Olivier Humbrecht on tannins, biodynamics and yeasts.

Olivier Humbrecht of the prestigious Domaine Zind-Humbrecht was presenting some of his range in Brussels yesterday and I managed to catch some of his remarks on the above subjects. The conversation was, of course, fragmented as he was also busy pouring for other customers and fielding their questions and I took no notes. Humbrecht is a pragmatic, no nonsense grower dedicated to quality with good international exposure (I believe that he is a MW).

Tannins
He says that there are tannins present in white wines although in much smaller quantities than in reds. He says that studies which have been carried out show that these white wine tannins are finer and superior in health giving qualities to those in reds.

Biodynamics
The ZH estate is entirely biodynamic and these non-interventionist methods in the vineyard allow the roots to dig deep and the fruit to develop great purity. In answer to my question on methods of combating rot, his immediate response was "prayer". However, he went on to add that plants grown biodynamically are much healthier and more capable of resisting rot and that fertilisers used in conventional vineyards, particularly nitrogen, actually attract rot. The use of "bouillie bordelaise" (copper sulphate) is permitted in biodynamics but only in very small quantities. Some plants are naturally resistant to rot (I remember him mentioning box) and can help in the struggle.

Yeasts
The yeasts used by ZH are indigenous coming both from the grapes and from the "ambiance" in the wine-making cellars. In response to my question about starting and controlling fermentation, he said that they had no difficulty in their yeast rich environment. However he said that, in modern conventional wine growing and making, systematic spraying of the vines kills most yeasts and clinical hygiene in the cellars does not allow them to develop; consequently he concedes that producers like this need cultured yeasts for reliable wine-making. Use of cultured yeasts to manipulate flavour is yet another story and he quoted a commercial website whose name has unfortunately slipped from my memory.

General
He believes that, although modern techniques have all but eliminated gross faults such as wine turning into vinegar and have raised the average standard of wine, really exciting wines are, at best, no more common than in past generations.

Thanks, Tim. Though your report doesn't actually say that he doesn't use any fertilizers, did you get the sense that he doesn't use even organic ones like manure? That seems to be the practice of more radical proponents of vine stress (like Roagna).

Oswaldo, I didn't ask him that question and I don't recall him saying anything categoric one way or the other. As he was critical of the rot attracting attributes of nitrogenous fertilisers, I am sure that he would be very cautious about the type of any manures which he may use (e.g. I think that horse manure is quite high in nitrogen). On the other hand I don't think that he is the dogmatic type of person who would refuse to use organic fertilisers in all circumstances. Just a guess, really.

I don't pay attention to the (often contradictory) news releases on the health benefits of wine. Which must be why I missed those studies about the superiority of white wine tannins. Do you think it's a coincidence that we get this info from a white wine producer (I think maybe ZH has a PN, but I don't remember ever seeing).
In any case, Olivier is an intelligent and articulate producer.

Biodynamic farming definitely includes the use of manure (not being satirical!).

Two points:

(a) With regard to white wine tannins, there is no question but that there are tannins in white wines and that when the wines are made in a certain manner the healthful aspects of those tannins rise. Several years ago, under the auspices of Israel's Technion (more or less the equivalent of the USA's MIT) and Binyamina winery, controlled experiments were done with this using Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling grapes. The problem turned out to be that after the intensification of the tannins both the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc assumed a half-dry and thus not-at-all appealing nature and the Riesling showed extraordinarily sweet but without the necessary balancing acidity.

(b) I recently wrote an article in my column in HaAretz in which I tasted half-a-dozen or so wines - French and German - made by biodynamic methods. The article and tasting notes can be seen at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1129035.html

Best
Rogov

P.S. As to HaAretz, not because I have written for them for more than 25 years but because of simple reality that the newspaper is widely considered as one of the world's most objective and best with an op-ed policy that encourages input from all parts of the social-political spectrum. In fact, I suppose I write for them largely because it is such a highly regarded newspaper. True, the paper has a humanistic, leftist point of view but then again, so do I.

I don't pay attention to the (often contradictory) news releases on the health benefits of wine. Which must be why I missed those studies about the superiority of white wine tannins. Do you think it's a coincidence that we get this info from a white wine producer (I think maybe ZH has a PN, but I don't remember ever seeing).
In any case, Olivier is an intelligent and articulate producer.

I don't believe that there is any scientific study supporting his contention, Dale. The link between tannins and human health is still a fairly tenuous one, mostly based on hypothesis rather than hard data. Of course, carefully controlled experiments on human health "in the wild" are almost impossible to engineer, for reasons having to do with the ethics of human research, or some such nonsense

Mark Lipton

[David M. Bueker]

Of course, carefully controlled experiments on human health "in the wild" are almost impossible to engineer, for reasons having to do with the ethics of human research, or some such nonsense

You mean I can't volunteer to be the test subject? Damn.

...Use of cultured yeasts to manipulate flavour is yet another story and he quoted a commercial website whose name has unfortunately slipped from my memory...

This one? http://www.lallemandwine.us/products/yeast_strains.php

Olivier, who is indeed an MW, does use manure when necessary, and his vines are among the most well-kept I have ever seen. The problem is, though, that he harvests much too late - a 2003 Gewurz clocked in at 17,2 ABV - and his wines tend to impress critics at tastings but not many wine lovers have loads of them in their cellars. (Seriously, have you met anyone with a decent number of ZHs for future consumption?) His SGNs also tend to impress neophytes, but make people with more experience look elsewhere. ("Ils sont pour les paralysés du goût", as one of his colleagues stated.) There is terroir to be found, it is - sadly - just hidden under enormous amounts of sugar and extract.

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

Olivier, who is indeed an MW, does use manure when necessary, and his vines are among the most well-kept I have ever seen. The problem is, though, that he harvests much too late - a 2003 Gewurz clocked in at 17,2 ABV - and his wines tend to impress critics at tastings but not many wine lovers have loads of them in their cellars. (Seriously, have you met anyone with a decent number of ZHs for future consumption?) His SGNs also tend to impress neophytes, but make people with more experience look elsewhere. ("Ils sont pour les paralysés du goût", as one of his colleagues stated.) There is terroir to be found, it is - sadly - just hidden under enormous amounts of sugar and extract.

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

Fair comment for many of his wines. My WTNs on the tasting will appear in a couple of days or so. The couple with the largest private collection of ZH which I have met are keen Wagner lovers; perhaps there is a connection. I love Wagner too and have enjoyed some fine ZHs but mostly I don't find them very food friendly in their opulence. Perhaps the best place to enjoy them would be during an interval between the Acts of Parsifal or the Meistersinger at Bayreuth.

[David M. Bueker]

I like ZH quite a bit, but only their Gewurz and Pinot Gris. The Rieslings seldom seem to have any sense of balance for me.

I have found a perfect use for a ripe ZH Gewurz - the Indian dish Biryani*. The wines have sufficient power to balance the aromatic spice of the food.

*I like their wines with other Indian and Chinese/Thai dishes as well - just go easy on the heat in the food.

In response to my question about starting and controlling fermentation, he said that they had no difficulty in their yeast rich environment.

I think his answer is also symptomatic of the degree of control that he seeks to exert. His fermentations stop when they stop, with the result that the wines often have a degree of RS to a greater or lesser extent. Those producers who insist on a dry style, even those who in principle favour using ambient yeasts, will need in some circumstances to give them an extra push with a cultured yeast to finish the fermentation.