Riesling Heimbourg, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht 2011

Zind-Humbrecht’s 2011 Riesling Heimbourg fermented with surprising rapidity by the standards of this estate and vintage – namely before Christmas – and initially displays a faintly lactic note that I seldom find in wines at this address, even though many of them each year undergo malolactic transformation. Ultimately, though, that doesn’t prove disturbing. “I was happy to bottle this early even with nearly 20 grams of residual sugar,” states Olivier Humbrecht, “as I wanted to emphasize freshness and not let the wine take on too much lees character.” That said, a silken texture suggested to me lees enrichment. Sweet lily and honeysuckle perfume as well as ripe white peach are certainly underscored by the wine’s subtle sense of sweetness. Considerable energy and ample refreshment mark yet another 2011 success from this estate and one that – while less focused than this collection’s best – is apt to prove worth following through at least 2020.