Muscat Goldert Grand Cru 2024

The Muscat Goldert Grand Cru 2024 is a dry white wine from Alsace that holds a special place in the range of Domaine Zind-Humbrecht. The nose is fragrant and finely etched: Muscat grapes, lily of the valley, lemon, orange, grapefruit and bergamot, followed by elderflower, elderwood and privet. Young mango, lime and star fruit hint in the background and become clearer with further maturity. A wine that feels cool and already reveals its mineral depth on the nose.

The Grand Cru Goldert near Gueberschwihr sits on oolitic limestone, with deep soils and an eastern exposure. This terroir ripens moderately late, the grapes reach maturity evenly and always retain very good acidity. On this limestone, the Muscat Petits Grains gain complexity and ageing potential rather than becoming overly aromatic and developing too quickly. Goldert has long enjoyed a strong reputation for this variety, which is why it accounts for a large share of the site's plantings.

The blend consists of 95 percent Muscat d'Alsace and 5 percent Muscat Ottonel, from vines with an average age of 25 years. Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to hold the title of Master of Wine, converted the estate's first five hectares to biodynamic farming in 1996; today he farms 42 hectares. Yields of 30 to 40 hectolitres per hectare and at least six months of lees contact are part of the programme, and no wine leaves the cellar before one to two years of ageing.

Elegant attack with a distinctly saline character, invigorating acidity and plenty of fruit, above all citrus. The finish is long and carries a fine tannin. The structure remains dry, taut and precise, with 11.5% ABV keeping the wine light on its feet. Drinking well now, but built for decades to come.