Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Blanc 2020
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
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Winemaker Notes
Following Alsatian tradition, Pinot Blanc is blended with Auxerrois to form this wine. Grapes come from a combination of Zind-Humbrecht's top vineyards, including Herrenweg and Rotenberg Vineyards. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 8 months in 40-year-old French barrels.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A generous dry pinot blanc with aromas of fully ripe pear and pineapple. Rich and creamy palate, with elegant acidity and melted-butter character at the long, soft finish. From the alluvial Herrenweg site of Turckheim and from vineyards with limestone soils in Wintzenheim. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Based on two-thirds Auxerrois and one-third Pinot Blanc, the 2020 Pinot Blanc offers an intense and ripe bouquet of fruit and crushed stones. Round and lush on the palate, this is an intense and textured, pretty full-bodied but salty Pinot with good tannin grip and a round finish. This is a mouthfilling and fruity wine with quite a lot of power. It was bottled with 13% stated alcohol plus six grams per liter of residual sugar and a natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in April 2022.
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2021-
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James
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James -
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Certified Organic and Biodynamic.
Approachable, aromatic and pleasantly plush on the palate, Pinot Blanc is a white grape variety most associated with the Alsace region of France. Although its heritage is Burgundian, today it is rarely found there and instead thrives throughout central Europe, namely Germany and Austria, where it is known as Weissburgunder and Alto Adige where it is called Pinot Bianco. Interestingly, Pinot Blanc was born out of a mutation of the pink-skinned Pinot Gris. Somm Secret—Chardonnay fans looking to try something new would benefit from giving Pinot Blanc a try.
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.