Technical presentation
| Bottling : | September 2009 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 12.8 ° |
| Residual sugar : | 56.0 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.4 g/l H2SO4 (5.2 g/l Acide Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.7 |
| Yield : | 35 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2015-2033+ |
| Average age of vines : | 38 years |
| Grape variety : | Gewurztraminer |
| Terroir : | Clos Windsbuhl |
| Sweetness index : | 4 |
| Soil : | Muschelkalk calcareous, South East facing, South facing |
Description of the wine Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl 2008
Gewurztraminer was perhaps the less obvious choice of grape in this vineyard and if previous owners didn’t plant any, we would have probably not tried it ourselves. This would have been a serious mistake ! The higher altitude and much cooler climate of the Windsbuhl seems prohibitive to the cultivation of Gewurztraminer, which enjoys some more heat and sunshine later in the season. The secret is certainly to wait until the ripening process is completed, and of course, work with the right massal selections. (Unfortunately, most vines planted with clones in the 80s had to be pulled out). The aromatic expression and balance of the wine is completely different from the PG or Riesling from the same vineyard, but the influence of the Windsbuhl is the same: there is always a great delicacy and elegance in the Windsbuhl wine, which cannot just be explained by numbers. The 2008 shows a little influence of noble rot which associated with the fact that it was harvested late explains the slower fermentation and higher sweetness.
Tasting notes
02/2010 : There is no doubt that this is Windsbuhl on the nose. There are lots of delicate floral aromas dancing on the nose. The palate seems less powerful (lower alcohol) than other heavier calcareous soils but it doesn’t take away the fact that this wine has a very long lasting and refreshing presence on the palate which eventually opens to exotic fruity aromas.
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.