At 12.5% and a full degree lower in alcohol than its Herrenweg counterpart, Zind-Humbrecht’s 2010 Muscat d’Alsace Goldert hides its ten grams of residual sugar thanks to efficacious acidity and extract. The bittersweet...
At 12.5% and a full degree lower in alcohol than its Herrenweg counterpart, Zind-Humbrecht’s 2010 Muscat d’Alsace Goldert hides its ten grams of residual sugar thanks to efficacious acidity and extract. The bittersweet floral elements hinted at in the former here blossom into a greenhouse-like panoply allied to cooling, high-toned evocations of mint and Thai basil, fresh lemon and orange. The sense of citric refreshment and energetic ping here – not to mention transparency and sheer persistence – go well beyond those exhibited by that already outstanding Herrenweg, and the interactive complexity on display extends to a shimmering sense of mineral matter allied to saliva gland-milking salinity. This exhilarating, fantastically penetrating and dynamic exhibition of a site and genre that have long collaborated to achieve greatness chez Zind-Humbrecht, testifies eloquently to the wisdom of their transition from Ottonel to (now virtually 100%) petit grains vines. It is bound to remain stunningly delicious as well as versatile through at least 2030. To be sure, this is as riveting a youthful Muscat d’Alsace as I have ever encountered, but I would like to make clear that the very greatest wines of my experience from this genre have all been ones with a dozen or more years bottle age (and were usually Zind-Humbrecht Golderts). - David Schildknecht