Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal Vendanges Tardives 2017

Vintage

The 2017 vintage will go down in the history of this wine estate. For Olivier Humbrecht, it is one of the three best vintages since the foundation of the wine estate in 1959. However, this time frost and hail limited the yield to less than 20 hl/ha on average. After an early budbreak, two cold spells with sub-zero temperatures on April 21 and 22 exposed even those areas that were more sheltered to frost. An unusually freezing easterly wind froze vines in vineyards like the Herrenweg de Turckheim, which never froze to death in the 60 years Olivier's father has been involved. A hailstorm in the Brand vineyard fortunately remained without major consequences. Midsummer was hot, August milder, and the harvest started on August 29 with Pinot Gris Roche Roulée, followed by terroirs like Rotenberg, Heimbourg, Goldert ... A little rain on September 2 accelerated the ripening. The Rieslings were harvested from 11 September and the harvest finished with Rangen, Hengst and Clos Jebsal on 26 September. Only in Clos Jebsal were there minor signs of botrytis.

Vineyard

The Clos Jebsal vineyard is located in the immediate vicinity of the Brand and Heimbourg vineyards in Turckheim. However, the Clos has a different soil; because it is the only site in Turckheim where both Keuper, blue clay and gypsum are found. This is also the reason for the name Jebsalwhich means »là où il y a du gypse« - where the gypsum is. The marl soils are deep, cool and have exceptional water-holding capacity. This Clos regularly produces wines of over-ripeness , which is directly related to the soil moisture. The Clos is located, facing south, on a steep slope, which promotes soil warming and results in good drainage. The 2017 vintage favoured a beautiful ripeness of the grapes, and noble rot was moderately pronounced.

Fermentation

The wine has 91 g/l of residual sugar with 3.7 g of acidity and a pH of 3.3. The yield was 30 hl/ha.

intense golden yellow

The scent of the Spätlese from the Clos Jebsal is so fine, so delicate and so pure that one can only guess from a very fine botrytis note that this could be a wine with 91 grams of residual sugar. The wine lives on the nose of stony moments, of herbs as well as white and yellow fruits like apricots, peaches and mirabelles, but also apples and pears. Limes provide freshness and a hint of acacia honey provides the sweet trace that the Clos Jebsal ...is laying out here.

On the palate the Vendange Tardive a fascinating balance of sweetness and acidity. Despite the supposed imbalance of 91 grams of residual sugar to just 3.7 grams of acidity, everything fits together perfectly here. The wine seems almost floatingly light, full of energy with a velvety texture and perfectly ripened fruit. The overripeness, which was accompanied by a restrained botrytis, is hardly noticeable. Instead, the wine nestles on the palate and provides a long finish.