Pinot Gris Heimbourg 2022

A dry Pinot Gris from Alsace that channels its power into tension rather than opulence. The nose is complex: lemon, grapefruit and orange, joined by herbal notes of lemon balm, wild mint and elderwood, wrapped in a delicately smoky, spicy and stony minerality.

The vines stand high on the steep, west-facing slopes of the Heimbourg. The red limestone conglomerate gives the Pinot Gris structure and definition, while the lower sun exposure of the west-facing site keeps the sugar levels in check, which tend to rise quickly in this variety - the key precondition for a dry style.

100% Pinot Gris. The 2022 vintage fermented very slowly and was vinified dry, at 13.0% vol. At the estate, the wines age at least six months on the lees and don't leave the cellar before one to two years; yields range between 30 and 40 hectolitres per hectare.

Fresh and vibrant. The fine acidity is wrapped in a saline note, with a subtle bitterness lingering in the long finish, calling for aromatic cuisine with fruity, fresh accents.

Chicory gratin with oranges, prawn carpaccio with yuzu and cucumber or smoked guinea fowl breast with wild herb salad and crusty baguette.

The Humbrecht family has been growing wine since 1620; Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to hold the title of Master of Wine, converted the first five hectares to biodynamic farming back in 1996 and now farms 42 hectares, with the steepest parcels once again worked with horses. Those opening the bottle now should decant the wine for several hours and serve it in a large glass.