2005 Dom. Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris ‘Thann’ – this is a very unusual
wine. I am used to some ZH being over the top and this is definitely
one of those. At this relatively young age the colour is apricot, as
is the nose. The wine has excruciatingly high acidity – to the point
that you sense it as a spritz on the tongue and the sides of your
cheeks, but you look to see any physical gas bubbles, and there aren’t
any. What saves this from being an exercise in patience like most
Savenierres is the residual sugar, which is 42 g/l, enough to seem
rich and slightly off dry, and enough to temper the acidity, which
would otherwise be objectionable. The wine shows as bright (no
surprise) and with a long apricotty finish that also has notes of
orange rind. I liked it, after coming to terms with it, but am not
confident enough to predict the future for this wine. I’ll append the
winemaker’s notes – he may be right and this will drink until 2020 – I
hope so.

Pinot-Gris Thann 2005
Bottling date: 2/2007; Alcohol: 12.5° alc; Residual sweetness: 42.7 g/
l; Yields: 52.5 hl/ha; Optimum drinking period: 2008-2020+; Average
age of the vines: 25 years; Surface: 0.6 ha; Terroir: Sedimentary
volcanic rocks. South facing, very steep slope. Indice 3
My father Léonard acquired most of the Clos Saint Urbain vineyard from
the Yung family in 1977. Other parcels were purchased or exchanged in
the 1980s but most had to be planted. Usually, younger vines are
declassified in our varietal Pinot Gris, but in 2005 we felt that
those vines planted between 1978 and 1989 deserved to be bottled
separately. It is still the same steep, volcanic, south facing
vineyard, so it is totally normal to see the same vineyard
characteristic and family resemblance to the Rangen wines. The grapes
were harvested very ripe with a huge acidity and some noble rot.
Surprisingly, it was the longest fermenting Pinot Gris in 2005 at the
exception of some SGNs.
1/2007: This wine fermented such a long time that I honestly thought
that it would actually be much drier. The acidity is so intense and
crisp that it balances the RS, creating a harmonious and delicate
palate. The flavours, both on the nose and palate, reveal the volcanic
origin: there is lots of smoke, minerals and waxy aromas. Delicious
today, it can gain more complexity with some age.