I tasted three 1994 Selection de Grains Nobles wines from Zind-Humbrecht. These wines are made in frightfully tiny quantities, and are so rich that they make Chateau d'Yquem look like an under-nourished wine. Truly the stuff of legends, these SGN possess 15%-18% residual sugar. All three will age for 40-50 years, but will anyone wait that long? They are "off the charts" in terms of flavor extraction, balance, quality, and the lavish quantity of extract and intensity they possess. The 1994 Gewurztraminer Rangen Clos St.-Urbain SGN (99+; $450.00) may be the quintessential sweet Gewurztraminer - at least for my palate. All three wines possess remarkable acidity, which gives them blazingly clear definition - amazing in view of their out of this world extract levels.The reviews in this segment are from a memorable tasting held in April, 1997.Importers: Wine Markets International, Woodbury, NY; tel. (516) 364-1850, and Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 524-1524

The only Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer I tasted that was not from the 1994 vintage was the 1993 Gewurztraminer Rangen Clos St.-Urbain Selection de Grains Nobles, one of the most extraordinary sweet wines I have ever tasted. Only a minuscule 25 cases were produced, of which five made the trans-Atlantic trip to the United States. The wine displays a dense orange/caramel color, an awesome nose of orange marmalade, botrytised, exotic fruits, an unctuous, viscous, oily texture, spectacular acidity, and a finish that lasts for more than 60 seconds. It is almost too rich and intense to be classified as a beverage, so call it a food product. It is a glorious freak of nature that should drink well for 50+ years.No where else in the world does Gewurztraminer reach such splendid heights of complexity, intensity, and ageability. It is a difficult grape to handle and vinify as it is one of the few white wine varietals that has tannin in its skin. If yields are too high, the results are floppy, flabby, unstructured, ponderous, low acid wines. At Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Gewurztraminer is treated with respect, resulting in wines of immense richness and harmony that age impeccably well. For example, the 1983 and 1985 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminers remaining in my cellar are still amazingly youthful.The importer for the Zind-Humbrecht wines for most of the United States is Wine Markets International, Woodbury, NY; tel. (516) 364-1850, and for the state of California, Kermit Lynch Selections, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524.Not yet released.