Zind Humbrecht Horizontal Tasting

The fascinating smoky and flinty character is married to ample candied citrus and crisp pear aromas. Long, focused and well-structured finish with chalky minerality. This is just beginning to show what it’s made of. A cuvee of two-thirds chardonnay and one-third auxerrois. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. STUART PIGOTT, James Suckling

This wine is made from a blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois (50/50), from vines located on the gravelly terroir of Turckheim (Herrenweg) but also since this vintage, from vines planted just below Clos Windsbuhl, on limestone soil covered with a thin layer of sandstone. This large plot benefits from a later ripening climate and allows for a very interesting blend. Pinot Blanc is certainly a grape variety that has adapted well to climate change in Alsace for several decades now. It tolerates higher temperatures in summer and is less sensitive to sunburn. It has always been blended with Auxerrois in the past, but its presence will certainly become more important in the future for this style of wine. The 2023 fermented quite quickly to achieve a nice dry balance.

This cool and elegant dry muscat has beautiful citrus blossom aromas and delicacy of flavor on the sleek, light- to medium-bodied palate that’s hard to resist. So lively and uplifting. Pristine finish. Just 11.5% alcohol. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now. STUART PIGOTT, James Suckling

Incredible wet-stone minerality and great peach and candied pineapple aromas plus a haunting wild herb note make this a very exciting dry riesling. In fact, it tastes like a serious single-vineyard wine. Fantastic balance right through the very long finish. Only 12.5% alcohol. Mostly from young vines in the Grand Cru Brand. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. (96) STUART PIGOTT, James Suckling

The 2023 Riesling Roche Granitique was harvested in the Grand Crus of Brand, Wineck Schlossberg and a smaller site underneath the Brand, all on granite. A touch of flint blends deliciously with crunchy apple, almost like Cox Orange Pippin, full of the promise of juiciness and verve with a slight burst of smokiness. The palate delivers exactly that, with touches of crunchy green and red apple, beautiful concentration and a lightness in its step. This is totally fresh and mouthwatering. (Bone-dry) ANNE KREBIEHL MW, Vinous

Still tightly wound, but with stunning elegance on the concentrated, medium-bodied palate, which has fabulous yellow peach aromas and refined chalkiness. Then comes the extraordinary freshness in the dynamic yet refined finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. (95) STUART PIGGOT, James Suckling

The 2023 Riesling Heimbourg is from two steep parcels within this site neighboring Grand Cru Brand on iron-rich limestone from the Oligocene, a mix of limestone and sandstone with a reddish color. The parcels look west, so they get afternoon and evening light that helps ripen the skins. This has a lovely, smoky note of reduction with touches of anise and fennel seed amidst its apple and citrus notions. The 2023 is bright, brilliant and textured with a lovely phenolic crunch on its delicate structure. It is vivid, delicious and animating. (Bone-dry) (94) ANNE KREBIHEL, Vinous

The 2023 Riesling Clos Häuserer comes from the foot of the Hengst Grand Cru on deeper, clay-rich soils atop Oligocene limestone.
The toasty lees character and generous peachy fruit are wound around a very firm core on the medium- to full-bodied palate of this concentrated and very well-structured dry Alsace riesling. This really needs some time to open up. Very zesty and chalky finish that's still tightly wound. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. (96) STUART PIGGOT, James Suckling
 
The 2023 Riesling Clos Häuserer comes from the foot of the Hengst Grand Cru on deeper, clay-rich soils atop Oligocene limestone. Slight reduction plays on the nose, blending in with subtle citrus peel hints. The palate is fresh and flowing, with a beautifully smooth midpalate texture, a touch of creaminess and a serene note of ripe Amalfi lemon. This is beautiful, smooth, balanced and bone dry with a wonderfully lip-smacking finish. (Bone-dry) ANNE KREBIEHL MW, Vinous

If you like sleek dry whites with enormous expression, then you won’t be able to resist this diamond-bright yet incredibly juicy dry riesling. Gigantic crushed rock minerality and super-racy acidity. Almost perfect balance in the incredibly long, focused finish. From five small plots of more than 50-year-old vines in this great but underrated site. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. (98) STUART PIGOTT, James Suckling

