Alsace grand cru Hengst

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The Vosges massif shields the vineyard from cool, moisture-laden north-westerly winds, directing vine-growing towards the well-exposed, steeply sloping hillsides of the sub-Vosges foothills.
• The slopes face from east to south-west, an orientation that defines the characteristic landscape retained for the delimitation of the appellation.
• The grand cru is established on a slender ridge in the commune of Wintzenheim, with a deep, stony soil composed principally of Oligocene conglomerates and calcareous marls.
• The appellation is characterised by soils belonging to a single geo-pedological unit, associated with one of the most favourable mesoclimates.
• The stony soils derived from the older Muschelkalk limestones, interspersed with clay, favour deep root penetration thanks to the abundance of stones. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The prevailing westerly winds, dried out as they cross the Vosges, arrive in Alsace as a warmer and drier foehn, reducing rainfall over the vineyard. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The appellation Alsace grand cru Hengst was recognised in 1983 for white wines, and subsequently in 2022 for red wines.
• For white wines, only Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot gris, Muscat à petits grains blancs, Muscat à petits grains roses and Muscat ottonel are permitted, while only Pinot noir is authorised for red wines.
• The minimum planting density is 4,500 vines per hectare for white wine and 5,500 vines per hectare for red wine, with all grapes harvested by hand.
• Red wines may not be enriched and must undergo a minimum of 11 months' ageing, compared with a minimum of 18 months for Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles.

• The white wines are characterised by a pronounced freshness underpinned by a dominant tartaric acidity, linked to thorough grape ripeness.
• The dry, mineral wines as well as the aromatic, fruity, full-bodied and richly textured wines display a sustained depth of colour ranging up to golden yellow.
• Vendanges Tardives wines often show highly exotic and candied-fruit aromas with a fresh finish, while Sélections de Grains Nobles are more concentrated and powerful, with fruit-paste aromas.
• These Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles wines display a sustained depth of colour ranging up to amber yellow, and are sweet wines of exceptional longevity, remarkable concentration and great aromatic persistence.
• The red wines are distinguished by their power and depth, are thoroughbred in character and built for very long ageing, with a beautiful ruby-red colour and notes of red fruits and spice on the nose.
• On the palate, the texture of the red wines is rich and elegant with silky tannins, and the red wines of Grand cru Hengst have a long, beautiful finish that gains in expressiveness with time.

• The pedoclimatic situation endows the wines with a solid, firmly structured character well suited to ageing, combining power, complexity and density.
• The marly-limestone terroir, combined with a unique microclimate, allows perfect grape ripeness, giving rise to thoroughbred red wines with silky tannins.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 29 juin 2016,
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVA