Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Alsace

The Zind Humbrecht wine estate was established in 1959 through the marriage of Léonhard Humbrecht and Geneviève Zind. The Humbrecht family has a very long tradition, growing wine in an unbroken father-to-son line since the Thirty Years’ War in 1620. Today, the estate is managed mainly by Olivier Humbrecht’s son.

The Alsatian estate owns 40 hectares of vineyards on the Upper Rhine, on the slopes of the Vosges. Annual production varies between 10,000 and 18,000 cases of wine, of which up to 85% are exported. Years of experience have made it possible to match Alsace's diverse grape varieties to specific soil types and microclimates. Léonard and Olivier Humbrecht avoid pesticides, insecticides, artificial fertilisers and irrigation. They practise organic viticulture using biodynamic methods and have obtained Ecocert and Biodyvin certification.

The hand-picked grapes are pressed very slowly, over 12 hours, in three large presses from the Bucher Grand Cru series. The wine then matures for at least a year in temperature-controlled oak casks, without pre-filtration, fining or chaptalisation. The result is a truly natural product that delights critics and wine lovers. Domaine Zind-Humbrecht's vineyards include Grand Cru sites such as Rangen in Thann, Brand in Turckheim, Hengst in Wintzenheim and Goldert in Gueberschwihr. Other estate vineyards are Rotenberg, Clos Häuserer, Herrenweg, Clos Jebsal, Heimbourg and Clos Windsbuhl.