These Top-Rated Bottles Show Off the Opulence of Alsatian Pinot Gris

From dry to off-dry and sweet, Alsatian Pinot Gris expresses character. Get to know all of its nuances through these top-rated bottles. [...] Read More... The post These Top-Rated Bottles Show Off the Opulence of Alsatian Pinot Gris appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

May 22, 2025 - 21:55

Do you like the pear-fruited notes of Pinot Grigio, but long for something more substantial, generous and even weighty? Switch languages and head north to France’s Alsace wine region, where Italian grigio changes into French gris, and the light and easygoing wine you know becomes rich and full-bodied.

While Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are indeed the same grape, different growing conditions have a significant impact on the resulting wines. In northeastern France, the climate is dry and sunny. During extended autumns, the variety attains rich flavors due to full aromatic development, achieved particularly well in south- and southeast-facing vineyards that run along the eastern slopes of the Vosges. Botrytis, or noble rot, is also a distinct possibility.

A mutation within the Pinot family, Pinot Gris is a sibling of Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. Its grapes are neither white nor black, but exhibit more of a pinkish-gray skin color (hence the gris and grigio, which both translate to “gray”).

The variety has been present in Alsace since at least the 16th century, and it’s been made in dry, off-dry and sweet styles, which run the whole gamut of flavors: floral and fruit-scented, flinty and smoky, spicy and honeyed. This is still the case, and winemakers revel in the possibilities. Here’s a stylistic primer to the wonderfully gray world of Gris.

Fresh, Concentrated and Dry

One of the aspects that gives Alsace Pinot Gris such substance and character, even if the style is dry and fruit-driven, is restricted yields. Many winemakers focus on a clean-cut, dry style that’s suited to contemporary cuisine, but this requires hawk-like attention to harvest date and selection.

“In the past, Grand Cru Alsace Pinot Gris was usually made in an off-dry or sweet style, but today, it is possible to make it in a dry style,” says Samuel Tottoli, winemaker at Domaine Kirrenbourg. “For me, it is necessary to make a dry style.” Low yields from stony vineyards ensure the wine is concentrated, he says, while prime sites with well-drained soils further promote ripening before too much sugar develops in the grapes.

“What is important for me, for this style of Pinot Gris, is precision in when you go to harvest,” says Thierry Kientzler, the fifth-generation owner of Domaine Kientzler in Ribeauvillé. He says that Pinot Gris can gain one degree of alcohol within a day and lose acidity quickly. Since balance is paramount, giving full attention to the fruit and employing responsive logistics are key. Kientzler is stringent about berry selection, and he will only use healthy, non-botrytized fruit.

“Alsace Pinot Gris is very earthy,” says Céline Meyer, CEO of Domaine Josmeyer in Wintzenheim, where she represents the fifth generation of her family to run the estate. She too points to the crucial decision of when to harvest to balance the grape’s inherent roundness and ability to make powerful wines.

“Preserving its freshness, keeping its energy, is very important,” she says.

Meyer notes that this creates great pairing versatility for dry Pinot Gris. Kientzler keeps it general with a suggestion of white meats or grilled fish. Tottoli, however, is very specific. He suggests bouchées à la reine, little puff-pastry shells filled with a meat ragout (often chicken, veal and ham), mushrooms and sweetbreads in a creamy sauce.

Wine Enthusiast recommends:

Trimbach 2017 Reserve Pinot Gris (Alsace)

Petrol mingles with straw and a saline hint of fresh oysters on the nose. This wine is savory with edgy mineral notes balanced by a hint of tart pineapple. It finishes on a savory, Alpine-cheese note along with palate-cleansing acidity. It’s serious and austere, a wine for contemplation. 93 points. — Layla Schlack $30 K&L Wines

Domaine Barmès-Buecher 2022 Rosenberg Pinot Gris (Alsace

A distinctive scent of oolong tea and dandelion, followed by peach and honey flavors, highlights this dry Pinot Gris. It’s balanced by vibrant acidity and finishes with accents of grapefruit and white pepper. 90 points. — Aleks Zecevic $39 Leon & Sons

Domaines Schlumberger 2020 Les Princes Abbés Pinot Gris (Alsace)

Let this wine open up a bit, and you’ll be treated to an intense bouquet of slate, grapefruit, parsley and just a hint of bubblegum. It’s both elegant and fun. The body is soft and plush, carrying a bit of those parsley and grapefruit-zest characteristics. A clean sweep comes in toward the end and makes for a clean, bright, albeit not terribly long finish. 90 points. — L.S. $25 Woods Wholesale Wine

Full-bodied, Complex, Maybe Oak-Aged

“In Alsace, we have few red wines,” says André Ostertag, winemaker and owner of Domaine Ostertag in Epfig. He makes dry, oak-matured Pinot Gris and considers the variety a viable alternative to red wine.

While climate change now allows Pinot Noir to be successfully grown in Alsace, the red variety was never previously planted in the region’s best sites. Instead, Pinot Gris was cultivated in those spots and was seen as a more substantial wine to go alongside meat.

“In the history of Alsace gastronomy, Pinot Gris had often been paired with venison,” says Ostertag. “Pinot Gris, for me, in Alsace, has extra structure, sometimes even something close to tannin. This makes a full-bodied wine. In a way, Pinot Gris is the white grape that is closest to red wine.”

Ostertag draws upon architecture to compare the grape to Riesling, another prominent variety of the region. The latter can be considered Gothic, with soaring aromas and high acidity, while Pinot Gris is more Romanesque, more solid, rounded and earthbound.

“There is no other grape like Pinot Gris, where the style of the grower has such impact,” he says. Ostertag is also convinced that Pinot Gris in Alsace is often misunderstood, including in vineyards and wineries.

