Pinot Gris Rotenberg Sélection de Grains Nobles 2000
A noble sweet Alsatian dessert wine of rare stature: limestone- and iron-rich soils, biodynamic viticulture and over two decades of maturation combine to create a concentrated, multi-layered experience.
Bottler: Domaine Zind Humbrecht, 4 Route de Colmar, 68230 Turckheim / France
In the glass
Colour
Sparkling amber with a deep reddish sheen – a visible expression of noble rot and extended ageing.
Nose
Liquid honey, candied fruits, peach, quince and pear, alongside tropical notes and intense spices such as ginger, cinnamon, clove and vanilla – underpinned by smoky, stony-earthy nuances.
Palate
An opulent, sweet elixir with tremendous intensity and a velvety, powerful structure; a saline note and refreshing, balanced acidity provide tension, leading to a long-lasting finish.
Character
A concentrated sweet wine of elegant depth – luscious yet never heavy, bearing the mineral imprint of the Rotenberg and the patience of a great wine built for ageing.
Pairing
Blue cheese, fruity desserts such as Tarte Tatin or pear tart, and fine patisserie.
Notes
Sélection de Grains Nobles – the highest Alsatian quality designation from botrytised berries; from the Demeter-certified estate Zind-Humbrecht, whose wines mature in the cellar for at least one to two years; outstanding ageing potential, impressively demonstrated by the 2000 vintage.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Sparkling amber with a deep reddish glint – the colour of concentrated, noble sweet ripeness.
Nose
A sweet perfume: liquid honey, candied fruits, accompanied by a spice register of ginger, cinnamon, clove and vanilla. Beneath these emerge peach, quince, pear and tropical fruits, framed by smoky, stony and earthy tones – complex and intense.
Palate
A concentrated, velvety elixir of improbable density, threaded through with a salty note. The stimulating, fresh acidity reins in the opulence just enough to create tension – powerfully structured, wonderfully balanced.
Finish
Long-lasting, with lingering fruit and a spicy aftertaste.
Terroir & origin
The Rotenberg vineyard site near Wintzenheim rests on calcareous, iron-rich soil, which lends this wine its elegance and finely calibrated acidity. Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, in winegrowing hands since 1620, cultivates its 42 hectares according to biodynamic principles (Demeter-certified since 2002) and deliberately keeps yields low at 30–40 hectolitres per hectare – in steep Alsace, a matter of conviction rather than convenience.
Grape variety & vinification
Pinot Gris as a Sélection de Grains Nobles – from botrytised berries selected individually. Like all the estate’s wines, this too matures in the cellar for at least one to two years, with extended lees contact, before leaving the domaine. Patience as a guiding principle of style.
Food recommendations
A natural partner to blue cheese – Roquefort, for instance, where salt and sweetness play off each other delightfully. Or with fruit desserts, ideally featuring quince, pear or caramelised peach.
Special characteristics
This noble sweet rarity from the 2000 vintage possesses excellent ageing potential – more than two decades after harvest, it demonstrates why Olivier Humbrecht, the first French Master of Wine, accords Alsatian sweet wines a status entirely their own. A wine for the cellar, not for haste.
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