Domaine Zind Humbrecht Clos St Urbain Riesling Grand Cru 2021

Bright pale yellow colour. Intense classic volcanic nose! Showing flint, wet stones, smoky aromas. Almost reductive or earthy/humus at this early stage, like most 2021s, it will need time to develop completely. Rangen can be quite aromatic in its youth, but the 2021 will need more time to reach a more fruity aromatic expression. The palate is elegant, almost delicate but is immediately showing a big mineral content that brings weight to an overall fine texture. Showing smoke aromatics, spices, herbs… The acidity of the vintage hides the natural tannins but they are present, bringing an extra element of structure. The finish is dry with a ripe acidity. The flavours last a long time without being heavy. This is an elegant and intense Rangen from this cooler vintage.

The Rangen Grand Cru is a dramatic steep south facing vineyard above the river Thur in the village of Thann in South Alsace. Its originality comes from its unique sedimentary old volcanic soil that is composed of hard dark rocks. Luckily, they do decompose and produce complex minerals and clay that accumulate deep in into the mother rock. Young vines do struggle but when the roots eventually reach these layers, the vines really start to show the characteristics of this incredible soil in the wines. In 2021, the grapes ripened actually quite slowly. They reached a perfect ripeness but also kept a fierce acidity while developing intense volcanic flavours. The wine was very slow to ferment and finished dry.

The Domaine Zind-Humbrecht was created in 1959 by the merging of two families, that on Zenon Humbrecht, viticulteur in Gueberschwihr, and that of Emile Zind, viticulteur in Wintzenheim, with the marriage of their children, Leonard Humbrecht and Ginette Zind. Before this date both families produced and sold their wines separately. Domaine Humbrecht had been passed from father to son since the Thirty Years War (1620). The vinification is now in the hands of Oliver Humbrecht, son of Ginette and Leonard. In 1995, Robert Parker called Oliver’s 1993’s “The wine of a genius”.