1976 Zind-Humbrecht Eau de Vie Marc de Gewurztraminer, France, Alsace

This is an Eau-de-Vie ariginally made by Leonard Humbrecht back in 1976. It was bottled in 2017 by his son Olivier and purchased at the winery a few weeks later. This bottle had been opened last winter and about halfway consumed. It seemed a perfect drink to finish off an Alsatian Gewurztraminer tasting. Deep red-orange in color. The nose has a lot of alcohol. There is also some peach schnapps and lychees and a dried tea note. On the palate, this is warm. 63.1% Alcohol will do that. After the first sip it was welcoming though. It has a nice depth and complexity to it. Certainly, one of the smoother wines of this type (compared to grappas, other brandy's or eau de vies).

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Vintage:

1976

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Vins de France 101: Alsace, France’s Little Wine Treasure

Take a deep breath. While exhaling, say “Ahhhl zas.” It resonates like a yoga mantra with the emphasis on “Ahhh.” The phonetic version of Alsace reveals the beauty of this little border province and the prominence of one of France’s smallest wine regions. It harbors a medieval landscape from a bygone era. Half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, and Romanesque churches have you anticipating someone heavily cloaked in costume to walk by you munching on a giant turkey leg.

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1988 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain Vendange Tardive, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage:

1988

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The evening wasn't quite done and this fit the bill for a little something sweet to finish the night. From a 375ml bottle. Deep golden/orange in color. The nose is pretty with lychees, oranges and slight simple syrup. Also a nice underlying minerality. On the palate, this is slightly viscous. Much fresher than a bottle a couple of years ago. Lychees, apricots with a bit of sweetness. A nice bit of acidity to balance things out. Long finish that was clean and without bitterness. Just delicious and interesting to sip on its own, it would work with a slightly sweet dessert.

2015 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain, France, Alsace

Vintage:

2015

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Light golden in color. What a gorgeous nose. Lychees, peaches and minerals. On the palate, this is slightly sweet but not much. Great minerality. Some peach notes. Wonderful mouthfeel. Good acidity. Went great with spicy Indian food. Long finish. A beautiful wine. It is still quite young and will continue to improve for a decade at least and be good for another decade after that. $75 but might just be worth it!

2014 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Turckheim, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage:

2014

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Grade:

A-

Golden in color. The nose is a bit musty with slight sugary notes. With air it cleans a bit and shows lychees. A different bottle opened a couple of days before also showed this mustiness and the thought of TCA was there. Leaving it for two days, the wine cleaned up nicely, so that might be an issue with this bottling. On the palate, a wonderful oily texture. Some orange peel. Turns slightly bitter on the finish. Overall, this is a complex wine. Quite food friendly. It is a bit sweet but just a bit.

Chateau D’Yquem: Greatest Wine in the World?

In the series on the 1855 Classification of the First Growths, I spoke exclusively about red wines. In that same year, however, the sweet dessert wines from the Bordeaux communes of Barsac and Sauternes were also classified. All of the dessert wines listed were rated as either premier cru (first growth) or second growth status. That is, all but Yquem which was rated Premier Cru Superieur (First Great Growth), a higher rating even than any red wine achieved in their 1855 Classification. Yquem is quite possibly the greatest wine made anywhere and has a history dating back four hundred years! While every wine region has its stars, there is probably no other winery that so dominates the quality of a region and has such as a lofty reputation as Chateau Yquem. What makes these wines so special is that they develop a rot called botrytis cinera also known as Noble Rot. When certain grapes are attacked they get moldy which, in a wonderful twist of fate, causes the grapes to lose much of their moisture, concentrating the flavors. The resulting grapes look like moldy shriveled raisins that produce a sweet nectar.

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1976 Zind-Humbrecht Eau de Vie Marc de Gewurztraminer, France, Alsace

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Vins de France 101: Alsace, France’s Little Wine Treasure

1988 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain Vendange Tardive, France, Alsace, Wine Review

2015 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain, France, Alsace

2014 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Turckheim, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Chateau D’Yquem: Greatest Wine in the World?