Bottler: Domaine Zind Humbrecht, 4 Route de Colmar, 68230 Turckheim / France
In the glass
Colour
Radiant, deep golden yellow.
Nose
Cool, herbal and compact, with notes of candied grapefruit, apricot, peach, bergamot, white chocolate and star anise.
Palate
Spicy and fresh, with delicate fruit, appetising tannins, vibrant acidity and intense minerality; a grippy texture and elegant residual sweetness.
Character
A refined, structured Gewürztraminer with depth and drinkability that complements dishes without overpowering them.
Pairing
Macarons with foie gras and raspberry jelly, Munster cheese baked in filo pastry with aniseed and grapefruit, prawns with orange-ginger butter.
Notes
The grapes come from a selection of younger replacement vines in the historic limestone vineyard sites of Hengst and Windsbuhl; slow ripening on limestone yields spicy-mineral complexity rather than exuberant fruit. Certified biodynamic by Demeter. Recommendation: decant and serve in large glasses.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Radiant, deep gold – a visual promise of ripeness that reflects the late harvesting of the grapes.
Nose
Cool, herbal and compact, the wine opens with candied grapefruit, apricot and apricot skin. Bergamot and star anise combine with an unexpected note of white chocolate to create an aromatic profile that feels less exuberant than precisely focused.
Palate
The natural residual sweetness is supported by a fine tannin structure that stimulates the appetite and keeps it moreish. Fruit and acidity alternate with intense minerality – an interplay between richness and tension that ensures the wine never feels heavy despite its sweetness.
Finish
Long and spicy, with persistent freshness and a lingering echo of citrus and stone fruit that maintains the balance between sweetness and structure right to the end.
Terroir & origin
The grapes come from young vines in Grand Cru Hengst and Clos Windsbuhl – replantings in old vineyards whose calcareous soils lend the Gewürztraminer structure and a certain acidity. The limestone slows technical ripeness, controls alcohol potential and tempers the variety’s more exuberant aromas with spicy-mineral notes.
Grape variety & vinification
Gewürztraminer – a tannic grape variety with naturally low acidity that requires phenolic ripeness and is therefore often the last to be harvested in Alsace. Olivier Humbrecht, France’s first Master of Wine, vinifies this wine from grapes not destined for the Grand Vin, yet still of excellent quality and provenance.
Food recommendations
Macarons with foie gras and raspberry jelly find their counterpoint in the residual sweetness. Munster cheese baked in filo pastry with anise-marinated grapefruit mirrors the wine’s spiciness. Prawns with orange-ginger butter meet the fruity freshness and fine tannin structure.
Special characteristics
A Gewürztraminer that proves sweetness and structure need not be contradictory. Its limestone-driven origin gives it a grippy texture and a complexity that elevates it far beyond the typical aperitif character. Decant and enjoy from large glasses – the wine needs air to reveal its full depth.
