Riesling Clos Häuserer 2018

A dry Riesling from Alsace that impresses through freshness and salinity rather than sheer power, lean at 13.0% ABV and still reductive and closed in its youth.

The Clos Häuserer is a square plot of 1.198 hectares, gently sloping to the east and surrounded by hills, directly below the Grand Cru Hengst. The soil consists of deep, calcareous marl, with the Oligocene bedrock lying about one to one and a half metres deep. This rich soil layer takes a long time to warm up, which is why this site, situated in the middle of an early-ripening area, shows the characteristics of a late-ripening vineyard. The high active-lime content is considered the reason for the reductive profile of the young vintages.

A varietal Riesling from biodynamic farming. 2018 brought ripe grapes and high acidity, and fermentation proceeded very slowly: as usual, the Clos Häuserer was the last wine to finish it in the vintage. In the cellar, each wine remains for one to two years, at least six months of that on the lees, with yields of 30 to 40 hectolitres per hectare.

The aromatics only open up in the decanter: limestone, dried linden blossom, chamomile, hay and white pepper, with further air dried apricot, fresh pineapple, vine peach, apple compote and lychee, alongside anise, cardamom and ginger. On the palate the fruit appears brighter than on the nose, with notes of pear, honeydew melon and citrus, carried by vibrant acidity and a delicate saline streak.

Pumpkin gnocchi with fresh rosemary, shrimp skewers with pomelo-yogurt sauce or veal with candied orange slices, spinach salad with pine nuts and pomegranate.

Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to hold the title Master of Wine, runs the estate where the Humbrecht family have been winegrowers since 1620. Those wishing to drink the 2018 now should decant it for several hours and serve it in a large glass. Opened over several days, it gains in expression.