"James Suckling, jamessuckling.com 90/100
Such a friendly and convivial blended dry white, this has so much upfront, floral appeal (orange blossom and roses), juicy fruit, generous body and just enough acidity to keep it bright at the finish. Drink now.
Etienne Hugel
Gentil has become a joyous, convivial wine whose arrival the Hugel family always awaits with impatience in the spring following each vintage. Gentil shows pure, fresh aromas, very fruit-driven and floral, as well as expressive and flattering. On the palate, this dry wine has a lively, youthful fresh character that is refreshing, with a pleasant, scented finish. Gentil is a perfect wine to sip with friends or to enjoy with simple everyday meals. Gentil is best enjoyed chilled with saltwater and freshwater fish, shellfish, starters and hors d'oeuvres"
Famille Hugel owns an estate of 30 hectares around the historic and picturesque town of Riquewihr in the heart of Alsace. More than half of these vineyards are classified as Grand Cru: the Schoenenbourg, known for its Riesling, and the Sporen for its Gewurztraminer. Hugel also purchase grapes from a further 100 hectares farmed by partner growers who have the same clay and limestone dominated terroirs. All grapes are, and always have been, picked by hand.
Alsace is the second driest wine region in France and has a unique climate that allows the grapes to ripen slowly, thanks to regular 'Indian Summer's'. This produces dry, well-balanced wines with great finesse, as such, they make a perfect match for most Western and Asian cuisine.
As one of Alsace’s ancient wine producing families, Famille Hugel have been instrumental in shaping the laws that govern the production of the region’s wines. They drafted the legislation governing the production of late-harvest Alsace wines – the Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles - and they were also responsible for reviving ‘Gentil’, a traditional blend of Alsace noble grapes. Gentil is Hugel’s only wine that is not produced from a single grape variety and revives an ancient Alsace tradition whereby a wine that was assembled from a range of noble grapes was called 'Gentil'. Perfectly dry, it brings together the elegance of Riesling, the richness of Pinot Gris, the fruit-driven aromas of Gewurztraminer and Muscat, and the freshness of Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner.
