2022 from the Alsatian star winemaker: This is how the new year shines in Humbrecht

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Once a year, the Alsatian gateway area Zind-Humbrecht opens its cellar doors to present new vintage products. This time there were 28 wines on the program, so we didn’t want to miss this unique opportunity. At the end of January we were able to begin our sensory journey through the different Alsatian grape varieties and locations.

The 2022 Alsace wine was hot and dry, like many other European wine regions. While August brought much-needed downpours to some hillside vineyards, the flat vineyards in the valley had almost no water. Here the vines soon stopped growing, leaving only very small grapes with very little liquid.

Grape harvest for up to 100 people in the vineyard

Harvest began on 22 August and up to 100 people were employed on busy days to harvest all the grapes during the cold morning hours. The last Gewürztraminer fruits were harvested on 20 September. An exciting observation by Olivier Humbrecht (60) was that the severe drought of the year also slowed down overall soil activity. This caused the wines to have lower nitrogen levels than normal, making fermentation somewhat complicated.

Those who think that their glasses contain rich, high-alcohol white wines due to their warm and dry vintages are seriously mistaken. Thanks to meticulous work in the vineyard, early harvest and delicate work in the cellar, Humbrecht has managed to create wines with refreshing clarity and plenty of energy in the bottle. The first standout was the very dry Pinot Gris Heimbourg, with a moderate 12.65 percent alcohol and 2.9 grams of residual sugar per liter. Fresh lemon and peaches flow from the glass accompanied by floral notes and an energetic body.

Riesling Clos Häuserer was also excellent, with a slightly higher but still moderate alcohol content of 13.4 percent. The wine dances on the tongue with sharp acidity and some reduction. Although drinking this top-tier Riesling is a pleasure today, it can easily continue to mature for up to 20 years in a cool cellar.

One of the best dry Gewürztraminers of my life is in the glass: Rangen de Thann Clos-Saint-Urbain Grand Cru. This wonderful white wine, slightly smoky but still fruity and with a distinctive salty finish, brings with it an incredible tension. The most important, noble sweet finale were two rare Pinot Gris dessert wines from the 2008 and 2016 vintages.

Source : Blick