Zind-Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Riesling 2017
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Winemaker Notes
Refined, mineral nose that opens up to display vibrant citrus and white fruits. The palate has a smooth, delicate, mineral structure but quickly firms up around the acidity. Beautiful ripe, integrated acidity.
Pair with seafood, shellfish, pork chops, goat cheese or sushi.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A flinty glint of reduction shoots across the nose. Underneath, a sea of ripe citrus awaits with still-subdued intensity. Hints of earth and stone lend gravity while mandarin, ripe lemon and tangerine play a subtle, aromatic game. The harmonious and slender palate takes these flavors in stride and holds them with lemon intensity. The finish is dry, intense and long.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The sample of the 2017 Alsace Riesling Clos Windsbuhl opens super pure and powdery on the bright, fresh and mineral nose. Highly elegant and lush on the palate, this is a generous but pure, refined and chalky Riesling with very fine tannins and lingering salinity.
Range: 93-94 -
James Suckling
Lots of crushed-apple, stone and kerosene aromas that follow through to a full body, layered fruit and a tangy finish. Contrastive. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
A mineral-driven version, this displays austere power and intensity, with steely acidity and tightly meshed flavors of poached pear, Marcona almond, starfruit, white pepper, minerally petrol and smoke. Delivers a lightly honeyed quality that plays off the acidity to create an accessible, mouthwatering impression today, although this should age beautifully with some time in the cellar. Best from 2023 through 2033.
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Certified Organic and Biodynamic.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
With its fairytale aesthetic, Germanic influence and strong emphasis on white wines, Alsace is one of France’s most unique viticultural regions. This hotly contested stretch of land running north to south on France’s northeastern border has spent much of its existence as German territory. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains, it is one of the driest regions of France but enjoys a long and cool growing season. Autumn humidity facilitates the development of “noble rot” for the production of late-picked sweet wines, Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles.
The best wines of Alsace can be described as aromatic and honeyed, even when completely dry. The region’s “noble” varieties, the only ones permitted within Alsace’s 51 Grands Crus vineyards, are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris.
Riesling is Alsace’s main specialty. In its youth, Alsace Riesling is dry, fresh and floral, but develops complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics, and is often utilized for late harvest wines. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Muscat, vinified dry, tastes of ripe green grapes and fresh rose petal.
Other varieties grown here include Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chasselas, Sylvaner and Pinot Noir—the only red grape permitted in Alsace and mainly used for sparkling rosé known as Crémant d’Alsace. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and unlike other French regions, are also labeled with the variety name.