Pinot Gris Heimbourg 2022

Wine Description for Pinot Gris Heimbourg 2022 from Domaine Zind-Humbrecht

Colour & Appearance

Radiant golden yellow with silvery reflections – a wine that already reveals its origins from the steep limestone slopes of Heimbourg through its visual appearance alone.

Nose

Aristocratic and multi-layered: lemon, grapefruit and orange merge with fresh herbal notes of lemon balm, wild mint and elderwood. Above this hovers a delicately smoky, spicy minerality – the limestone conglomerate of Heimbourg speaks a clear language already on the nose.

Palate

Here the true class of this Pinot Gris reveals itself: freshness and vibrancy dominate, a fine acidity is enveloped by a saline minerality and glides with electrifying precision across the tongue. The texture is lively, almost vibrating – a wine that both demands and inspires at once.

Finish

Long and invigorating with a fine bitter note that awakens the appetite and calls for food pairing. The aftertaste is characterised by saline minerality – the red limestone conglomerate makes itself known.

Terroir & Origin

The Heimbourg, one of Alsace’s great Grand Cru vineyard sites, lies on steep western slopes above Turckheim. The red limestone conglomerate lends this Pinot Gris structure and definition – qualities that lead this often misunderstood grape variety here to extraordinary clarity.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Olivier Humbrecht navigated the challenges of climate change masterfully in 2022: the early vegetation cycle required precise timing at harvest to capture the rapidly rising sugar levels before acidity collapsed. The slow fermentation resulted in a completely dry style – a statement for Pinot Gris beyond sweetness and heaviness.

Food Pairing Suggestions

This wine demands aromatic, fresh cuisine: prawn carpaccio with yuzu and cucumber, chicory gratin with orange or smoked guinea fowl breast with wild herb salad. The saline minerality and fine bitterness harmonise perfectly with citrus fruits and smoky notes.

Special Characteristics

This wine needs air – ideally decant for several hours and serve in large glasses. Those with patience will be rewarded with even greater expression after a few days of opening. A Pinot Gris that proves that dryness and tension reveal the true greatness of this grape variety.