Hommage a Jean Hugel Tokay Pinot Gris
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2029
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-seared foie gras, artisanal blue cheeses such as Roquefort, and classic French pear or apricot tarts.
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted by the historic Famille Hugel, established in the picturesque village of Riquewihr since 1639, the 'Hommage à Jean Hugel' Tokay Pinot Gris is a rare, monumental sweet wine produced only in exceptional vintages. This cuvée serves as a tribute to Jean 'Johnny' Hugel, the visionary pioneer who championed the renaissance of Alsace's late-harvest wines and drafted the strict laws governing Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles in 1984. Historically labeled as 'Tokay Pinot Gris' before international agreements restricted the name, this wine represents the pinnacle of botrytized Pinot Gris. Sourced from the family's finest clay-limestone parcels, the grapes undergo meticulous hand-selection to capture the essence of noble rot. The resulting wine is incredibly opulent, marrying luscious sweetness with vibrant acidity, offering complex aromas of dried apricots, honey, smoky spice, and beeswax.
🍾 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.