“Many people are convinced that Pinot Gris has to be picked late, that it has to have botrytis, but I am convinced of the opposite,” he says. “We pick early, then we use oak, not in order to get oak flavors, but to get oxygenation.

“In my winery, Pinot Gris absolutely needs oak, needs an élévage [bringing up or raising] that is a little more complex, where you bring some air to the wine to develop the hidden part of the wine.” Ostertag’s methods strive to bring the grape’s bold structure and richness to the fore.

Pinot Gris is best with some bottle age, which allows the wine’s opulence to coalesce with its finer nuances. For oak-aged, dry versions, Ostertag recommends pairing with heartier foods that reflect the variety’s earthy richness, such as anything with mushrooms and root vegetables.

Wine Enthusiast recommends:

Joseph Cattin 2021 Orange Pinot Gris (Alsace)

This pale coppery pour gives off gentle aromas of grass and apricot, like an ode to summer. It’s all stone fruit on the palate, too. Plush in texture and ripe with juicy notes, the wine is reined in by zippy acidity and an earthy characteristic like white button mushrooms. The finish is long, with restrained stone fruit flavors, and you’ll want to spend some time with it. 94 points. — L.S. $18 Your Wine Stop

Domaine Pfister 2021 Macération Pinot Gris (Alsace)

This is like a light and graceful Pinot Noir—dry and minerally, with dried thyme flavors leading to finely meshed raspberry, rose, pastry and lemon curd notes. It also offers a finely spiced finish. 90 points. — A.Z $48 Yianni’s Wine

Gustave Lorentz 2021 Réserve Pinot Gris (Alsace)

In this wine, sweet pear aromas merge with a crisp saline scent. The palate is inflected with a creamy, slightly waxy texture that’s not all that typical, but provides a welcome counterpoint to bright, lemon-drop acidity. A savory note of aged cheese leads into a long, tangy finish. 93 points. — L.S. $30 Wine.com

Anne de K 2020 Anne de Laweiss Pinot Gris (Alsace)

Cedar chest and straw lead the nose on this wine, but the palate softens up with silky Honeycrisp apple notes and a bit of dried herb. This wine is restrained and bright, but a tangle of apples, herbs and mild chèvre pulse below the surface. A bit of alcohol burn comes through on the finish, so consider serving with a creamy pasta or cheese to balance that out. 91 points. Best Buy. — L.S. $20 Total Wine

Off-Dry and Sweet

“Pinot Gris in Alsace behaves a little like a peach: At first, it is hard and firm, but with time, it gets softer and sweeter,” says Séverine Schlumberger, the seventh generation of her family to run Domaines Schlumberger in Guebwiller.

Like many winemakers in the region, she marvels at the breadth of styles the grape can produce here. “If you pick early, the wine will be dry, but we pick three weeks later, so the grapes have more fruitiness,” she says. “Pinot Gris is one of the grapes that allows you to play.”

Schlumberger produces a traditional, rich and off-dry style of Pinot Gris. It counteracts some residual sweetness from the grapes with concentration, extraction and finely balanced freshness. This is a stylistic tightrope that Alsace has perfected, especially for classic Grand Cru Pinot Gris.

“We are the only region in the world to offer this style of Pinot Gris,” she says.

While there’s some residual sweetness, this style is not sweet enough for dessert. “It’s a fall wine I drink September to March,” says Schlumberger. “I think of pumpkin, pork with honey sauce, cheese dishes. In fact, Pinot Gris is a fabulous Thanksgiving wine with a bit of sweetness, but still dry enough to please everyone.”

Alexandre Schoffit, winemaker at Domaine Schoffit in Colmar, teases out even more sweetness with his Vendanges Tardives Pinot Gris, relying on botrytis for good reason.

“It not only concentrates sweetness, but all the other elements and the acidity,” he says. “For the late-harvest wines, this is the main aspect.”

Vendange tardive, or late-harvest wines, are sweet dessert wines that need time to develop. Schoffit recommends at least eight years of aging and to pair them with desserts that have a sweet but fresh element. He suggests a chocolate-pear tart, or other combinations of chocolate and citrus.

Wine Enthusiast recommends:

Domaine Barmès-Buecher 2000 Herrenweg Sélection de Grains Nobles Pinot Gris (Alsace)

This is a very special SGN, presenting itself probably at its peak, as all the flavors have developed and are expressed with precision and clarity. This has a brownish hue, which suggests maturity and the palate is just as dark with molasses, butterscotch, dried apricot, orange marmalade and honey that ride a bright, powerful undercurrent of acidity. It is smooth and seamless, with hints of white truffle and Cornelian cherry lingering on the endless finish. Drink through 2040. 96 points. Cellar Selection. — A.Z. $59 iDeal Wine

Jean-Baptiste Adam 2018 Vendanges Tardives Pinot Gris (Alsace)

This mouth-watering vendanges tardives displays intense, finely mixed flavors of passion fruit butter, persimmon, cantaloupe and savory mineral. Velvety and elegant overall, with a delicate, lingering finish of orange blossom honey. 92 points. — A.Z. $33 Jean-Baptiste Adam

Gustave Lorentz 2016 Altenberg de Bergheim Vielles Vignes Grand Cru Pinot Gris (Alsace)

Rich and inviting, this Pinot Gris leans into its slight sweetness with ripe fruit, warm spice, and a touch of brown sugar. The texture is generous yet balanced, with good acidity keeping it lively. A long, satisfying finish ties it all together, making for a well-crafted and enjoyable wine. 90 points. — A.Z.

$51 Xtra Wine