A Star, a Steal… and a Splurge: Lunch with Clos Sainte Hune

16 October 2025

Earlier this year, they moved to a posher location in Strasbourg along the Quai Mullenheim, which boasts beautiful views of the Ill river, the tributary of the Rhein: elegance and conviviality. The name changed to Les Plaisirs Gourmands with a superlative wine list matched by fine cuisine and friendly service. Do not hesitate for the €54 three-course lunch, which constitutes a bargain.

Of course, that’s assuming you don’t start scanning the grander pages of their wine list. 😁 I will get to that later…

But first, never mind the Champagne here. Yes, they have an excellent selection. But the least expensive Champagne on their wine list is the very good, entry-level NV Deutz at €98. On the other hand, a fine Crémant — Muré (€38) or Mélanie Pfister (€48) — costs less than half that. And you are in Alsace, so when in Rome… We enjoyed the Chardonnay-based Blanc de Blancs Breit by Mélanie Pfister, fresh and refined, perfect with the savory Alsatian “Fleischnacka” that opened the meal: this Alsatian treat is usually a meat roll, but this time with mushrooms in a savory broth, which paired well with the bubbly.

Then came a soft boiled egg with trout topped with a fine dill cream sauce, photo below. Delicate and flavorful, it exuded a seamless combination of flavors. At first I was wondering about egg and fish, but it worked wonderfully! An excellent pairing with the bubbly, as well.

The main course of seared scallops with perfectly cooked spinach leaves and topinambour (Jerusalem artichoke) in a hazelnut cream sauce – photo below – perfectly matched a slightly oxidative Pinot Gris, an excellent suggestion from the staff: the 2020 vintage Paul Gaschy Pinot Gris Grand Cru Eichberg. The bottle is €75 restaurant price. The terroir is a south-east facing Alsace Grand Cru at an altitude between 220 and 340m, with limestone and marl soils at the foot of three castles, sheltered by the foothills of the Vosges Mountains.

It boasts a dry and warm microclimate, as the amount of rain registered is currently the lowest in the region of Colmar. The wine was dry but also the fruity sumptuousness expected from the grape. I generally am wary of Pinot Gris, but this one proved precise with that touch of oxidation, having aged in large oak casks.

For the cheese course — an extra €15 — things took a turn for the legendary (and the pricier). The 2017 Clos Sainte Hune from Trimbach, bone-dry and brilliant, transformed the lunch from “Michelin bargain” to “Michelin memory.” Indeed, the restaurant price for one bottle of this wine made up the vast percentage of the lunch cost: €560 ! But, even if far too young, this fantastic Alsace Riesling – known among connoisseurs for its immaculate quality – was already stunning in its precision and tension, reminding us that certain splurges are best measured not in euros, but in sheer pleasure. I guess. 😂

Time in glass revealed more charm – it’s a baby! – but its precision and finesse proved amazing: and ideal for rich cheeses. The Clos Sainte Hune, a legendary Alsatian monopol owned entirely by Maison Trimbach, comes from 1,67 hectares of exceptional stony argilo-calcaire, or Muschelkalk, limestone terroir, exclusively planted in Riesling, located in the heart of Grand Cru Rosacker, in Hunawihr. The limestone soil allows this Riesling to develop aromatic elegance, palate depth, and length. But it will be ideal, with added complexity, within another 10-15 years.

It was a pleasure finally to meet Don Cornutt in person — whom I’ve “known” for over twenty years through wine forums — along with his wife Pam. Jürgen lives nearby, and we see one another fairly regularly, so it was great that he joined as well. Sharing fine food and wines and conversation with old and new friends made for an especially memorable lunch. Les Plaisirs Gourmands’ new Strasbourg setting combines refined cuisine with relaxed charm, and for those with the time to linger, the €54 three-course lunch remains one of the city’s best values. Depending on which wines you order, too. Just be sure to allow at least two hours to savor properly. 🙂