Here’s a spunky little wine, with gardenia and apple scents and a slightly funky background note. It’s crisp and medium-bodied, with a short-to-medium finish redolent of fresh lemons. Try with light fish dishes. Drink up. ——W.E.(6/1/2010)—— 86

The Zind-Humbrecht 2006 Pinot d’Alsace hints at smoke and mushroom typical of the vintage, behind which are baked apple, toasted almond, and hazelnut and chalk. Subtly creamy in texture, it retains a welcome sense of finishing juiciness, but should be enjoyed soon. ”After the experience of 2003,” remarks Olivier Humbrecht with an eye to his 2007s, “I’m never going to complain about having and extra gram or two of acidity.” In fact, Humbrecht considers 2007 ideal in nearly every respect, having permitted the grower the luxury of picking under optimum conditions for each grape variety and style. The fruit was completely healthy, insists Humbrecht, “you could walk through the vineyards for half an hour and fine one spoiled berry,” … except, of course, where the rot was noble! This year’s generally dry-tasting, relatively low-alcohol, high acid, high-extract Rieslings are not always the most youthfully approachable or winsome in style, but the best are profound; whereas Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer ran to extremities of potential alcohol, even though the harvest was finished before mid-October. Far fewer wines went through malo-lactic transformation here from 2007 than usual – the pHs were often so low they proved inhospitable to the necessary bacteria. As for 2006, it’s clear that this is a year to test the meddle of any grower, and it is therefore not surprising that Zind-Humbrecht was among the estates to demonstrate that excellence and even excitement were not ruled out by the weather. Furthermore, he arrived at an average 2006 yield virtually identical to that of 2005. “Of course,” asserts Humbrecht, “quality in 2006 depended on how you handle your vineyards and your vines the whole year through. It was a vintage where, if you made a mistake in the vineyards, you got slapped pretty hard at harvest time, unlike 2007 where if you made a mistake, nature was forgiving.” The completion of fermentations in 2007 was spread over even more months than usual, often with late bottling; frequently with no racking; and my notes are based both on tastings from bottle early this year (sometimes referencing the wine’s performance from cask) and in a few instances solely on tastings from cask. Two 2007 Pinot Gris “Trie Speciale” – from Clos Windsbuhl and Clos Jebsal – were not even wine yet last I visited, and will in any case not be released for at least another year.Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (415) 491-4724

A 70:30 cuvee of Auxerrois and true white Pinot from the Herrenberg and (25%) Rotenberg, Zind-Humbrecht’s 2005 Pinot d’Alsace underwent an inexplicably protracted fermentation, was only finally racked early in 2007, and was not expected to be bottled before September! An overlay of fermentative aromas still cling to this, but there is no question about its (for Pinot Blanc) uncanny combination of bright acidity and mineral density and fine clarity of finishing citrus, brown spices, salts, and chalk.Olivier Humbrecht compares his 2004s with 1992. These were the two most copious vintages of recent times, delivering truly dry wines with quite high acidity. Although he characterized 2004 as more precocious than 2005, Humbrecht kept harvesting through early November, insisting that this was only possible due to his stringent, biodynamic viticultural practices and consequent generally healthy fruit. Humbrecht insists too that he did not seek botrytis, as rain was rendering noble rot nearly impossible. But it certainly seems sometimes as if botrytis sought out him! One price for his protracted harvest was elevated alcohol, which some wines struck me as hard-pressed to gracefully support; and acid levels too occasionally reached extremes. Overall, in fact, I have never tasted such a wide rage of quality nor so many unusually distinctive and at times downright inscrutable wines at this address as those of 2004. Two thousand five, relates Humbrecht, brought ample botrytis, especially with Pinot Gris, but later ripeness, again with formidable acid and extract levels thanks to the cool, well-watered August. Nearly all of the Riesling musts fermented dry. Humbrecht considers it a classic vintage for (in most instances dry-tasting) Gewurztraminer. And despite the blanket of rot that descended on the Pinot Gris vineyards, a cold, virtually cloudless five day period permitted patient and rigorous selection of fruit. A tribute to the ripeness and high tartaric acidity of these 2005s is that although well more than half of his lots of Riesling and Pinot Gris underwent malolactic transformation, an experienced taster would be hard-pressed to identify which! “Had we had the challenging October of 2004 in 2005 as well,” he says, “most ‘04s would be better than the ‘05s.” But as things turned out – October 2005 having been the second warmest after 2001 in the last decade – Humbrecht believes that in the long run these two collections will prove well matched in overall quality.Importer: The Sorting Table, Napa, CA; tel. (415) 491-4724

——R.V.(10/1/2002)—— 87

The 1995 Pinot d'Alsace, from such vineyards as Herrenweg, Rotenberg, and Clos Windsbuhl, is made from primarily Pinot Auxerrois. It is a terrific success. The light gold color, ripe, intense, old vine richness, gorgeous texture, dry, crisp, mineral and tangerine-flavored finish make for a pure, dry white that should drink well for 4-5 years.The Zind-Humbrecht 1995s possess approximately 10% higher acidity than the crisp, high acid 1994s, largely because September was a very cool month. There was no need to chaptalize any of the ZH wines, and extremely long fermentations resulted in high alcohol.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