Jean Huttard House - Hélène and Antoine Huttard

Maison Jean Huttard is the living legacy of a family passion passed down since 1860. Independent winemakers in Zellenberg, we have cultivated precious terroirs for over a century, terroirs patiently acquired, worked, and respected. Our history is rooted in experience and today rises with a committed vision, focused on sustainable, natural, and conscious viticulture. This new impetus is driven by Antoine and Hélène, brother and sister, partners and passionate partners.

Our quest: to reveal the wines of their terroir, to celebrate life, and to honor the environment with precision, instinct, and exacting standards. Immerse yourself in the heart of a modern, free, vibrant, and unpretentious Alsace. Let yourself be guided by the landscapes, the emotions, and the wines that speak of soul, nature, and time. Enjoy your journey…

Certifications : Organic Farming, Estate Certified by Ecocert FR BIO 01

Vineyard work:

• Reduced yields

The quality of our wines depends not only on the soil, but also on the careful pruning and bud removal of each of our plots to achieve average yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare, depending on the specific plot. We therefore employ a single Guyot Poussard pruning system across our entire vineyard. We twist our fruiting branches to distribute the sap flow and optimize bud growth. We select the buds and thus intentionally reduce our vine yields starting in May.

• Respect for living beings

We cultivate our vines with respect for the environment and in a sustainable manner. Our production conditions are optimal for obtaining excellent grapes, stabilizing volumes in response to climatic variations, and thus preserving the vine stock of each of our plots.

• The grape harvest is exclusively hand-harvested.

We harvest exclusively by hand to preserve the quality of our grapes until they reach the press. Each plot is harvested at optimal ripeness to create the purest wines and produce a wide variety. The grapes are carefully sorted in the vineyard by our harvesters, and the harvested grapes are placed directly into the press as whole bunches.

• Organic farming

For us, wine and the environment are inextricably linked, as are ecology and tradition, ground cover and abundant sunshine, and innovation and winemaking. We work with respect for nature and the people who shape our landscape, a practice we've upheld since the estate's founding in 1860.

Cellar work:

• White winemaking

The grapes for white wines are pressed as whole bunches using a pneumatic press to gently extract the juice. The must is then transferred to the cellar by gravity to begin alcoholic fermentation. The wines are aged on their fine lees until bottling; some cuvées benefit from natural winemaking (without additives, unfiltered, and without added sulfites).

• Red winemaking

Our red winemaking process is distinguished by destemming the grapes and macerating the berries to extract tannins and color. After alcoholic fermentation and pressing, we carry out malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks and/or barrels. These barrels are selected from our Burgundian cooperage according to each vintage. Our reds are aged for 9 to 24 months on fine lees. The winemaking is gentle and natural.

• Winemaking of Crémant wines

Our House is a pioneer in the production of Crémant in Alsace, a sparkling wine whose production method is similar to that of Champagne. For almost 50 years, the development of our Crémants has been a testament to patience. Time is taken to age, blend, and allow the wines to mature into great Crémants d'Alsace, where respect for nature, passion, and restraint are reflected in every bottle. Our cuvées are therefore naturally Brut Nature, meaning they contain no added sugar or sulfur.

• Orange winemaking

Commonly known as orange wines or macerated wines, these cuvées are made from white grapes vinified like reds. This age-old technique allows for the extraction of tannins, color, and bitterness, resulting in better preservation of the wines and adaptation to climate change. The white grapes are brought whole to our winery. The winemaker then decides whether or not to separate the berries from the stems, and we begin skin maceration in our fermentation tanks. After a few weeks, we press the grapes and begin aging the wines in our cellars.