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2016 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl

2016 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl

96 JS

Featured Review
Still rather closed with only hints of candied citrus and toast on the nose, but this has the concentration and profundity of a top grand cru. Tightly wound and so, it needs some time to unfurl. But it already has a stunningly long and pure finish. Better from 2019 and has long-term aging potential beyond that. Made from biodynamically grown grapes. James Suckling

James Suckling | 96 JS

Critic Reviews

Still rather closed with only hints of candied citrus and toast on the nose, but this has the concentration and profundity of a top grand cru. Tightly wound and so, it needs some time to unfurl. But it already has a stunningly long and pure finish. Better from 2019 and has long-term aging potential beyond that. Made from biodynamically grown grapes.

James Suckling | 96 JS
Luminous golden-tinged yellow. Very reductive at first, then opens with aeration to showcase lovely, intense floral, mineral and lemony aromas and flavors. The finish is very pure, long and piercing. This is still very young; don’t touch a bottle for at least another five or six years. Olivier may start bottling this after two years on the lees instead of the current 12 months.

Vinous Media | 94+ VM
Flinty reduction on the nose gives way to lemony, bright zestiness and wet-stone flavors on the tangy palate. The lemony freshness tingles and makes the mouth water while the concentration of the slender, juicy body sets a counterpoint. This is like lemon elixir, lively, taut and enlivening. Lovely now, it's sure to be amazing with bottle age. Drink 2020–2035.

Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE
Harvested four weeks after the Brand in Turckheim, the 2016 Alsace Riesling Clos Windsbuhl is intense, fresh and flinty on the nose, where lovely mirabelles and lemon notes intertwine with the Muschelkalk expression of the coolish, southeast-facing terroir located adjacent to the forest between Hunawihr and Riquewihr. On the palate, this is a mouth-filling, fresh, elegant and quite mealy-textured Riesling with remarkable finesse and elegance. The 2016 is still bitter and a bit astringent, but its vitality, concentration and juiciness are very promising. Tasted at the Domaine in June 2018.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP
A firm, mineral-driven white, this is tightly meshed today, offering a subtle mix of crunchy white peach, spring blossom, Meyer lemon and melon flavors that unfurls on the long palate, gaining momentum through the stone- and chalk-tinged finish. A powerhouse. Best from 2020 through 2030. 467 cases made, 50 cases imported.

Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Wine Details for 2016 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl

Type of Wine Alsace White : Dry, refreshing, and (typically) infused with the purest form of Riesling; Alsatian whites are loved all over the globe. They will mesmerize your senses and expand your mind through their immense purity, compelling textures, and fluent terroir expression. Get immersed and fall in love with this utterly unique style of wine.
Varietal Riesling : It has been 587 years since the official “birth” of Riesling, the Noble grape variety of Germany. In that time, this white grape has seen exponential growth and popularity worldwide. Riesling has traveled beyond the Rhine River, where it is thought to have originated, spreading throughout Germany, Austria and Alsace, Australia, New Zealand and California. New World adaptations may have helped bring the varietal into the global spotlight, but its ancestral home and greatest reflection of terroir remains in Germany.

As aforementioned, the first recorded mention of the varietal appeared in the 1435 sale of several Riesling vines to German Count, John IV of Katzenelnbogen. Prior this transaction, the history of Riesling remains unclear, other than it first inhabiting the Rhine River region, which runs throughout parts of Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland. In 1998, scientists in Austria, using DNA technology, were able to determine that Riesling is the progeny of Heunisch Weiss, otherwise known as Gouais Blanc. Said to be a commoner among superior grape varietals, Gouais Blanc is ancient, originated in Germany and has sired some of the greatest varietals in the world, including Chardonnay, Semillon, Gamay noir, Melon and Aligote.

The small, round white-green berries of Riesling turn a pretty gold color, often with lenticels (pore-like structures, resembling freckles) when ripe. Vines can vary significantly from weak to moderately vigorous depending on the climatic region, soil characteristics and moisture availability. They are adaptable to a wide range of soil types making it quite dynamic and versatile.

One of Riesling’s most unique and celebrated qualities is its vibrant expression of terroir. This “sense of place” enables the particular elements of the soil and microclimate to be uniquely expressed through the wine itself, allowing this globetrotting varietal to flourish in similar winegrowing conditions around the world. Riesling has found success and popularity in California and the Finger Lakes of New York, Australia, New Zealand, France, Hungary and South Africa. However, it reaches its true zenith in the Rhine River Valley.

