Pinot Gris Rotenberg 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

From the same perspective that allows you to view the Heimbourg and Clos Jebsal from the Grand Cru site of Brand, turn your gaze south across the valley to Wintzenheim, where the Rotenberg is right next to the Vosges. As with the Heimbourg, the limestone of the Rotenberg dates from the Oligocene. However, the iron oxide content is much higher, which is why the vineyard got its name; because the soils are brick red. The slope is steep with 30 to 40 % inclination. It is eroded at the surface because of the passage of glaciers in the Quaternary. The topsoil is thin and very stony. This terroir naturally produces very low yields and is harvested partly in the middle phase and partly late. The vines were planted between 1972 and 1992.

Fermentation

The wine has 2.6 g/l residual sugar with 3.6 g acidity and a pH of 3.3. The yield was 20 hl/ha.

bright golden yellow

Six Pinot gris are on offer from Zind-Humbrecht in 2017. And one is more beautiful than the other. Above all, the wines are fundamentally different and yet bear the stamp of one and the same house - and quite unmistakably so. This stamp means precision, transparency, clarity, balance and minerality. The 2017 Rotenberg already in the fragrance. In addition, there are the attributes of the north-northwest facing ferruginous site. This brings a muscat and rose scent to the Pinot grisIn addition, oranges, nuts, almonds, rust, some musk, Provençal spices and slightly toasted almonds. Finally, a clearly stony and cool component is found in the background.

On the palate the Red Mountain aromatically brighter than in the nose. Again, one has floral, especially rose aromas, and also the nutmeg becomes more and more noticeable. The wine still shows only half its ability, it is still too buttoned up at the moment, but the power and the energy that will fully break through in the future is rumbling in the underground. But already now the charm of this wine shows with fine tannin texture and creaminess. And just as clear is the precision already mentioned. The Red Mountain is a Pinot gris of great intensity and with a potential of certainly twenty years or more.