About the IconsA Monthly Wine Club Selection
Meyer-Fonné is a third-generation producer located in the village of Katzenthal in Alsace. The Meyer family originally descended to the area from Switzerland in 1732 and Félix Meyer founded the estate 145 years later in 1877. Félix' daughter, Lucie, who married a Fonné, helped her father run things and then her nephew, François joined the domaine in the 1960s when he bottled the first Meyer-Fonné wines and sold them commercially. It was François' son, Félix, however, who came on board in 1992 and changed the course of the family business for good. In addition to developing sales in export markets, Félix also modernized the cellar and expanded the estate's vineyard holdings to 12 hectares in some of the finest sites, including several important grand crus of Alsace. He farms his precious vineyards organically, which are planted to the typical Alsatian varietals of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Chasselas and Pinot Noir. Félix produces over 30 different wines from single varietal, vineyard designated or lieu-dit bottlings, blends, Vendage Tardive (Late Harvest) dessert wines and a sparkling Crémant d'Alsace. All that hard work is paying off since he has cemented his place as one of Alsace's finest winemakers representing one of its finest estates.
We love Meyer-Fonné wines and have featured them before in past club selections because they are always pure, clean expressions of Alsatian terroir, characterized by stunning aromatics and a signature backbone of minerality and nerve—plus, they are tremendous values! Enter Gentil, a traditional, fragrant blend of 50% Riesling, 25% Muscat, 20% Pinot Blanc, 5% Sylvaner and Pinot Gris.
Golden hue. Very fragrant, with scents of ripe apricot, nectarine and yellow apple, mingled with gardenia, white rose and wet stone. The palate is full of ripe, golden fruits juxtaposed with vibrant acidity. Bright and textured, it teases the palate with fresh yellow peach, dried mango and chalky minerals. Remarkable texture through the graceful, floral, waning finish.