Cuvee des Eveques Riesling
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Classic Alsatian choucroute garnie, pan-seared trout with lemon-herb butter, or roasted pork loin with apples.
✨ Technical Specifications
Famille Hugel, established in 1639 in the medieval village of Riquewihr, is one of Alsace's most venerable winemaking dynasties. The name 'Cuvée des Évêques' (Cuvée of the Bishops) pays tribute to the Bishops of Strasbourg, who historically owned the tithe barn and prime vineyard sites in Riquewihr during the Middle Ages. Crafted in Hugel's signature dry, elegant style, this Riesling is sourced from the region's diverse clay and limestone soils. The grapes undergo gentle pneumatic pressing and slow fermentation in historic, century-old oak casks (foudres) in the family's deep clay cellars. This traditional, non-interventionist approach preserves the grape's natural high acidity, resulting in a wine defined by vibrant citrus, green apple, and a distinct, stony minerality that develops complex petrol notes with age.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1639 by Hans Ulrich Hugel in the fortified medieval village of Riquewihr, Famille Hugel represents one of the world's most enduring wine dynasties, spanning thirteen consecutive generations. The domaine oversees approximately 30 hectares of estate vineyards—largely concentrated in premier climats including the famed Grand Cru Schoenenbourg and Sporen—supplemented by contractual partnerships across Alsace. Sheltered by the Vosges Mountains in one of France’s driest meso-climates, the steep, south-facing parcels benefit from complex geological mosaics of Triassic limestone, marl, and sandstone. Viticulture follows sustainable lutte raisonnée principles with manual harvesting. Winemaking favors classical restraint: pneumatic pressing, spontaneous fermentation via indigenous yeasts, and élevage in century-old neutral oak foudres, devoid of cosmetic wood influence or chaptalization. Famille Hugel famously pioneered the modern codification of Alsace late-harvest wines; its benchmark portfolio is headlined by the dry, structured Grossi Laüe single-terroir bottlings alongside historically revered Vendange Tardive and botrytized Sélection de Grains Nobles cuvées.