Domaine Zind-Humbrecht 's Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl Trie Spéciale SGN comes from one ofAlsace's most singular terroirs, set on the limestone hillside overlooking the village of Hunawihr. The Clos Windsbuhl, with its Muschelkalk soils interspersed with pebbles, benefits from a naturally late-ripening climate due to its altitude and South to South-East exposure. This configuration offers slow ripening, but is only conducive to the formation of noble rot in the most favorable years. In 2005, a slightly damp end of September followed by a warm month of October enabled botrytis to develop with exceptional homogeneity on the 30-year-old Pinot Gris vines - a rarity on a terroir not usually conducive to Sélection de Grains Nobles! The grapes harvested in Trie Spéciale at over 218° Oechsle (the scale used to measure the quality and stage of ripeness of the must) produced only 8 hL/ha, yielding a juice of extreme concentration. True to his biodynamic practices and patient approach, Olivier Humbrecht allowed fermentation to progress slowly with indigenous yeasts, then let the wine evolve during over three years' ageing on lees before bottling. After more than fifteen years of rest, the result is a sweet nectar of unique intensity, shaped by the very nature of Clos Windsbuhl.
Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : There's something deeply singular about a Trie Spéciale at Clos Windsbuhl, and Domaine Zind Humbrecht 's Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl Trie Spéciale SGN is one of those exceptions, along with Clos Jebsal 1994 and 2002. The 2005 vintage combines the extraordinary concentration of the Sélection de Grains Nobles with a chalky tension so vibrant that it redefines the contours of great sweet wines. Olivier Humbrecht has succeeded in crafting a true terroir wine that is ready to stand the test of time, with a staying power more reminiscent of monumental goldsmith's work than of a "simple"Alsace sweet wine.
The nose opens with a profusion of stewed orchard fruits, from roasted apple and pear to quince jelly and candied apricot. A touch of candied zest, honey and tertiary notes of toasted almond reinforce the complexity of the bouquet. However, underlying this generous aroma is an underlying limestone minerality that energizes the whole.
On the palate, the unctuousness is incredibly delicate and immediately counterbalanced by the verticality of the Windsbuhl terroir. The remarkable concentration of the Pinot Gris is accompanied by a delicious acidic tension into which the sweetness melts with remarkable balance. Flavors of orchard fruit paste, honey and citrus marmalade stretch out for a long time, carried by a vibrant finish in which the finesse of the limestone and the relief of skilful ageing are unabashedly expressed. The harmony of this cuvée makes it a jewel in the crown of Domaine Zind Humbrecht's Sélection de Grains Nobles range.
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