About this winery
Olivier Humbrecht is one of the world's most renowned winegrowers. He is a Master of Wine and has been described by Robert Parker as the greatest white winemaker on earth. Yet he is very soft spoken, humble, and self-deprecating, which makes him perfectly suited to his assumed role as a global ambassador of wine. He is a champion of terroir, biodynamic farming principles, and non-interventionist winemaking, whose family have been winegrowers in Alsace for 12 generations (since 1620). He is...
See the ZIND-HUMBRECHT detail page for more information on this brand
Product notes
The Clos Häuserer is a small square vineyard of 1.198ha located on deep rich marl limestone soil, just below the Grand Cru Hengst, on a gentle east facing, surrounded by hills. The Oligocen mother rock is about 1 to 1.5m deep. This rich layer of soil can take a long time to warm up, which explains why despite being in a very precocious area, Clos Häuserer can show the characteristic of a late ripening vineyard. The high free lime content of such soils is probably responsible for the reductive/petrol profile of this wine in its youth.
Production notes
All wines are fermented in traditional oak vats using native yeasts. No additives are used, and chaptalization is never carried out. The wines are left on their lees and ferment at there own pace, the wines are not fined. Very little sulfites are added and the wines are bottled after at least 6 months on the lees.
Tasting notes
The nose shows a beautiful combination of ripe fruits (pears), citrus and definite limestone influence (toasty, flint, dry aromatic herbs). The palate starts elegantly and then the power shows gradually. Like most Riesling wines from 2016, it fears cold serving temperatures. The finish is unctuous, rich, brings a sense of gentle power until the acidity kicks in and leaves the palate dry.