Riesling Clos Häuserer 2018, Zind Humbrecht

Clear lemon yellow. The nose is complex, yet still quite closed, tight, needs aeration and time to eventually reveal very pure citrus/mineral aromas. The palate could almost be described as monastic and severe, showing a fierce acidity. However, the high mineral content brings salivation and actually enhance the length of this wine. The finish is pure and precise.

Winegrowing is a passion that has been passed down from father to son in the Humbrecht family since the 17th century. Domaine Zind Humbrecht today comprises of 40 hectares of vines, spread out over an array of different terroirs in the geological patchwork which is the Alsatian wine region and birthplace of our noble grape varieties.

The Clos Häuserer was planted by Léonard Humbrecht in 1973. He united many smaller vineyards on that small bench tucked between the Grand Hengst and the Häusererweg (The road to the houses, referring to an old Roman settlement from the 6th century). The vineyard took the shape of a big square, surrended by 3 walls, so he called it Clos Häuserer. The name of the lieu-dit is in fact ‘Unterersoedlen’ which is also partly included in the GC Hengst. The Clos Häuserer enjoys a precocious climate, which is in fact counter balanced by a gentle, almost flat, east facing and a very deep rich marl soil. The larger amount of clay makes it warm up very slowly which reflect on the style of the wine: high acidity, slow to open, very slow to ferment! The 2018 vintage allowed for beautiful ripe grapes and as usual, it was the last wine to finish fermentation in 2018.