Gewürztraminer Hengst Grand Cru 2017

Wine Description for Gewürztraminer Hengst Grand Cru 2017 from Domaine Zind-Humbrecht

Colour & Appearance

Luminous golden yellow in the glass, which already announces visually the concentration and maturity of this extraordinary vintage.

Nose

An olfactory feast that challenges and rewards the senses. Initially quince, pumpkin and fennel, before layers of yellow stone fruit and orange marmalade unfold. These are joined by cinnamon, gingerbread, beeswax, saffron, anise and pepper. A barely perceptible hint of botrytis reveals itself with increasing aeration. Despite all its opulence, the wine remains pure, clear and refined – a Gewürztraminer that lives up to its name without descending into caricature.

Palate

Here the true greatness of the Hengst reveals itself: enormous density, impressive length and depth, whilst maintaining perfect balance between generous fruit and spice on the one hand and freshness and minerality on the other. Yellow stone fruit dominates, accompanied by ginger, cardamom, curry, liquorice and bitter orange. The texture is silky, almost oily in consistency – a characteristic that distinguishes great Gewürztraminers.

Finish

Piquant and lingering, with a spicy complexity that resonates for minutes. The 62 g/l residual sugar is so skilfully integrated by acidity and mineral tension that the wine never feels heavy.

Terroir & Origin

The Grand Cru Hengst in Wintzenheim ranks among the most significant vineyard sites in Alsace. The parcels date from 1948 and possibly 1920 – old vines that, with their historical selections, give voice to the terroir in a way that modern clones could never achieve.

Grape Variety & Vinification

The 2017 vintage ranks among the three finest since 1959 for Olivier Humbrecht, despite drastic yield reduction through frost and hail to below 20 hl/ha (actually 21 hl/ha for this wine). Harvest on 26 September, spontaneous fermentation with 62 g/l residual sugar at 2.5 g acidity and 3.8 pH – figures that promise greatness.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Partridge breasts in lardo with apple-pepper sauce and sauerkraut, game terrine with pear brunoise or surprisingly also lemon tart with mint – the wine pairs well with both hearty-spicy and sweet-sour contrasts.

Special Characteristics

A wine for decades to come. The combination of old vines, an extreme vintage and the unique limestone-marl of the Hengst creates a Gewürztraminer of world-class calibre – opulent, yet never clumsy, sweet, yet never cloying.