Famille Hugel, Gentil, AOC Alsace, Blanc, 2024

The perfect introduction to Alsace wines as it combines the qualities of all our white varietals. This wine revives an ancient Alsace tradition that wines assembled from noble grape varieties were called "Gentil". Gentil "Hugel" allies the suave, spicy flavour of Gewurztraminer, the body of Pinot Gris, the finesse of Riesling, the grapiness of Muscat and the refreshing character of Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner.

The winter of 2024 was among the mildest—and above all, the wettest—of the past decade, with only a few nights of frost in early December.
By the end of winter, groundwater reserves in Alsace had reached 150% of normal levels, providing sufficient moisture to sustain the vineyards through the summer months. Budbreak occurred during the first week of April, with vines reaching the 3-leaf stage by April 10th. This exceptionally mild start to the season gave way after April 15th to cold and overcast conditions, with temperatures dropping 5°C below seasonal averages—nighttime lows around 5°C and daytime highs barely reaching 10°C.
From spring through mid-July, persistently cool temperatures combined with record rainfall placed the vines under considerable stress. The 2024 harvest owes its very existence in large part to the extraordinary efforts of our vineyard teams, who worked tirelessly to navigate a season that began under unfavorable conditions.
Relief came with the arrival of summer, and a warm, sunny August helped accelerate ripening and made up for much of the developmental delay. Hugel officially began harvesting on September 23rd.

A kaleidoscope of grapiness, produced exclusively from hand harvested grapes in predominantly clay and limestone vineyards, from a dozen of the most favored localities in and around Riquewihr. A cool and long growing season gives this unique dry wine great finesse and unequalled drinkability.

The grapes are taken in small tubs to the presses, which are filled by gravity, without any pumping or other mechanical intervention. After pressing, the must is decanted for a few hours, then fermented in temperature-controlled vats (at 18 to 24°C). The wine is racked just once, before natural clarification during the course of the winter. The following spring, the wine is lightly filtered just before bottling, and the bottles are then aged in our cellars until released for sale. The whole production of this wine is closed with DIAM the cork without the risk of cork taint.