The 2023 Riesling Wineck-Schlossberg Grand Cru is from a steep, granitic site in the narrower valley of Katzenthal with less wind. Reduction and green-yellow lemon zest vie for attention on the nose. The palate is beautifully taut, with a zesty element that still swings with a touch of yeasty richness and texture but shows the hard stone underneath. This is exquisitely energetic, taut and chiseled. The 2023 is lip-smacking with a slightly phenolic, superbly clean-cut frame that reminds equally of red apple peel and citrus peel. (Bone-dry) (98) ANNE KREBIEHL MW, Vinous

Gigantic concentration, elegance and finesse. The smokiness floats like a cloud over the deep dark waters of this unique wine. The spiciness is so delicate and fascinating, and although the texture is super silky, the dark minerality gives this an almost supernatural intensity in the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. (99) STUART PIGOTT, James Suckling

The 2023 Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain Grand Cru is from this steep, iconic site in the far south of Alsace. Smokiness mixes with notions of green citrus on the nose, aromatic, vivid, enticing and lifted. The palate is pure, crystalline, chiseled, uncompromising and precise. This is long, pervasive and energetic, always with that gorgeous smokiness. If you can imagine drinking stone, this is it, yet with a flowing charm. (Bone-dry) (98) ANNE KREBIEHL MW, Vinous

An emphatically dry Alsace pinot gris with ripe yellow apple and melon aromas, ample substance and excellent freshness. Less than 12% alcohol, which really makes this dance on the medium-bodied palate. Excellent length. Almost 100% from vines planted in the early 1990s at Clos Windsbuhl. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. (94) STUART PIGOTT, James Suckling

Smoky and flint, this is an intensely minerally, bone-dry pinot gris. Hard to say what weight this has, because it is powerful yet so incredibly fresh. This has astonishing energy on the racy and driving finish that must be tasted to be believed. Try to be patience, because this is a ticking flavor bomb. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2027. (96) STUART PIGOTT, James Suckling

Off-the-scale salinity with great energy and drive, this is a very unusual Alsace pinot gris. Bone dry and very focused, but with richness on the middle of the medium- to full-bodied palate. Really needs some time. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2027. (96) STUART PIGGOT, James Suckling

How could a dry pinot gris be more radically cool and focused than this mind-blowing wine? The freshness and concentration are equally dangerous. Either you will think this is absurd or it will be a revelation for you. I love the silky texture that makes this so hard to resist in the extremely long, super-subtle finish. Under 13% alcohol. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. (98) STUART PIGGOT, James Suckling

The 2023 Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl has a lovely, enticing and delicious crackle of reduction reminiscent of wet walnut skins. The palate is amazingly taut and bright, but so unlike Pinot Gris. This is amongst the most streamlined and pure Pinot Gris I have ever tasted. What a wine. It is a testament to the limestones of this site and the absolute verve and energy that the Humbrechts bring. (Bone-dry) (95) ANNE KREBIEHL MW, Vinous
 

Dark, creamy and citrusy, this slowly charms you with its cool personality. Lie back and let it work, because the finesse of the wine is extraordinary. And if you're really smart you will wait before opening the bottle, because wines from gypsum-marl soil like that of the Clos Jebsal are some of the slowest developing. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2027. (97) STUART PIGGOT, James Suckling

Super fresh for the gewurz grape but with a hint of sweetness, this is charming. The underlying richness on the medium-bodied palate gives it a wonderful texture. Very long, elegant finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. (95) STUART PIGGOT, James Suckling

It’s hard to imagine how a dry white wine could be more concentrated than this Alsace gewurz. Mind-blowing smokiness and spices, and the wine is focused in a way that is absolutely abnormal for this grape. The interplay of saltiness, delicate bitterness and restrained richness is unbelievable. Just let this incredibly deep and complex wine sink in and inspire you. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. (99) STUART PIGOTT, James Suckling