Alsace’s Domaine Zind-Humbrecht: 2019 releases tasted

It is always reassuring to find flourishing examples of family continuity in French wine estates. At the famous Domaine Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace, Pierre-Emile Humbrecht is the latest to join the family business.

In preparation, he studied at the Changins School of Viticulture and Enology in Switzerland and then completed internships at wine estates, beginning with Thérèse Chappaz in that same country for 18 months, followed by a six-month period at Domaine Tissot in the Jura and then nearly eight months at Burgundy’s iconic estate, Domaine de la Romanée Conti.

Pierre-Emile is now working alongside his father Olivier, who has been in charge of the family enterprise since 1989.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores of 12 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht whites from 2019

A union, and expansion

The Zind-Humbrecht estate is indeed a family affair. It was founded in 1959 following the marriage of Leonard Humbrecht to Geneviève Zind and the subsequent merger of the vineyard holdings and wine production of the two families, based respectively in Gueberschwihr and Wintzenheim.

As for the Humbrecht family, its wine-growing activities date back to the time of Sontag Humbrecht (1620-16820).

New wine production facilities were soon added in Wintzenheim for the newly established Zind-Humbrecht enterprise. Léonard was passionate about terroir and viticulture, and he quickly acquired a good number of quality vineyards located in different sites. In 1973, it was the lieu-dit of Herrenweg in Turckheim and Clos Häuserer lying at the foot of the Hengst Grand Cru vineyard in Wintzenheim. Then in 1977 came Clos Saint-Urbain lying within the Grand Cru Rangen de Thann vineyard overlooking the village of Thann. The following year the estate expanded further with Brand Grand Cru vines in Turckheim, then with Clos Jebsal, situated just below Brand Grand Cru. The Heimbourg vineyard in Turckheim was added in 1983, and then it was the turn of Clos Windsbuhl in the commune of Hunawihr in 1987.

So after beginning with just five hectares in the early 1960s, the Zind-Humbrecht vineyard holdings have expanded since the mid-1990s to include some 42ha.

Pioneer in the cellar

At the technical forefront of his time, Léonard was not just a highly respected winemaker but also a fervent defender and promoter of Alsace grands crus, serving as union president of the Syndicat de défense des Grands Crus d’Alsace for many years. He was also an innovator in the region, the first to install a temperature control and cooling system for fermentation in oak casks as early as 1981. He acquired in Switzerland one of the very first Bucher pneumatic presses in 1986 and thus was able to start using the method of whole bunch pressing, which resulted in a higher quality juice.

His son Olivier came on board in 1989. An agricultural engineer and the very first Master of Wine of French origin, Olivier Humbrecht is also an excellent and eclectic taster. He is also just as demanding as his father. It was Olivier and his wife Margareth who were responsible for the addition of a new winery constructed on the site of the Herrenweg vineyard in 1992.

Olivier was also behind the move to biodynamic farming in 1998, as he saw it as a means to ‘improve the match between the grape variety and the terroir’, which is so essential in Alsace.

Tasting the 2019 vintage

Giving context to this horizontal tasting of a dozen wines from 2019, Olivier Humbrecht provided some background on the vintage as experienced at his family estate: ‘2019 was quite classic, with flowering in mid-June. The harvest took place from 10 September to 1 October. It was very hot in July and early August, and we had some storms, but they were not violent. There was no concern about drought. We had some mildew, but it was never widespread. The wines are characterised by good acidity.’

Guide to the vineyards that make up the Domaine Zind-Humbrecht estate

Clos Windsbuhl in the commune of Hunawihr 

Located about 15km from Colmar, it faces south and south-east from a relatively high altitude for Alsace, 350 metres. It has a distinctive soil structure including what is called muschelkalk, in fact, a limestone substratum that is also rich in clay. In some spots, there are outcrops of exposed bedrock. This combination of terrain elements results in powerful, aromatic wines. Zind-Humbrecht has nearly 5.5ha here, planted with Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay and Auxerrois.

Heimbourg vineyard in Turckheim

It has proximity to both the Brand Grand Cru vineyard and Clos Jebsal, and although small, one part faces west while another looks southward on a steep slope with a gradient of 50%. The notable feature of the soil structure here is a clay-limestone substratum. Currently planted are 1.6ha of Pinot Gris, 1ha of Gewurztraminer, 1.15ha of Riesling and, since 1997, 0.3ha of Pinot Noir. The wines tend to be opulent and quite spicy.

Clos Jebsal in Turckheim

Clos Jebsal is situated on a geological fault on which is found a cool soil type named Keuper in reference to the Upper Triassic period, consisting mainly of gray limestone marl rich in clay and gypsum. Every harvest since 1989 has produced sweet wine, either of a late harvest’ type or a ‘sélection de grains nobles (SGN)’ from grapes richly endowed with noble rot.

Brand Grand Cru in Turckheim

The Brand Grand Cru vineyard lies on a granitic substratum composed of what is known as Turckheim granite, but there is also some black mica in the soil. Zind-Humbrecht has 2.4ha of Riesling planted here, producing elegant wines with good acidity that stand out for their floral scents.

Herrenweg lieu-dit in Turckheim

This is a sun-drenched site on well-drained soil and a substratum composed of a mix including clay, silt, sand, and gravel. The wines produced from here tend to be quite aromatic with good acidity but are best enjoyed when young.

Rotenberg vineyard in Wintzenheim

This sits on the top of the hill on which the Hengst Grand Cru vineyard lies. The soil is composed of limestone and marl. The estate cultivates 1.7ha with 0.5ha planted to Pinot Blanc and 1.2ha to Pinot Gris. The wines are delicate and fine-boned and yet have great ageing potential.

Hengst Grand Cru in Wintzenheim

This is a south-east facing vineyard on a steep slope composed of limestone and marl soil along with some granite, sandstone, and siliceous pebbles. Zind-Humbrecht has only planted Gewurztraminer on this site, producing perfectly balanced wines with the capacity to stay the distance.

Clos Haüserer in Wintzenheim

It is located at the foot of the Hengst Grand Cru vineyard in Wintzenheim, and the subsoil is identical while the topsoil is a bit heavier. Zind-Humbrecht has only planted Riesling here and the resulting wines are intense and complex.

Goldert Grand Cru in Gueberschwihr

This vineyard has a rare and distinctive terroir for Alsace, one having a substratum composed of marine oolithic limestone. The topsoil has some clay and sandstone on the lower slopes. The soil is deep, rich, and fertile. In addition to vines of Gewurztraminer, Zind-Humbrecht has two plots of Muscat grapes.

Clos Saint-Urbain, Rangen de Thann Grand Cru in the village of Thann

Clos Saint-Urbain lies within the world-famous Grand Cru Rangen de Thann vineyard. The soil type is unique in the region, composed mainly of volcanic rocks and sedimentary sandstones. Zind-Humbrecht has planted on this late-ripening site Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Blanc, producing wines that are infused with that je ne sais quoi that some call minerality, and complicated by smoky, flinty tones.

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht horizontal tasting: a dozen releases from 2019

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