Zind 2020 Zind Humbrecht | Alsace

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht 's cuvée Zind has its source in the limestone heights of Clos Windsbuhl, in Hunawihr. In the 1980s, the wine estate replanted these plots, which had previously been made difficult by an unsuitable rootstock and a late exposure shaded by the Vosges forest. This Muschelkalk hillside, one ofAlsace 's most emblematic for its fine limestone soils and slow ripening, has given birth to a singular cuvée: a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Auxerrois, early-ripening grape varieties chosen to reveal the mineral tension of the site. Domaine Zind Humbrecht's biodynamic viticulture, combined with spontaneous fermentation and traditional ageing in foudres on lees, has created a dry wine whose liveliness, precision and limestone elegance are essential hallmarks of the house.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Zind du Domaine Zind-Humbrecht belongs to those cuvées that surprise with their ability to translate Clos Windsbuhl into an unexpected register. The combination of Chardonnay andAuxerrois brings out a very vertical reading of the terroir, with a freshness that expresses itself without detour and a minerality that provides a real backbone to the wine. The 2020 stands out for its incredible lightness in relation to the levels of ripeness reached, displaying an energy that reminds us just how well Hunawihr's late-ripening limestone terroir knows how to shape remarkably long-lasting dry wines. It's a profile that will gain in complexity with a few years' cellaring, while already offering a limpid reading of Windsbuhl.

At first, the nose is discreet, true to the natural reserve of young wines from this late hillside. Notes of rock-clear citrus gradually emerge, with a freshness that contrasts with the solar maturity of the vintage. The presence of limestone is expressed by very appetizing chalky and stony accents.

On the palate, the delicacy of ripe acidity lengthens a body that is still young but already chiselled. The mineral column structures the wine in an expression full of elegance and fluidity, right up to the salivating finish where minerality and citrus brightness persist with a beautiful harmony that deserves a few more years in the cellar.