EN 
DE 
FR 
IT Showing 1-24 of 144 results
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht
Weingut Zind-Humbrecht embodies the quintessence of Alsatian wine culture. The family has been shaping the region since the 17th century, today under the leadership of the first French Master of Wine, Olivier Humbrecht. Uncompromising top wines are produced on 40 hectares, which are characterised by biodynamic cultivation and precise cellar work. The Grand Cru vineyards Rangen, Brand, Hengst and Goldert form the foundation for world-class wines.
More about Domaine Zind-Humbrecht
In the heart of Alsace, the Zind-Humbrecht winery is writing one of the most impressive success stories in the European wine world. The synthesis of centuries-old knowledge and contemporary winemaking manifests itself in wines of exceptional precision and authenticity. The signature of Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to be awarded the title of Master of Wine, characterises every single wine in the portfolio.
Biodynamic vineyard work as the key to quality
The switch to biodynamic viticulture at the turn of the millennium marks a milestone in the history of the winery. After almost two decades, the wisdom of this decision is reflected in the exceptional stability of the vineyards. The vines are rooted in a vital ecosystem that reliably produces healthy and physiologically perfectly ripened grapes even in challenging years. The forty hectares of vines are cultivated with a meticulousness that is unrivalled.
Grand Cru sites as the foundation of the wine collection
The true greatness of the estate is revealed in its Grand Cru holdings. The Rangen, Brand, Hengst and Goldert vineyards represent the créme de la créme of Alsace. Each of these sites brings its own unique characteristics to the wines. The volcanic Rangen of Thann, for example, lends the wines a fascinating minerality and complexity, while the Brand, with its exposed southern exposure, produces powerful yet elegant wines.
Precision and patience in the cellar
Olivier Humbrecht pursues uncompromising quality standards in his state-of-the-art winery. The fermentation processes are deliberately slow, with at least six months of yeast contact giving the wines structure and stability. No wine leaves the cellar before it has matured for a year; the trend is clearly towards two years. This patience pays off in the extraordinary texture and longevity of the wines.
World-class grape variety portfolio
The winery is a master of the entire range of Alsatian grape varieties. The Rieslings impress with their crystalline clarity and precision, while the Pinot Gris set new standards in terms of complexity and ageing potential. Gewürztraminer and Muscat show their most elegant side, far removed from any heaviness. In great years, noble sweet wines of impressive balance and finesse are also produced.
The wines from Zind-Humbrecht are living testimonies to one of Europe's most fascinating terroirs. They combine power with finesse, complexity with drinkability, strength of character with elegance. Taken as a whole, they are a benchmark for the qualitative potential of Alsace and undoubtedly belong to the absolute top of the wine world.
Annual reports Zind-Humbrecht
[taxonomy_readmore button_text="More" button_text_less="Close" button_align="right"]
Vintage 2023
The winter of 2022/2023 was mild and dry, with delayed budbreak at the beginning of April, which prevented frost damage. While the high June temperatures prevented diseases, they caused considerable trickling in Riesling. Conditions varied in July: Vineyards in valley locations struggled with drought, while hillside locations showed better resilience. The exceptional fertility of Pinot Gris was remarkable, with unusually large grapes, while Riesling yields were remarkably low throughout Alsace.
[readmore]
Despite the expected early harvest, the dry summer led to a delay in sugar storage, which pushed back the harvest times. A special feature of the 2023 vintage was that physiological ripeness was reached before sugar ripeness - a rare phenomenon. The harvest lasted throughout September, with some rot problems in vineyards harvested later, particularly in Pinot Gris after mid-September. The last Riesling was harvested on 5 October in Clos Windsbuhl.
The resulting 2023 wines show surprising harmony with lower alcohol levels than in previous years, strong fermentations and ripe acidity. Most of the wines were vinified dry, with only a few Gewürztraminers retaining residual sweetness. No Spätlese wines were produced. The vintage is characterised by expressive aromas, ripe fullness in the mouth without excessive weight and good ageing potential.
[/taxonomy_readmore]
[taxonomy_readmore button_text="More" button_text_less="Close" button_align="right"]
Vintage 2022
After a stressful year in 2021, 2022 initially showed promise with a high fruit set. Budbreak was slow over the first three weeks of April. May and June were very dry and hot, which led to rapid vine development. Flowering began around 20 May in Clos Jebsal and ended in early June in the later sites such as Rangen and Clos Windsbuhl.
