Gewürztraminer Hengst Grand Cru 2021

A Gewürztraminer that tightens its spice rather than spreading it. The healthy grapes of the 2021 vintage produced a powerful, dry wine with lively acidity and a cool aura.

Hengst was classified as Grand Cru in November 1982. The site stretches across a steep, south-east facing slope above the village of Wintzenheim, not far from Colmar. The red Oligocene limestone soil consists of calcareous sandstone with calcareous pebbles and is rich in iron. The topsoil remains thin, yet the clay content in the marl gives the vineyard very good resistance to drought.

Gewürztraminer remains to this day the most widely planted grape variety in Hengst. The early-ripening climate and the high limestone and iron content drive phenolic ripeness, which is decisive for this variety. Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to hold the title of Master of Wine, farms 42 hectares biodynamically, keeps yields at 30 to 40 hectoliters per hectare and gives the wines at least six months of lees contact. No wine leaves the cellar before one to two years of aging.

In the glass, a dense, radiant golden yellow. The nose is refreshing and lively: sweet grapefruit, rose petals and lily of the valley, alongside juicy orange, ginger and cardamom. Sinewy and noble on the palate, the saline-mineral structure and dry impression take center stage, with lively acidity and fine tannin carrying a powerful, long finish.

Caramelized tomatoes with star anise, basil and burrata, prawns with a lavender-honey-chili crust on spiced rice, or pork ribs with rosemary and braised rhubarb.

14.0% ABV, dry. The saline, lively structure will carry it through many more years of aging. At this point, be sure to decant and enjoy in large Burgundy glasses; the wine gains further complexity a few days after opening.