Mosel, Pfalz and Rheingau are the key winegrowing locations in Germany, where the climates are cool with low average temperatures and with the bulk of rainfall occurring during the summer. The vines of Riesling thrive here, in heat-retaining, stony soils on steep, south-facing slopes along the river valleys where they find optimal sunlight and natural growing conditions. Austria and Alsace (France) share similar climatic influences and terroir due to the proximity of the Rhine River. Their winegrowing industries have been greatly impacted by the Riesling grape varietal.

The commonly misunderstood Riesling grape varietal produces wines that are quite austere when young, making many wine drinkers wary of them. A fine Riesling almost demands time in the bottle. In good vintages, Riesling can last several decades and rival the finest whites in the world. At a glimpse Riesling may seem simple, but is actually rather complex. Riesling can be harvested early or late, vinified in many ways and can range from dry to very sweet. The five types of Riesling are Kabinett (bone dry to off-dry) Spatlese (sweet) Auslese (sweeter) Beerenauslese (very sweet) Trockenbeerenauslese (sweetest). Thanks to its naturally high acidity, it is a supremely agreeable drinker that will please just about any palate. From tingly-dry, steely-lemon to refreshingly green apple, peach, pear and grapefruit to honeyed and luscious apricot; the myriad of flavor profiles of Riesling is impressive.

The Noble Riesling grape may be complex, might be misunderstood and may be more obscure than other white varietals, but is one that produces some of the most fascinating, multifaceted and unique wines in the world.

Country France : Wine is the lifeblood that courses through the country of France, pulsing with vigorous pride and determination. Viticulture is not just a hobby or an occupation in France; it is a passion, a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations of wine stained hands. Winemaking is a beloved art that has been ingrained in the culture, an aptitude instilled in sons by fathers and the hallmark for which France’s reputation was built, allowing it to be renowned as, arguably, the most important wine producing country in the world.



For centuries, France has been producing wines of superior quality and in much greater quantity than any other country in the world. It boasts some of the most impressive wine regions, coveted vineyards and prestigious wines on earth. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Sauternes and Champagne have become the benchmark, for which others aspire to become. Legendary producers such as Chateaux Margaux, Domaine De La Romanee Conti, Chapoutier, d’Yquem and Dom Perignon are idolized world-wide.



France has stamped its name on nearly every style of wine, from the nectar-like sweet Sauternes to hedonistic Chateauneuf Du Papes classic Bordeaux and Burgundy, to its sparkling dominance in Champagne. Many of the most infamous grape varietals in the world, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay originated in France and are not only beloved, but utilized in the creation of some of the greatest wines on earth. French wine production commands the attention of the wine market year after year. With over 860,000 hectares under vine, and numbers close to 50 million hectoliters of wine produced annually, France dominates the market and sets the standard for not only product quality, but also quantity.



France’s many contributions to the world of wine have been absolutely indispensable. The country is the originator of the term “Premier Cru,” coined the term Terroir (a French term so complex there is no literal translation) and has laid the blueprint for a structured appellation system, which others have implemented in their own countries. French vineyard techniques and winemaking practices are mimicked world-wide. California vintners have been replicating Rhone style wines for decades, South America has adopted the French varietal of Malbec and countries around the world are imitating Burgundian styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.



With vast diversity in terroir, France is home to some of the most hospitable winegrowing locations on earth. The combination of topography, geology, climate, rainfall and even the amount of sunlight combined with the long historical tradition of winegrowing and making, has allowed the vintners of France to not only hone their skills, but learn from nature to create a product that like the world in which it resides… is very much alive.


Region Alsace : This region's specific position between France and Germany has made it into a peculiar combination between them in many ways, including its mixed culture of eating and drinking. Elements of both countries can be found embroidered deep into the soul of this special place that shares their traits but doesn't entirely belong to either. When it comes to wine, a wonderful example is the use of a typically German grape Riesling, but in a very much altered style compared to the sweet wines one would normally associate with the name. The wines made here are rich, fruity, relying on lovely spikes of acidity and great texture to deliver complexity and depth without the use of oak. The sweet, elusive aromatics of peach and potpourri provide a wonderful contrast to the dryness of these famous whites, known for their superb balance and graceful poise.

There is so much spirit to Alsace's wines that one could spend months, even years drinking the same vintage and still find new levels of delicious aromas unfolding, never out of ways to enchant and always luring in, like a siren's song. Alsace offers mainly still white wines, sparkling Cremant d'Alsace, occasionally Pinot Noir-based roses and rarely reds.

Overview

Producer Domaine Zind Humbrecht

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