Riesling Brand Grand Cru 2022

A demanding, young Grand Cru in radiant golden yellow. After vigorous decanting, the nose shows blossom, apricot and candied lemon zest, along with ginger and lemon balm; the minerality of the granite frames this richness sharply.

The Brand Grand Cru lies above Turckheim in the driest part of Alsace; its name means burning and shares its origin with the word brandy. As early as the 17th century, it was considered one of the three best vineyards in Alsace. The estate's plots lie in the middle and eastern section, in Brand, Steinglitz and Schneckelsburg, on sparse, mineral-rich biotite granite. The site looks out over the deep Munster valley and gets long hours of sun late in the day. The much-needed rain fell in mid-August 2022, and hail spared these plots.

Riesling from old vines planted at high density, whose roots reach down into the finer elements of the weathering granite. Yields run at 30 to 40 hectolitres per hectare. Ageing takes place in large oak casks with extended lees ageing, at least six months; no wine leaves the cellar before one to two years of maturation. In 2022, fermentation of the rich grapes ran exceptionally long. Botrytis does not occur in these dry wines, which come in at 13.5% vol.

Explosive: taut fruit, intense acidity and a saline edge across the whole tongue. The complexity only hints at itself so far. Those drinking it now should decant for several hours and serve in a large glass; opened over several days, it gains further in expression.

Fresh cheese with preserved lemon chutney and crusty baguette, prawns with beetroot and pomelo salad or veal rack with basil and blood orange sauce.

Olivier Humbrecht has run Domaine Zind-Humbrecht since 1989 and converted it to biodynamic farming in 1999; he is the family's first Master of Wine and chairman of Biodyvin. Since 2019, Pierre Émile Humbrecht has worked alongside him as the eleventh generation.