2024 Gustave Lorentz Reserve Pinot Gris, Alsace

Bright and vertical in profile, showing ripe nectarine accented by light spice and subtle floral notes. The palate is focused and well balanced, with enough acidity to keep the fruit lively. It carries through with good length, finishing clean and composed.

89 points Aleks Zecevic for Wine Enthusiast

From the village of Bergheim, tucked along the Alsace wine route, Gustave Lorentz has been family run since 1836, now guided by the eighth generation. The estate has long been known for its meticulous vineyard work across some of the region’s best sites, with a strong focus on expressing the mosaic of soils that define Alsace, from granite to limestone and clay. Their Reserve range sits in that sweet spot of quality and value, capturing varietal character with a bit more depth than your everyday bottle.

The 2024 Pinot Gris leans into the richer side of the grape without tipping into heaviness. Fruit comes from a mix of clay and limestone soils, bringing both texture and lift. Ripe pear, baked apple and a touch of stone fruit lead, followed by hints of spice, ginger and a light smoky note that gives it a savoury edge. There is a gentle oiliness through the palate, a hallmark of the variety, but it is balanced by enough freshness to keep things lively and clean through the finish.

This is a brilliant match for dishes with a bit of weight and spice. Think pork belly with crackling and a glaze of honey and soy, or roast chicken with apple and sage stuffing. It also shines alongside Alsatian classics like choucroute garnie, though it is just as at home with modern flavours like Korean fried chicken or miso roasted eggplant, where that richness and subtle spice play beautifully together.

Drinking well from the outset, it will hold comfortably for the next few years, picking up a little more honeyed and savoury complexity with time.