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Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Hengst Grand Cru
Alsace, France
About this product
Hengst Grand Cru is Zind-Humbrecht's premier site for Pinot Gris — heavy clay-marl soils that produce enormously rich, structured Pinot Gris with extraordinary aging capacity. The wine ranges from slightly off-dry to fully luscious depending on vintage. It represents the apex of Alsatian Pinot Gris — a grape that here produces something closer to Burgundian Pinot Blanc in weight than to Italian Pinot Grigio.
The deductive profile Library
nosesmoked bacon, truffle, brioche, golden apple, spice, hazelnut
palatevery full body, oily texture, complex spice, long finish
signaturesmoked/truffle aromatic — unique to Alsatian Pinot Gris from clay soils
Service
foodfoie gras, game, truffle risotto
temperature12-14C
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Open The LibraryThe quality ladder Library
Grand Cru Hengst — clay-marl richness
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Open The LibraryTasting profile
smoked bacon, truffle, brioche, golden apple, spice, hazelnut
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Pairings
complement
main
Hengst Pinot Gris's grand cru richness bridges the foie gras mi-cuit; Alsace Pinot Gris is the classical foie gras companion
classic
starter
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Meat poultry
Pinot Gris Hengst's smoke-honey and the foie gras's fat create a rich pairing; Mirabelle plum's tart sweetness provides the essential acid contrast; biodynamic farming amplifies the fruit's precision
classic
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Meat poultry
Pinot Gris's smoke and body handle pork fat with unusual ease among white wines; suckling pig's roasted skin and the sauerkraut's acid bridge the wine's honey-smoke character
classic
main
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Charcuterie cured
Pinot Gris Hengst's smoked-truffle richness, residual sugar, and full body perfectly match foie gras. The Alsatian tradition of Pinot Gris with foie gras predates the Sauternes pairing and is arguably more elegant — the wine's spice cuts the fat more cleanly.
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seafood
Preparing foie gras terrine with Pinot Gris and serving the same wine creates the quintessential Alsatian first course pairing; Mirabelle jelly bridges the wine's stone fruit character and the terrine's richness
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poultry
Hengst Grand Cru Pinot Gris's broad richness pairs with the torchon foie gras; Gewurztraminer gelée bridges the local tradition
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food
Hengst Grand Cru Pinot Gris belongs with the foie gras terrine; both are the maximum expressions of Alsatian luxury
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Charcuterie cheese
Pinot Gris Hengst's smoke and body can handle Munster's pungency through power rather than mineral acidity; the wine's peach-honey provides a sweet counterpoint to the cheese's salt
suggested
cheese