Although not officially a grand cru, the Clos Windsbuhl, a monopole of Zind Humbrecht, is widely regarded as one of the finest vineyards in Alsace. It's just above the village of Hunawihr on almost pure muschelkalk, a highly prized type of limestone, very similar in composition to the Rosacker grand cru and it's most famous monopole, the Clos Sainte Hune of Trimbach. And like the latter wine, the Clos Windsbuhl is always slow to open; it's also generally the last site to flower and the last riesling to be harvested among the vast holdings of Zind Humbrecht, given its higher elevation and proximity to the cool air flows descending from the upper Vosges Mountains. The maturity, and the health of bunches, were perfect in 2011, Olivier Zind Humbrecht tells me, with no botrytis, resulting in a bone dry (4.3 grams/liter of sugar with pH of 3.1), powerful wine of tremendous depth and concentration. The acids are tight and ripping, and reductive character (typical for this tpe of limestone) still masks the fruit and significant minerality beneath, so don't even consider opening this for another 2-3 years. But this is an absolutely magnificent riesling to be sure. Best 2017-2035+
John Szabo, November 2013