Riesling "Roche Granite" Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Turkheim 2020

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Turkheim (Biodynamic)

The Humbrecht family can trace their winemaking heritage back over 10 generations, although the Domaine Zind Humbrecht story really began in 1959 through the amalgamation of the Zind and Humbrecht family vineyards. Under the stewardship of first Léonard Humbrecht and then his son Olivier, the domain has grown to around 40 hectares, including some of the very best parcels in Alsace’s top Grand Cru and Lieu-Dit sites. Taking a non-interventionist approach in the cellar and paying incredible attention to detail in the biodynamic management of his vineyards, Olivier is leading the field in crafting superb terroir-driven wines.

The single vineyard Herrenweg is located in the middle of the gravelly valley floor located between the villages of Turckheim and Wintzenheim, on deposits left by the river and glaciers in recent geological time. Going West towards Colmar, the vines are more exposed to the north winds, deeper in the valley it gets cooler and soils are less deep, towards Turckheim the water table is less deep and towards Wintzenheim the soils get gradually more covered by loess. So, like in many other places: the middle is the best part! Herrenweg soil is poor and suffers easily from drought and thus older vines have a much higher quality potential. This vineyard was planted by my grandfather Zind and my father. The fermentation was very slow but the wine finished very dry.

This ‘new’ wine label complements now the ‘roches’ series. As its name indicates it, all the vineyards are located on the poor granitic soils of the Brand hillside. It is in fact the second wine of the Grand Cru Brand. It is a very interesting experience to compare the three Rieslings side by side (Granite, Calcaire, Volcanic) in order to understand the influence of soil origin on the nature of the wine. These precocious and warm granitic soils produce wines that have a vertical structure, always expressive at a young age and never shy on their aromatic potential. In 2016, these were the first Rieslings harvested but the fermentation took a year to complete.

This wine originates from vines planted in the 90s and in 2001 in the Grand Cru Brand and just below it. The granite ‘de Turckheim’ is in fact a biotite type of granite. It contains lots of black mica than can be broken down to its finest form, clay, by bacteria and micro-organisms. These finer elements will eventually migrate deeper in the soil under the influence of rainwater, fixing minerals and providing the vines with an interesting water reserve, something important in such fine soils. Obviously, vines should be of a certain age for the roots to reach these depths, but experience showed us that in fact the root penetration can be quite fast in this type of airy soil, especially if there is no compaction. Needless to say, bio-dynamic farming also accelerates the roots growth. These vineyards enjoy a precocious and warm climate that will influence the ripening cycle, explaining why they are often the first Riesling to be harvested on the estate. The grapes were very healthy, the acidity was surprisingly high and influence the fermentation speed. 

Light gold colour. The nose is still slightly closed at this very early stage, it develops quickly with some aeration some classic citrussy and light fruit aromas. It shows also a great concentration and nice mineral sensation that is immediately confirmed on the palate. The mouth is generous, broad and velvety. It brings a nice well-being sensation before tightening on the finish that feels quite dry. The acidity feels ripe and saline and brings an excellent support to the wine.

Grape: 100% Riesling

Biodynamic