Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl 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

This vineyard is the highest in the village of Hunawihr and from the top of the Windbuhl hill you can see all the surrounding villages such as Ribeauvillé, Zellenberg, Riquewihr or Beblenheim. The shell limestone and limestone of the vineyard is also found in other neighbouring crus in Hunawihr and Ribeauvillé. The poor harvest in 2017 was due to a somewhat chaotic and late flowering, caused by a small cold episode, rather than frost damage. What was perceived as a problem at the time turned out to be a benefit at harvest. Healthy ripe grapes were to be harvested, which had an excellent sugar-acid balance.

Fermentation

The fermentation was very slow, but even and constant. Like many other wines of the same grape variety in 2017, the Pinot gris Clos Windsbuhl Aged for 18 months in barrel on the full lees. The wine has 7.7 g/l residual sugar with 3.8 g acidity and a pH of 3.3. The yield was 23 hl/ha.

bright golden yellow

Quite typical for this terroir - you can also feel it in the Pinot gris Roche Calcaire - is the smoky note, which in the youth over the Pinot gris Clos Windsbuhl lies. Besides the smoky note, one senses a clear minerality, wet stone and apple cider as well as grapefruits and pears in combination with a little honey and wax. This still seems a little closed, but is already very attractive.

On the palate, the wine is full and juicy, but above all very lively with bright, radiant fruit of pome fruits and citrus fruits. The pome fruit - apple, pear, quince - provides a combination of crunchy flesh, skin and a little must, which here almost seems like a natural wine, especially since there is still a fine sweetness from the yeast. Beyond that, however, the Clos Windsbuhl has an enormous tension, minerality and lively acidity, which carries the rock wine into an intense spicy and long finish.