Gewürztraminer Hengst Grand Cru Vendanges Tardives 2011

Wine overview
Like a warming ray of sunshine in the morning, the Hengst Grand Cru vineyard in Alsace near Colmar is favoured by the protective influence of the nearby Vosges mountains. Its sunny south-east exposure and privileged location ensure that the grapes enjoy early morning hours of sunshine and generally a well-tempered ripening phase. While the vineyard hardly ever suffers from drought, thanks to the generous water reservoirs in the marl-limestone soils, botrytis, the noble rotting "noble mould", also holds back until late in the summer. The excellent resistance of the older vines to rot enables the harvest of particularly ripe grapes. Their high degree of ripeness does not necessarily predestine them for a Vendange Tardive, but allows the creation of magnificent late harvest wines such as the 2011 Hengst.

Color
An intimate encounter with reflective golden yellow.

Nose
The 2011 Gewurztraminer from Zind-Humbrecht carefully conceals a sweet promise in the glass - ethereal bouquet of candied oranges, dried apricots, juicy peach and ripe mango, additionally rounded off by hints of fir tips, rose petals, honey and ginger. A vibrant, almost sensual aura that gently rises from the glass and enchants.

Palate
This wine is like a poem in which expressive minerality and invigorating freshness lose themselves in harmonious sweetness, always remaining stimulating and invigorating. In addition to the aromas already perceived in the nose, it delights on the palate with fresh pineapple and a hint of bitter orange, and shines brilliantly - a white wine with beguiling sweetness and spicy, mineral structure that demands eternity.

I recommend the following dishes:
- Chilli peppers pickled in maple syrup, served with warm pecorino bread
- Braised venison with rosemary-scallion sauce and apple-rocket salad
- Lemon tartlet with thyme ice cream and warm blueberry bush honey sauce.