[readmore]
The high temperatures and lack of water during flowering caused severe trickling, especially in Riesling and in the valleys. The extreme summer with temperatures of up to 38°C led to water stress, with granite soils benefiting from August rains, albeit with some hail damage. The valley sites remained without rain, resulting in small, juiceless berries.
The early harvest began on 22 August and ended on 20 September. Granite and limestone soils produced good yields, while the valley sites suffered the most. The vintage yielded an average of 37.9 hectolitres per hectare. Despite complicated fermentations, the wines show a surprising elegance with a harmonious combination of minerality, good acidity and ripe tannins. The top sites in particular produced excellent, storable wines, some of which can also be enjoyed young.
[/taxonomy_readmore]
[taxonomy_readmore button_text="More" button_text_less="Close" button_align="right"]
Vintage 2021
2021 was an extremely challenging vintage in France, which produced amazing quality despite all the difficulties. A dry end to 2020 was followed by a wet winter. At the beginning of April, there was frost down to -3°C, which particularly affected Chardonnay. The frost damage reduced the harvest in some sites by 20-30%.
Spring was exceptionally wet and cool. In addition to the heat, June brought more intense rainfall, which made work in the vineyard more difficult.
[readmore]
Flowering began on 11 June with brief high temperatures. Powdery mildew exploded at the end of June, first on the leaves and then on the grapes in mid-July. Only August brought dry, warm weather.
The climatic conditions (125mm of rain in June alone) led to harvest losses of around 50%, partly due to frost and partly due to mildew. The harvest took place from 15 September to 2 October. Yields were very low at 25 hl/ha for Alsace AOC and 19 hl/ha for the Grands Crus. The wines show high acidity, are all vinified dry and exhibit impressive power despite their moderate alcohol content. The vintage combines characteristics of 2019, 2017 and 2010 and has great ageing potential, but is unfortunately only available in small quantities.
[/taxonomy_readmore]
[taxonomy_readmore button_text="More" button_text_less="Close" button_align="right"]
Vintage 2020
After the excellent 2019 vintage and a mild, dry winter, 2020 began with delayed budding at the beginning of April. From Easter onwards, warm weather accelerated growth considerably, so that by the end of April there was already a two-week head start.
Flowering began at the end of May under ideal, dry and sunny conditions and was largely complete by the beginning of June. Drizzling was hardly an issue, which led to promising yield prospects
[readmore]
July was hot and dry, with the first colour changes around 14 July. A decisive moment was 2 August, when 60mm of rain fell in Turckheim and Wintzenheim - perfectly timed to avoid drought stress.
The harvest began on 25 August and ended on 15 September, characterised by rapid ripening (up to 2.5% potential alcohol increase per week) and logistical challenges due to Covid restrictions. Yields were 47 hl/ha for AOC Alsace and 32 hl/ha for Grand Cru wines.
The 2020 wines show good ripeness, are predominantly dry (except for some Gewürztraminer single vineyards), have an interesting acid structure and excellent tannins. The optimal growing conditions led to a very promising vintage, comparable to 2015.
[/taxonomy_readmore]
[taxonomy_readmore button_text="More" button_text_less="Close" button_align="right"]
Vintage 2019
After a high-yielding year in 2018, there were signs of lower fertility in 2019. The very mild winter led to worryingly early budding at the end of March/beginning of April, which was slowed down by cool April weather. May remained cool and grey, which affected flowering, which lasted until mid-June.
[readmore]
The cool conditions during flowering led to trickling and small berries, especially in Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Abundant rainfall in mid-June and warmer temperatures significantly improved development. July was very warm and dry, followed by extreme heat at the beginning of August. August then became the defining month of the vintage with ideal conditions and significant rainfall, which allowed for stress-free ripening.
The short harvest took place from 11 to 30 September. The yields were 31 hl/ha for the Grands Crus and 40 hl/ha for the Alsace category. Fermentations were very slow, especially for Riesling, due to higher acidity and lower pH values. 2019 proved to be an outstanding vintage with concentrated, structured and refined wines that have excellent ageing potential.
[/taxonomy_readmore]