The Riesling Clos Windsbuhl 2022 from Domaine Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace presents itself as a dry, limestone-driven Riesling of cool elegance, which, following the late harvest date and slow fermentation, appears particularly taut, saline and long-lived.
Bottler: Domaine Zind Humbrecht, 4 Route de Colmar, 68230 Turckheim / France
In the glass
Colour
Bright golden yellow.
Nose
Apple, peach, honeydew melon, preserved lemon, chalky notes; with aeration, further hints of dried ginger and a touch of aniseed.
Palate
Very dry, extremely taut, with crystalline salinity and sharp, cool acidity; a Burgundian, playful style with great finesse.
Character
A filigree, demanding long-distance format: cool, racy, multi-layered and clearly capable of ageing.
Pairing
Porcini carpaccio, scallops with curry-mango sauce or pulled pork with orange-hoisin marinade.
Notes
The Clos Windsbuhl benefits from the cooler, late-ripening climate of its upper section; young Riesling vines were grafted onto older Pinot Gris vines in 2021, lending the wine depth and structure.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Bright golden yellow in the glass – a hue that heralds, even before the first sniff, the youthful character of this unique vineyard site, now graced with Riesling.
Nose
Apple, peach and honeydew melon meet chalky tones and the saline freshness of lemon. In the carafe, the wine opens up to reveal dried ginger and a hint of aniseed – a multi-layered nose that is at once cool and beguiling.
Palate
Razor-sharp acidity cuts through crystalline salinity, unrelentingly dry, taut and cool. A Burgundian, playful style – reinterpreted here as Riesling – reveals itself in a filigree texture, almost floating in the cool elegance that this latitude permits.
Finish
Long and mineral, with a saline depth that stimulates salivation and shows to best advantage in a large Burgundy glass after generous aeration.
Terroir & origin
Clos Windsbuhl – a monopole of Domaine Zind-Humbrecht and one of Alsace’s most significant single vineyard sites, in the family’s possession since the 16th century. The upper part of the Clos, with shallower soils and limestone bedrock close to the surface, was grafted over to Riesling in 2021. The cool, late-ripening microclimate of this enclosed vineyard yields a Riesling of precise definition – the last to be harvested in 2022.
Grape variety & vinification
Pure Riesling, fermented slowly and without interruption, drawn from a large oak cask and aged on its fine lees – a vinification approach through which Olivier Humbrecht, France’s first Master of Wine, shapes wines of remarkable definition, combining scientific rigour with biodynamic intuition (Demeter-certified since 2002).
Food pairings
A balm for those who enjoy patient pairings: porcini carpaccio with olive oil and lime juice mirrors the chalky freshness; scallops and langoustines with curry-mango stand up to the wine’s acid balance; alongside pulled pork with an orange-hoisin marinade, the wine offers a contrast that cools and cleanses the palate from the richness of the sauce.
Special notes
A 32-year-old vineyard now bearing Riesling for the very first time – a rare occurrence that lends this wine its cool, long-distance maturity. For those willing to resist temptation: decant for at least a day, serve not too cold, and pour into large Burgundy glasses. Grant it time, and you will be drinking a wine destined for greatness.
