Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Alsace Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal Sélection de Grains Nobles 2005 (37.5 cl)

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

For three decades one of the models of Alsatian viticulture, this estate tells the story of the Humbrecht family. Léonard, the founder, was a visionary who acquired the best terroirs in the region, including the famous Rangen. Olivier, his son, brilliantly introduced biodynamic principles in the 1990s. And today, Pierre-Émile, who arrived at the domaine with the very complicated 2021 vintage, and who is continuing their work, particularly on the latest Sommerberg acquisitions.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal Selection de Grains Nobles 2005 can only be described as "out of the ordinary" if we're not talking about the standards of twelve of the last thirteen Pinot Gris vintages on this site! Mr. Humbrecht readily admits that it wasn't difficult to select these grapes, as the fruit was ripe so early and the botrytis so complete. But he considers it fortunate that this super-concentrate - even if it only reached 7% alcohol, leaving behind an improbable 307 grams of residual sugar - fermented for nine months, which he believes will eventually help it achieve exceptional balance thanks to the effects of the barrel and lees. Aromas of tea, honey, apricot jam and fresh lemon assault you right from the glass. On the palate, it's almost gelatinous, but with a citric intensity and concentration worthy of a laser. And the resemblance to a Tokaji eszencia doesn't end with these phenomenally intense sensory characteristics: it's also true about this elixir (despite having crossed the alcohol threshold legally required for wine - a threshold from which Tokaji has recently and controversially been exempted) that it's honestly hard to judge it as a wine today. Count on a more bearable concentration in 15 to 20 years' time, and on the fact that it will outlive anyone reading this note today.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

It is grandiose, both in its concentration and balance.

About the domain :

A tireless ambassador for his wines and the region, Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to hold the Master of Wine degree, has long understood the importance of work in the vineyard. He converted the estate to biodynamic viticulture in 1999, of which he is one of the best ambassadors, being also president of the Biodyvin label. This type of cultivation has enabled him to get rid of botrytis and reduce alcohol levels. The wines have evolved over the years and now assert a resolutely dry style, and the large tuns patinate them several meters underground. Like all great Alsace wines, they come into their own after a few years or decades of cellaring. Clos Windsbuhl is a must-have, and Rangen de Thann takes its place over time. Pierre-Emile, Olivier's son, has just joined the domaine. The excellence of this production, respected by all, has earned this emblematic estate a fourth star in our guide's pantheon.

Vinous A. Galloni

About the wine:

Full gold. Powerful aromas of apricot liqueur and lemon verbena. Glyceral to the point of being solid, with kaleidoscopic flavors of apricot liqueur, cinnamon and chamomile, complicated by a saline element. Incredibly fresh botrytis tones emerge from the whole. An incredible elixir with final flavors that are hard to erase from the palate. This wine is 9.7% alcohol with around 240 g/l eau de vie - or at least it was the night I tasted it. (Incidentally, Humbrecht also has Pinot Gris Rotenberg and Clos Windsbuhl SGN in 2005, but these wines were still "bubbling" in September).

James Suckling