Domaine Zind-Humbrecht : Gewurztraminer Grand cru "Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann" 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Gewurztraminer Grand Cru "Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann" 2023 from Domaine Zind-Humbrecht

Tasting

Colour

The colour is a luminous lemon yellow with golden highlights, hinting at a gradual evolution towards deeper shades with time.

Nose

The nose reveals the imprint of the Rangen's volcanic terroir, with pronounced notes of smoke and gunflint. This mineral signature mingles with aromas of citrus and exotic fruits, complemented by floral and spicy touches characteristic of Gewurztraminer.

Palate

The palate opens with a dry, aromatically powerful attack, structured around a taut acidic backbone. The concentrated, ample body is carried by a refreshing, stony minerality that keeps the wine well clear of any heaviness. The long, mouthwatering finish stretches out on notes of citrus and a mineral purity that invites another sip.

Food and Wine Pairings

This wine is ideally paired with Asian cuisine spiced with ginger or coriander, scallops with curry, or smoked fish. It also goes very well with foie gras or characterful cheeses such as spicy Munster.

Serving and Cellaring

The Gewurztraminer Grand Cru "Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann" 2023 is ideally served chilled. This wine is suitable for long ageing and can be kept for many years, during which time it should continue to gain in complexity.

A dry, mineral Gewurztraminer, an expression of the volcanic terroir of Rangen de Thann in Alsace

The Estate

Founded in 1959 in Turckheim on the occasion of the marriage of Léonard Humbrecht and Geneviève Zind, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht now extends across vineyards spread over several Grands Crus of Alsace. Run by Olivier and Margaret Humbrecht, joined since 2019 by their son Pierre-Emile, the estate is committed to biodynamics and is Biodyvin certified. This independent family estate has forged an international reputation thanks to its precise understanding of its terroirs and the exacting standards of its winemaker, Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to become a Master of Wine.

The Vineyard

This wine comes from the Clos Saint Urbain, a monopole of Domaine Zind-Humbrecht enclosed within the Rangen de Thann Grand Cru, at the far southern end of the Alsace wine route. The Gewurztraminer vines, located on the lower part of this dizzying south-facing slope, are rooted in soils of volcanic origin, worked exclusively by hand because of the steep gradient.

The Vintage

The 2023 vintage presented demanding climatic conditions, leading the estate to seek perfectly healthy ripeness in the grapes and to carry out a rigorous selection at harvest.

Vinification and Ageing

The Gewurztraminer Grand Cru "Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann" 2023 is made from hand-harvested grapes. Fermentation, carried out with indigenous yeasts, was taken through to a dry wine, which was then aged on its lees before bottling.

Grape Variety

This wine is made from 100% Gewurztraminer.