Pinot Gris Roche Calcaire 2022

The Pinot Gris Roche Calcaire 2022 is a bone-dry Pinot Gris from Domaine Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace. It seeks not richness but tension: a firm structure, invigorating freshness and a saline tang that lingers long on the finish, at 13.0 % vol.

The grapes come entirely from the Pinot Gris vines planted in 1992 in the Clos Windsbuhl, the domaine's monopole. The name Roche Calcaire refers to the soil: on limestone, Pinot Gris develops a firmer structure and higher acidity.

100 % Pinot Gris. In the 2022 vintage, the precise harvest timing was crucial to avoid overripeness; despite the heat during harvest, the acidity was preserved and the wine fermented to bone-dry. Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to hold the Master of Wine title, farms the 42 hectares biodynamically, with yields of 30 to 40 hectolitres per hectare. At least six months of lees contact lend texture, and no wine leaves the cellar before one to two years of ageing.

Brilliant golden yellow with delicate copper reflections. The nose is remarkably fresh and subtly smoky: quince, pear and citrus, alongside pale blossoms such as acacia and elderflower, plus a touch of fennel herb, rounded off by a chalky, mineral note. On the palate, gentle fruit, invigorating freshness and a fine saline tang that fades in an animating way.

With asparagus with butter, pear and sorrel, pan-seared scallops with anise butter, orange and fennel, and guinea fowl breast with an Asian glass noodle salad.

Be sure to decant and serve not too cold in a larger glass. The Humbrecht family has been making wine since 1620; since 2019, Pierre Émile Humbrecht has been working at the estate as the eleventh generation.