Pinot Gris Selection de Grains Nobles
⏳ Drinking Window
2015 - 2045
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Foie gras, blue cheese, pear tart
✨ Technical Specifications
Famille Hugel's Pinot Gris Selection de Grains Nobles is a legendary sweet nectar born from the mist-shrouded clay-limestone slopes of Riquewihr. The Hugel family famously pioneered the strict legal guidelines for Alsace's late-harvest categories, officially decreed in 1984. This rare cuvee is crafted only in exceptional vintages when autumn conditions allow Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot, to flourish. The Pinot Gris grapes are meticulously hand-harvested in successive passes to select only the most perfectly shriveled, botrytized berries. Fermented slowly and aged in the estate's historic, century-old oak casks, this wine is a masterclass in balance, offering opulent honeyed richness offset by a vibrant, life-giving acidity and deep mineral complexity.
🍾 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.
🍇 Grapes
100% Pinot Gris
🍷 ABV
7-10%