Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg 2023 - Zind-Humbrecht

Bottles of Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg 2023 - Zind-Humbrecht

   Domaine Zind Humbrecht - Wine from the estate

Caution: The bottles of Alsace wine do not fit into the wooden boxes sold separately.

97/100 James Suckling

The tension between the ripe peach aromas and the brilliant acidity makes this a very exciting dry Alsace riesling. Extremely straight and racy. I love the smoky note that’s intertwined with the succulent fruit flavors, building in the very long, silky and refined finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg 2023

Grape variety: 100% Riesling (massal selection from very old vines in the Grand Cru Brand)

Terroir: Grand Cru Sommerberg (Niedermorschwihr) — Two-mica granite (biotite granite); deep soil derived from the weathering of the bedrock

Exposure & slope: Due south, very steep slope

Vine age: Planted in 2013

Bottling: January 2025

Alcohol content: 12.5%

Residual sugar: 1.9 g/l (Sweetness index: 1 – Dry wine)

Total acidity: 3.6 g/l H₂SO₄ (equivalent to 5.5 g/l tartaric acid) | pH: 3.25

Yield: 38 hl/ha

Peak drinking window: 2025 – 2047+

About the wine & terroir

Sommerberg is an exceptional Grand Cru located in the commune of Niedermorschwihr, very close to Turckheim. Often compared to the dizzying slopes of Côte-Rôtie due to its steep, south-facing natural amphitheaters, this demanding granitic terroir requires rigorous vineyard management. The estate currently farms a 0.32-hectare plot here, which is set to expand to 1.2 hectares in the future.

Although very sunny and steep, this cru benefits from its location within a sheltered valley: the shadow cast by the Vosges massif shortens the duration of sunlight in the late afternoon, naturally tempering the summer heat. The deep soils, formed from the weathering of biotite granite, provide excellent water regulation. Though still young, these vines—selected from old vines in the Brand vineyard—already demonstrate remarkable adaptation to drought and heat.

Tasting Notes (January 2025)

Appearance: Pale golden yellow with crystalline highlights.

Nose: Clean and vibrant, revealing a crystalline purity centered on fresh pear, white-fleshed fruits, and a delicate bouquet of meadow flowers.

Palate: Rather than seeking ostentatious power, this vintage charms with its straight, juicy, and mouth-watering profile. Exceptionally smooth, the wine coats the palate with a silkiness that almost makes one forget its bone-dry nature. The finish—long, refined, and saline—asserts the full vertical energy and distinctive minerality of its granitic soil.

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Index: Level of sweetness on the palate. Scale from 1 to 5.

1: technically dry or tasting dry. 2: not technically dry, but the sugars are not obviously apparent on the palate. Some tasters may find a slight roundness on the finish. These wines will taste dry with some bottle age.3: medium sweetness, more prominent in the youth of the wine, which will gradually fade with age. 4 : Sweet wine. 5 : Sweet wine, very close to a Vendange Tardive