Dear All,
I bought a 6 bottle case of Zind Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Riesling 2007 en primeur, mainly on the back of the rave review given by Jancis:
“Firm, tangy, quite austere nose with obvious tension. Bone dry and intense. Positively vibrates on the palate. Great corseted flavour and fruit. So long and such energy. Terrific wine. What a start to a tasting! Coded 1.”
I have been very patient and have just taken a couple of bottles out of storage to try.
I would be most interested in any food matching suggestions that people may have.
Many thanks in advance,
Stephen.
How about combining smoked mackerel with a fennel, pea and apple salad - and a light dressing with some horseradish or mustard?
Alternatively, white crab with mango and avocado, and a small dash of sweet chilli dressing?
I haven’t tasted this wine but it seems to be quite intense and weighty, so nothing delicate would match with it. Some thick slices of smoked ham would be a simple accompaniment, or the now fashionable ham hock in a mustard sauce. Smoked salmon would go too and you could also try it with some strong blue cheese such as Saint Agur or even Roquefort. If it is a truly a great wine, don’t over complicate the food which could be a distraction.
Riesling pairing
I think it would be delicious with grilled fish like halibut with a tangy gremolata caper sauce, or roast pork with 5-spice crust and apple chutney!
With the fruit and acidity, I’d be looking at serving it with something robust and rustic with good fat structure such as a country terrine.
Stephan, I was happy to see your post on the Zind-Humbrecht. I too bought some bottles but I am afraid to say I have already consumed mine. This is the perennial dilemma in purchasing wine, is it not? I would love to buy a case of each wine to have the opportunity to follow it through its developmental stages but if I would do that I could not afford too many different wines. You asked for a food-matching suggestion and in my opinion, the best of the bottles was the last of the three I had, consumed maybe a year ago. I do not know what types of fish you are able to buy where you live but I brought this bottle to a family preparing a very nice dinner. Perch. The fish was made a little spicy and together with the richness from the Clos Windsbuhl it made a perfect food-pairing. I agree with Jancis’ note, the wine is terrific and has great energy. I hope you will enjoy it!
Stephan, such a nice read. And fun to experiment with different food pairings! Impressive to hear the wine was still so vibrant. After all, it’s 15 years old. Have you had any recent vintages of this wine to compare?
Many thanks for all your suggestions. In the end we had it with a Thai curry and it was delicious - looking forward to the remaining 5 bottles!
Stephen.