Hunter McKirdy must be one of the most exciting new estates in the modern Alsatian wine scene. I was first tipped off during a visit to Marc Tempé. He was in the process of retiring and seemed genuinely chuffed that Paul McKirdy, the Scottish chef de cave at Zind-Humbrecht, would be taking over his plots, alongside Jolene Hunter, who oversaw Zind's exports.

Their focus is on site-specific bottlings across just 3.5 hectares, including a prized section of Grand Cru vineyard in Zellenberg, with Jurassic limestone-marl soils. The vines here are averaging over 45 years old. And yet, they've deliberately stepped away from tradition: no customary labels, no Alsace AOC, not even the classic thin bottles. All wines are labeled Vin de France, allowing complete creative freedom, and are bottled in Burgundy-shaped bottles. A nod to both their unique style and the fact that they see time in old Burgundian barrels. Even the long, slow basket pressings feel more akin to something found in Champagne than in Alsace.

Somehow, despite these untraditional methods, the results feel distinctly Alsatian, albeit under a new guise. I can't remember a first vintage impressing me as much as their inaugural release. The future is very bright!