Technical presentation
| Bottling : | January 2023 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 12,7° |
| Residual sugar : | 4.0 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 4.6 g/l H2SO4 / (7.0 g/l Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.1 |
| Yield : | 40 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2026/2046+ |
| Average age of vines : | 47 years |
| Grape variety : | Riesling |
| Terroir : | Clos Windsbuhl |
| Sweetness index : | 1 |
| Soil : | Muschelkalk calcareous |
Description of the wine Riesling Clos Windsbuhl 2021
The Riesling is planted on the higher part of the Clos, where the Muschelkalk limestone (seashells) mother rock is very close to the surface. Gradually, with over-grafting, the production of this wine should become more important in the future. In 2021, the Riesling budbreak happened a little later than the other grapes and that made a significant difference on the frost damage. The riesling here was also slightly less affected by the rainy spring weather thanks to the good drainage of the rocky soil. Despite the climate change that makes every vineyard ripen earlier, the Windsbuhl remain one of the last to be harvested. It always keeps a fierce but elegant acidity and manages to ferment very slowly until being dry. We did worry for this one as the acidity is very high, but the fermentation was consistent and regular for a year. The grapes were healthy and beautiful, achieving a precise and pure wine that will age amazingly well.
Tasting notes
01/2023 : Bright pale yellow colour. Intense but still tight citrus and mineral driven nose. There is an obvious sense of austerity and rigor on the nose, but also some great complexity. The limestone of Trias is quite poor on the Windsbuhl and top soils are shallow, especially on the top part of the Clos where the Riesling is planted. It brings an incredible elegance and delicacy to the Windsbuhl wines that always have a bright and salivating acidity. The finish is lacy and the structure of the wine suits a medium power and dry finish. It goes on for a long time and even at this early stage, the 2021 is already very enjoyable.
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.