1 magnum per lot
Details
Pinot Gris Rotenberg, Vendange Tardive--Vintage 1996
Alsace. Domaine-bottled: Zind-Humbrecht
Tasting note: The oily 1996 Tokay-Pinot Gris Rotenberg Vendange Tardive is dense, powerful, fat, and unctuously-textured. An infant in terms of development, I would not expect any complexity to emerge for at least another 5-6 years. It should only get better, and last for 20-25 years. This wine is a moderately sweet effort that needs to be paired with the right foods. I have tasted many of Alsace's finest producers' 1996s, and it is a tricky vintage. The most consistent level of high quality I tasted was no surprise - it originated from the wines of Zind-Humbrecht. When I met with Olivier Humbrecht, he said the summer was normal until the end of July, but August was cool, and September even cooler, but dry. The hallmark of the grapes in September was the extremely high level of acidity that remained, even by the end of September. At Zind-Humbrecht, the harvest occurred in October, under Indian Summer-like conditions. The grapes were healthy, the acid levels high, and there was little evidence of botrytis. Consequently, little sweet wine was produced. Olivier Humbrecht stated that yields in 1996 were huge throughout Alsace, averaging between 82-100 hectoliters per hectare. At Zind-Humbrecht, yields for their estate wines averaged 31 hectoliters per hectare. As I have written time and time again, there is no secret to great wines ... low yields.
Robert Parker (Wine Advocate 119, Oct 1998).
1 magnum per lot
Alsace. Domaine-bottled: Zind-Humbrecht
Tasting note: The oily 1996 Tokay-Pinot Gris Rotenberg Vendange Tardive is dense, powerful, fat, and unctuously-textured. An infant in terms of development, I would not expect any complexity to emerge for at least another 5-6 years. It should only get better, and last for 20-25 years. This wine is a moderately sweet effort that needs to be paired with the right foods. I have tasted many of Alsace's finest producers' 1996s, and it is a tricky vintage. The most consistent level of high quality I tasted was no surprise - it originated from the wines of Zind-Humbrecht. When I met with Olivier Humbrecht, he said the summer was normal until the end of July, but August was cool, and September even cooler, but dry. The hallmark of the grapes in September was the extremely high level of acidity that remained, even by the end of September. At Zind-Humbrecht, the harvest occurred in October, under Indian Summer-like conditions. The grapes were healthy, the acid levels high, and there was little evidence of botrytis. Consequently, little sweet wine was produced. Olivier Humbrecht stated that yields in 1996 were huge throughout Alsace, averaging between 82-100 hectoliters per hectare. At Zind-Humbrecht, yields for their estate wines averaged 31 hectoliters per hectare. As I have written time and time again, there is no secret to great wines ... low yields.
Robert Parker (Wine Advocate 119, Oct 1998).
1 magnum per lot
Special notice
Offered duty paid, but available in bond. VAT at 17.5% will be charged on the hammer price on removal of the lot from bond.