Bottler: Domaine Zind Humbrecht, 4 Route de Colmar, 68230 Turckheim / France
In the glass
Colour
Radiant, deep golden yellow.
Nose
Flinty-smoky depth with almost bacon-like nuances; complemented by ginger, grapefruit compote, blood orange, mallow and a hint of dried rose petals.
Palate
Powerful and compact with complex minerality, fine tannin structure and intense floral notes; the fruit remains in the background for now.
Character
A thunderclap of a wine – opulent, energetic and multi-layered, built for long-term ageing.
Pairing
Salt-crust beetroot with wild mint, braised Wagyu short rib with brown butter purée and curry foam, or squab breast with chimichurri and Pesto alla Genovese.
Notes
Of just one hectare of Gewürztraminer in the entire Grand Cru Rangen, Zind-Humbrecht cultivates half a hectare within Clos-Saint-Urbain – on the steepest volcanic terroir directly above the Thur. Extended lees ageing, biodynamic Demeter farming and a vintage that fermented completely dry make this a rarity best decanted before serving.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Radiant, deep golden yellow, hinting even in the glass at the concentration and ripeness of this extraordinary Gewürztraminer.
Nose
A bouquet that resonates like a thunderclap: flinty, smoky, almost bacon-like – the signature of the volcanic terroir. With oxygen, which this wine demands, notes of ginger, grapefruit compote, blood orange, mallow and a touch of dried rose petals emerge. A wine full of energy and expression, announcing its greatness on the nose alone.
Palate
On the palate it grips with power and compact, multi-layered minerality. The fruit remains restrained while the floral notes intensify. A fine tannin structure provides a wonderful sense of grip. What a complex Gewürztraminer – a powerhouse of a wine with dreamlike opulence.
Finish
Long, intense and of impressive depth. A wine built for eternity with fantastic ageing potential. Those unable to wait are advised to decant it one to two days in advance and enjoy it from large Burgundy glasses.
Terroir & origin
The Grand Cru Rangen de Thann, with a 68 per cent gradient, reigns as Alsace’s steepest vineyard site above the town of Thann. Of the Rangen’s 22 hectares, only a single hectare is planted to Gewürztraminer – Domaine Zind-Humbrecht cultivates 0.5 hectares of this within the Clos-Saint-Urbain (5.5 hectares). The two small parcels lie directly above the Thur river in the lower section of the Rangen, where they benefit from the river’s warmth. The volcanic terroir dominates this variety, imprinting it with an aromatic smoky and flinty character.
Grape variety & vinification
Gewürztraminer is sensitive to cold, particularly during flowering, and is especially exposed at the altitude of the Rangen (350–480 m) and to the cold air currents sweeping down the Thann valley. Although harvested late, Gewürztraminer on the Rangen often ferments vigorously and finishes with a fairly dry balance – in the 2020 vintage, completely dry. Normally this variety is bottled earlier, but here a longer maturation on the lees was chosen to allow the wine to develop its power more fully.
Food pairings
A feast for the senses that calls for equally grand and nuanced cuisine: salt-crusted beetroot with Gewürztraminer jelly, redcurrants and wild mint; braised short rib and striploin of Westholm Wagyu with teriyaki, brown butter purée and green curry foam; or charcoal-grilled squab breast with chimichurri, pesto alla Genovese and a wild herb salad.
Special features
Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to hold the Master of Wine title, has farmed Domaine Zind-Humbrecht biodynamically since 2002 (Demeter-certified). No wine leaves the cellar before one to two years of maturation. Yields of just 30–40 hectolitres per hectare and a minimum of six months’ lees contact lend these wines the texture that makes them masterpieces of patience. At 15% abv and with a dry balance, this Gewürztraminer is a rare example of the power and elegance that the volcanic terroir of the Rangen can produce.
