Riesling Brand, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht 2016

A lot of roasted citrus fruits, but the mineral character is stronger. The mineral component keeps the reins in its hand, driving the wine on to a very straight path and keeping it there in spite of higher alcohol (just over 13%) than the other rieslings of this vintage from Zind Humbrecht. Already delicious now, but this has enormous aging potential. Made from biodynamically grown grapes.

This year the Brand is just made from the old vines on granite soils. The nose is reductive, smoky and tightly wound. The palate is phenolic, with a grippy structure that denotes its ageing potential. This austerity and freshness peels away through the mid palate to reveal the dense core of fruit. This wine has great texture and a long, chalky finish, and will require some time in bottle to reveal its full potential.

From 66-year-old vines on the south-facing granite soils of the steep and low-yielding cru (34 hectoliters per hectare), the yellow-golden 2016 Alsace Grand Cru Brand Riesling is clear, fresh and pure on the deep, ripe and mineral nose. On the palate, this is an intense, lush and elegant Riesling with a firm, mineral structure, fine acidity and a very long, salty finish with lots of power, grip and mineral expression. This is a dense and concentrated Brand that is far too young to be enjoyed today, but its aging potential should be enormous (as always), particularly in 2016 due to its very tight and mineral structure. "In 2016, the grapes were healthy, ripened early (an exception in that vintage), and the Brand fermented slowly, but the yeasts went to the end of their task," says Olivier Humbrecht, who finds his 2016 Brand pretty delicate compared to the often rather richer style of this steep grand cru. Tasted June 2018. 2023 - 2040