in Wintzenheim (1.4ha) and Brand in Turckheim (2.4ha); as well as the terroirs of Rotenberg (1.8ha) and Clos Häuserer (1.2ha) in Wintzenheim; Herrenweg (11.5ha), Clos Jebsal (1.3ha) and Heimbourg (4ha) in Turckheim and the Clos Windsbuhl (5.15ha) in Hunawihr.

As well as being winemaker at the family domaine, Olivier Humbrecht became the first French Master of Wine, in 1989, at the age of just 26.

The expression of terroir, conveyed through grape varieties of Alsace, is reinforced by cultivating the vines organically and according to biodynamic principles. Great lengths are gone to each growing season to produce the best quality grapes from each vineyard. As respect for the vine and soil life is imperative, the viticultural tasks are carried out by a team of 22 dedicated staff members. The high ratio of vineyard worker to vineyard surface enables an attention to detail and the execution of many of the viticultural tasks manually. In addition, animal traction and the use of their own compost help to reduce the impact of mechanical compaction on the soils.  Fermentations are very slow, and the wines spend a minimum of 6 months on the total lees.