Father and son team Léonard and Olivier Humbrecht run Zind Humbrecht, one of the greatest domaines in Alsace. The domaine was created in 1959, following the marriage of Léonard Humbrecht and Geneviève Zind. Léonard Humbrecht has made his mark on the world of wine, turning out truly splendid wines year after year, from a number of vineyard sites across Alsace. Their son, Olivier, has not hidden behind his father''s achievements. The first Frenchman to qualify as a Master of Wine, he has taken up the mantle with great skill, and continues to produce an astonishing array of high quality wines. This is remarkable, considering the number of different varieties with which the domaine works, and the range of different sites which they cultivate. There are numerous reasons why the wines of Zind Humbrecht are so successful. Their numerous vineyard sites, totalling 30 hectares in all, are all top quality and this, together with a commitment to low yields, are two of the most important. A typical yield for Zind Humbrecht vines is 35 hl/ha rather than the legally acceptable for Grand Cru vineyards, which is 70 hl/ha. Léonard Humbrecht has always been a believer in letting the characteristics of a vineyard show through the application of low yields. His commitment to working with the finest terroirs in Alsace and allowing them to shine in this way led him to purchase steep, difficult sites such as Rangen and Clos Windsbuhl. These were sites which other growers were only too keen to sell, as they were not workable using mechanised techniques, a problem Zind Humbrecht solved by working the land using horses.
The domaine owns vines in the following Grand Cru vineyards:
- Hengst: a steep, south-east facing vineyard, with scree soils over marl, near Wintzenheim
- Brand: a legendary Grand Cru with steep south and south-east facing slopes, and a variety of soil types, just on the edge of Turckheim
- Rangen: with steep south facing slopes, and a mixture of volcanic rocks and ash with fine sandstone, adjacent to Thann
- Goldert: which has mostly gentle east facing slopes, with calcareous soils, clay and sandstone over limestone
Zind Humbrecht also produce wines from a number of lieux-dits (single vineyards), which are not accorded Grand Cru status but nevertheless clearly have superb potential. These wines are no less impressive than those from the sites mentioned above.
- Rotenberg: a rocky, iron and mineral-rich vineyard abutting Grand Cru Hengst
- Herrenweg: an alluvial, silt and granite site south of Turckheim
- Heimbourg: a limestone vineyard abutting Brand, and once sold as Brand until the official delimitation of that vineyard
Zind Humbrecht also own three of Alsace''s few walled vineyards (clos). These are all monopoles, meaning that the Humbrechts own the vineyard in its entirety.
- Clos Windsbuhl: a terraced limestone and clay site, which many feel produces their greatest wines
- Clos Hauserer: a marly limestone site at the foot of Grand Cru Hengst, planted solely with Riesling
- Clos Jebsal: another terraced site, of marl and limestone, abutting Grand Cru Brand, which produces excellent Pinot Gris
The domaine also has a reputation for exacting vineyard and winery practices, with high density planting, alcoholic fermentation in oak and avoiding the malolactic fermentation. It''s impossible to discuss practices at Zind Humbrecht without touching on their belief in biodynamic principles. A radical extension of organic techniques, biodynamism sees Léonard and Olivier Humbrecht organising vineyard tasks according to the phases of the moon and burying cow horns to improve the vitality of the soil, among other unusual practices. It all sounds a little crazy, but Zind Humbrecht are just one of many great producers who have fallen under the biodynamic spell.
I have no doubt that Zind Humbrecht is one of the greatest domaines in Alsace, and many consider them the greatest. The style is not to everyone''s taste, but regardless of one''s preferences (I personally have come to enjoy the wines greatly) their commitment to quality cannot be denied. The tasting notes below give some account of the wines, by no means comprehensive. The astute will note some wines reappearing several times, these being bottles from my own cellar viewed at several different time points in the evolution of the wines. (7/5/03)
Contact details:
Address: 4, route de Colmar, 68230 Turckheim
Telephone: +33 (0) 3 89 27 02 05
Fax: +33 (0) 3 89 27 22 58
