Technical presentation
| Bottling : | August 2018 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13.5° |
| Residual sugar : | 44.5 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.0 g/l H2SO4 (4.5 g/l Acide Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.6 |
| Yield : | 15 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2022-2047+ |
| Average age of vines : | 47 years |
| Grape variety : | Gewurztraminer |
| Terroir : | Clos Windsbuhl |
| Sweetness index : | 4 |
| Soil : | Medium slope, Muschelkalk calcareous, South East facing, South facing |
Description of the wine Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl 2017
The Gewurztraminer was planted between the 50s and 70s in the warmest part of the Clos, the one facing south-east, both on the upper part (more rocky) and the lower part (deeper soil). Choosing to plant Gewurztraminer in this late ripening vineyard means that the people, at the time, had a profound knowledge of the place. The calcareous mother rock is close to the surface, the earth warms up quickly and it help to compensate the cooler climate created by the proximity of the forest and altitude. On this vineyard, the Gewurztraminer ripens very slowly, it is therefore always harvested at high skin ripeness and never looses its delicacy. Old vintages, like the 1964 tasted recently, proved the intelligent early choice of grape selection on the Windsbuhl, the wine aged extremely well and kept its character. In 2017, the harvest was very small. The wine shows an exceptional purity and ageing potential. Like almost all vintages it is a sweet wine.
Tasting notes
03/2019 : Yellow gold colour. Intense. The first nose brings a feeling of serenity and finesse. Windsbuhl has a capacity to turn the Gewurztraminer grape into a sublime wine. Varietal becomes noble and complex. The palate is a logical continuation of the nose, showing a rich, yet delicate, finish. The calcareous rock brings a lively texture. The rich mouth feels light and alive, despite some high residual sweetness. Showing a lot today, this wine will deserve many years of further evolution in the bottle.
The Clos Windsbuhl of Hunawihr
The altitude of the vineyard coupled with Hunawihr’s tardy climate means that the Clos Windsbuhl is often one of the last of our vineyards to be harvested. This explains the aromatic quality of the Clos’ wines and the consistent balance of acidity, a guarantee of good ageing. Although often harvested late, the Windsbuhl grapes are only rarely botryitized, doubtless due to the altitude of the vineyard, but nevertheless often reach high levels of maturity.