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1999 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC (10/19/2014)
Dark gold in the glass; honeyed nose - this is before Olivier starting putting indices on the label, but this is clearly ripe & sweet. Also a salty note on the nose as well.
Powerful wine - an initial impression of sweetness on the palate, but this is balanced by acidity. Medium-bodied, almost viscous, really coats the palate. A wow wine - we’re having a rosemary and mustard-marinated pork loin for dinner tonight, and this should be a great match with that dish!
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2001 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC (10/19/2014)
Similar in color to the '99 - almost a butterscotch accent to the dark gold color. “Brooding” nose with more overt minerality than the '99, with the honeyed aspects more in the background. Great legs.
Richer and more unctuous than the '99 on the palate - another powerful wine here (this is Indice 5 according to the label). Still balanced, though I think I slightly prefer the '99 on opening because of it’s more present acidity.
These are both wines that demand food, and I hope that I’m not putting too much pressure on the pork loin to measure up to these two wines.
I don’t buy a lot of Alsatian wine anymore, but after a couple glasses of these wines this afternoon, I have no idea why that is, because these are complex whites that merit inclusion in my cellar. Every bit as satisfying, IMO, as any bottle of Hirtzberger Hochrain Smaragd Riesling I might grab (which was another wine I thought about pairing with the pork loin today).
Posted from CellarTracker