Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal 2022

Brilliant golden yellow with coppery highlights. On the nose, delicate notes of peach, quince, pear, honeydew melon and apricot; with air, spicy yeast notes, ginger and dry pastry emerge, followed by aniseed and dried orange peel. Powerful and elegant at once.

The Clos Jebsal is located in Turckheim and covers 1.3 hectares. Léonard Humbrecht reassembled the site in 1983; before that, it was divided among many small growers and, since the Second World War, largely left unplanted, as the steep slope made cultivation difficult. The deep marl soil, with its higher clay content, holds excellent water reserves, so the vines do not suffer from drought and retain their acidity.

Pinot Gris grown biodynamically. In the past, the plot was prone to noble rot; since harvesting now takes place earlier and under drier conditions, since 2020 the grapes have arrived in the cellar healthy and at normal ripeness. Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to become a Master of Wine, farms 42 hectares, with horses working the steep vineyards. No wine leaves the cellar before one to two years of ageing, at least six months of which on the lees.

Rich texture and juicy fruit, a delicate salinity, lively acidity and a piquant tannin. Dry, 13.5% vol., with outstanding ageing potential. Those opening the bottle now should decant it two hours beforehand and serve it not too cold, in large Burgundy glasses.

A food companion that rises to the challenge of intense spice and heat: noodle bowl with pak choi, pineapple, tofu, sesame oil and chilli, spicy prawn and cucumber salad with coriander and mint or grilled salmon with mustard and avocado.

Olivier Humbrecht calls biodynamics "a therapy that helps the vines forget stress". The Humbrecht family has been making wine since 1620, and since 2019 Pierre Émile Humbrecht has joined as the eleventh generation. Yields are between 30 and 40 hectolitres per hectare.