2018 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Roche Roulee

2018 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Roche Roulee

2018 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Roche Roulee Intense yellow colour, indicating some ripeness. Fully open, it is clear that this wine benefits from more bottle age now. The nose shows nice ripe Riesling aromas, honey, white fruits and citrus. These vineyards produce a generous style of wine, clearly demonstrated in the 2018 vintage. Velvety texture, but the finish shows a surprising ripe acidity. This is a classic style of wine from the Turckheim area.

Domaine Zind-Humbrecht

Léonard and Geneviève Humbrecht

The marriage of Léonard Humbrecht and Geneviève Zind (daughter of Alice and Emile Zind) brought the two small family Domaines together in 1959 and started what is today known as Domaine Zind Humbrecht. They built a new cellar in the village of Wintzenheim and set out to further grow the Domaine.

During the 1960’s and 1970’s some of the greatest terroirs in Alsace were left abandoned. These terroirs were usually on steep slopes which made them difficult to work and lower yielding. The flatter and more fertile vineyards on the valley floor which were easier to cultivate became more sought after. With his vision and focus on great terroir, Léonard Humbrecht started to collect the best parcels on the historic hillsides. He started by acquiring vineyards at the origins of the family Domaines, in the villages of Gueberschwihr and Wintzenheim.

The Domaine rapidly expanded with vineyard acquisitions in the Herrenweg de Turckheim, the Clos Hauserer in Wintzenheim (1973), the Clos Saint Urbain in the Rangen de Thann (1977), the Brand in Turckheim (1978), the Clos Jebsal and Heimbourg in Turckheim (1983) and finally the Clos Windsbuhl in Hunawihr (1987). With less than 5ha of vineyard surface in the beginning of the 1960’s, the Domaine today comprises of just over 40ha.

Léonard Humbrecht has always been impassioned by terroir and the foundations of the Domaine are based on respecting the terroir-grape variety rapport. Finding the harmony between the grape variety and the terroir on which it is grown, allows for the production of great wines. Léonard has also always been a fervent believer of lower yields and higher planting densities for quality wines, like the 10 000 vines/ha in the Rangen de Thann.

Leonard was the president of the “Syndicat de defense des Grands Crus d’Alsace” for many years and one of the linchpins for the creation of the Grand Cru classification system in Alsace.