Winemaker Notes
Bright gold color. The nose shows big flavors, not shy at all and it announces a nice ripeness and concentration on the palate. There is a mix of ripe exotic fruits and delicate flowers on the palate, but also big unmistakable limestone characteristic in terms of spices and minerals. This is a rich wine that shows a firm structure where tannins and sweetness play together. Very long finish, velvety, not too sweet at all, built to age!
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A staggering nose of exotic fruits, such as jackfruit. There is enveloping richness. In spite of its huge structure, the wine is very silky at the super long finish.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From red marl limestone soils, the 2016 Alsace Grand Cru Hengst Gewurztraminer opens with a very clear, intense and spicy-mineral bouquet that is very well-defined and fresh. On the palate, this is a rich, oily, concentrated, tannic and powerful Gewurtz with a long and aromatic finish. The wine is stunningly fresh and very tight. A long-distance runner for sure.
-
Wine Spectator
Fine and creamy, this medium-bodied white is fleshed out by flavors of white peach puree, spun honey and lavender, enlivened as much by the juicy acidity as the zesty hints of pink grapefruit peel and grated ginger. Offers a long, lingering finish of mineral and spice.
Gewürztraminer, an expressive and aromatically distinctive white grape variety, is considered a noble variety in the Alsace region of France, and produces wonderful wines in the mountainous Alto Adige region of NE Italy. Generally this grape grows well in cooler regions and its natural intensity makes it a great ally for flavorful cuisine such as Indian, Middle Eastern or Moroccan. Somm Secret—Because of a charming perfume and tendency towards slight sweetness, Gewürztraminer makes for an excellent gateway wine for those who love sweet wines but want to venture into the realm of drier whites.
Small but mighty, this picturesque region in northeastern France is renowned for its white wines produced by passionate families whose winemaking roots span generations and even centuries. Nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River, Alsace benefits from a sunny, dry climate and a long growing season. It is one of the most geologically diverse regions in the world — one of the many reasons why Alsace rocks!
Alsace wines include dry, mineral-driven Riesling, earthy Pinot Gris, refreshing Pinot Blanc, exuberant Gewurztraminer, elegant Pinot Noir, and more. From traditional-method sparkling wines to easy-drinking AOC Alsace, to complex Grand Cru bottlings from 51 distinct sites, and rich, late harvest wines, Alsace produces a wine for every occasion. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and are labeled with the grape name. The region is also one of the greenest wine-producing areas in France, with 36% of its vineyard area certified organic.
Riesling, the region’s calling card, is dry, fresh and floral in its youth, developing complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Pinot Blanc is an affable food partner or porch sipper. Pinot Noir, the only red grape in AOC Alsace, is now authorized in three Grand Cru areas and is also used for Crémant d’Alsace sparkling rosé. Any bottle you choose will offer deliciousness, pleasure and value that is unprecedented in other wine regions.