Gewürztraminer Clos Windsbuhl 2018

A lusciously sweet Gewürztraminer at 13.0% vol., whose sweetness is carried by acidity and salinity: delicately perfumed, light-footed yet of great intensity.

Clos Windsbuhl is a monopole of Domaine Zind-Humbrecht. Its south to south-east exposure and the lighter, rocky limestone bring this late-ripening site to full maturity and allow the grapes a very long hang time. Gewürztraminer has the longest history here, with all vines planted in the 1960s or earlier. The site is one of the estate's single vineyards, farmed biodynamically, and partly worked again with horses.

100 percent Gewürztraminer. In 2018, Windsbuhl came through the warm, dry summer without difficulty, yielding beautifully coloured grapes of ideal ripeness. Fermentation here regularly takes a long time, and the wine retains substantial residual sweetness, a classic hallmark of this vineyard. In the estate's cellar the wines rest on the lees for at least six months and leave the property only after one to two years of ageing, with yields of 30 to 40 hectolitres per hectare.

Bright, intense golden yellow in the glass. On the nose, rose, grapefruit and grapefruit peel, elderberry pulp, liquorice, cardamom and ginger, alongside citrus freshness. On the palate, fine sweetness meets fresh acidity and a saline, deep minerality, the structure showing grip and bite. The finish leaves coolness and freshness.

With un-forced goose liver terrine in a fennel coat with caramelised kumquats, with shoulder of venison with caramelised apples and curry cream, and with pear-ginger cake with praline ice cream.

Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to hold the title of Master of Wine, farms 42 hectares; the family converted to biodynamics starting in 1996. Anyone opening this bottle now should decant it a day ahead and serve it not too cold, from large Burgundy glasses.