Where Riesling is all tension, Alsace Pinot Gris is all richness — a broad, weighty, smoky white of ripe pear, quince and honey, one of the region's four noble grapes. It ranges from bone-dry to lusciously off-dry, and its density makes it one of the great white wines for the table, at home with rich food.
From the grand cru slopes it gains a smoky, mineral depth and real ageing capacity. Once confusingly called Tokay d'Alsace, it is now simply Pinot Gris — Alsace's opulent counterweight to its racy Riesling.