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More wines available from Zind-Humbrecht
750ml
Bottle:
$28.40
Though expressive and perfumed, this has good balance, with ripe star anise, lychee and baking spices upheld by racy...
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Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Rangen De Thann Clos St. Urbain Vendange Tardive 2006
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$106.95
375ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$146.82
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$81.51
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$92.88
Rich yellow colour, quite luminous. The nose is profound, intense, showing strong volcanic presence (flint, peat,...
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Winery
Zind-Humbrecht
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Gewurztraminer
Gewurztraminer is a highly interesting grape varietal, as the fruit is normally a dark blushed pink in color, often veering towards purple, yet it produces highly elegant white wines prized in its native central Europe and elsewhere around the world. The Gewurztraminer grapes contain quite a high amount of natural sugars, resulting in wines which are 'off-dry' and give the impression of sweetness, without being classed as actually sweet. What this grape is most noted for, however, is its remarkable flavors: highly perfumed, full of notes of rose water, Turkish delight, lychees and other aromatic fruits. Despite being notoriously difficult to grow, the Gewurztraminer grapes have such unique and fine qualities that many wineries continue to persevere with these fickle vines, and their popularity is expected to continue growing in the future.
Region: Alsace
The region of Alsace, between France and Germany, is one of the most historically and viticulturally fascinating regions in the world, and produces several famous and widely loved wines which are very much the combined essence of these two important Old World wine countries. Vintners in Alsace have had centuries to perfect their wines, made with the native grape varietals which thrive successfully in the cooler climate, and produce a range of wines which have long been considered amongst the finest in the world. Riesling, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Vert (formerly known as Tokay d'Alsace) varietal grapes are all commonly and widely grown in the region, with these particular varietals most highly prized by vintners due to their ability to express the excellence of the Alsatian terroir.
Country: France
France is renowned across the globe for its quality wines and the careful expertise which goes into making them, but what is truly remarkable about this relatively small country is the vast range of wines it produces in such huge amounts each year. Not only are the finest red wines in the world said to come from the beautiful regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but elsewhere in the country we find the Champagne region, and areas such as the Rhone Valley and the Loire, whose white wines consistently receive awards and accolades by the plenty. This range is a result of the great variety of climatic conditions and terrain found in France, coupled with generations of wine makers working within single appellations. Their knowledge of specific terroirs and grape varieties has, over time, perfected the production of wines within their region, and the end results continue to impress the world to this day.