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...
Pre-Arrival
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:
$81.38
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$94.95
Finely meshed and creamy, this is subtle up front but builds on the palate, where the flavors of dried apricot,...
More Details
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
The pinkish grapes of the Gewurztraminer vine are renowned for their exceptionally aromatic nature, and their delicious level of sweetness which marks them out as unique. Their precise origin is often debated, although many experts now agree that the earliest Gewurztraminer vines were cultivated in the German speaking parts of Italy. Given the correct conditions – notably a cool climate and a chalk-free terroir – the Gewurztraminer vines will produce their flavorful fruit in abundance, and can be used to produce a sweet, floral wine packed full of unique and interesting flavors and a wonderfully strong and perfumed bouquet. Most commonly, Gewurztraminer is known for carrying quite flamboyant flavors of rose petals and lychees, with a small amount of natural spritz present in the glass, something which is adored by wine drinkers both in central Europe and around the world.
Region: Alsace
Alsace is a particularly fascinating region of France when it comes to wine and wine culture. The long, slender Germanic style bottles we often see coming out of Alsatian wineries have become iconic of the region's wine industry, and for centuries, such bottles have been the favorites of the crowned heads of Europe. Riesling and Gewurztraminer have always been the two primary grapes of Alsace, however, there are nine different varietals permitted by French law, most of them being used to make white wine. Alsace produces over a hundred million liters of wine per year, which are exported across the globe and enjoyed by people seeking a fine wine offering something a little different. As such, Alsace is an important global wine producing region, with a character and set of flavors and features which are all its own.
Country: France
It is widely understood and accepted that the finest wines in the world come out of France. Whether you are drinking a vintage bottle from one of the famed Grand Cru wineries of Bordeaux - such as Chateau Margaux or Chateau Lafite-Rothschild - or a more simple and affordable bottle from one of the lesser known appellations in Burgundy, the likelihood is that the wine is packed full of intense and interesting flavors, and has a fine, balanced structure typical of almost all French produce. This reputation for excellence is taken extremely serious by the French, with dozens of regularly updated laws and regulations ensuring the quality and accurate labeling of wines. Such dedication and passion for fine wine, representative of the region in which it is produced, means customers can be assured that when they buy a bottle from France, they are buying something almost certain to please and delight.