Famille Hugel
Gewurztraminer VENDANGE TARDIVE 1999
great specialty for several generations of the Hugel family, who drafted the law on late harvest.
Wine with great power and longevity to taste religiously by itself during a special occasion.
Wine with great power and longevity to taste religiously by itself during a special occasion.
Specifications
Alcohol content : 11.55° % vol.
Residual Sugar : 69 g/l
Age of vines : 35 years old
Yield : 28 hl/ha hL/ha
Presentation
Quick View
These wines made from overripe grapes are picked well after the classic vintage and in the greatest years only. The action of noble rot (botrytis cinerea) gives them an almost unlimited ability to age. They are part of the elite of the greatest wines in France.
The vintage
Our 360th vintage in Alsace will remain in memory as one of the most significant in volume with very variable results according to yields. All year the weather played with our nerves; after normal bud-break, a very hot May, an extended flowering, a large hailstorm hit the Schoenenbourg slope on August 6. Mixed weather followed until the harvest but luckily September was hot and dry. If for the purchased grapes the results will depend on the yield, in our own estate, the wines are exceptional. Acidity levels are excellent predicting well balanced wines.
In the vineyard
Produced from over-ripened grapes in a selection of the oldest plots of the Hugel estate in the heart of the grand cru Sporen made up of Lias clay-marl, decalcified on the surface, exceptionally rich in phosphoric acid
Date of harvest : 5 & 9 Nov. 1999
Potential alcohol : 15°6
Date of harvest : 5 & 9 Nov. 1999
Potential alcohol : 15°6
Winemaking
The grapes are taken in small tubs to the presses, which are filled by gravity, without any pumping or other mechanical intervention.
After pressing, the must is decanted for a few hours, then fermented in temperature-controlled barrels or vats (at 18 to 24°C). The wine is racked just once, before natural clarification during the course of the winter. The following spring, the wine is lightly filtered just before bottling, and the bottles are then aged extensively in our cellars until released for sale.
After pressing, the must is decanted for a few hours, then fermented in temperature-controlled barrels or vats (at 18 to 24°C). The wine is racked just once, before natural clarification during the course of the winter. The following spring, the wine is lightly filtered just before bottling, and the bottles are then aged extensively in our cellars until released for sale.
Presentation
Photos of bottles and labels, 3 definitions, max 300dpi
Varietal
Gewürztraminer : 100%
Specifications
Alcohol content : : 11.55° % vol.
Residual Sugar : : 69 g/l
Age of vines : : 35 years old
Yield : : 28 hl/ha hL/ha
Advice
Tasting notes by Serge Dubs, World's Best Sommelier 1989
Deep straw yellow colour with gold hints, attractively bright, unctuous, concentrated legs.
An already open, pleasant, slightly mature bouquet, more fruity and floral than spicy : apricot, ripe yellow peach, orange blossom, almond blossom, frangipane, marshmallow, Turkish delight, soft, supple, restrained and nicely elegant.
Elegantly approachable on the palate, composed, almost affectionate, silky, soft, supple and fleshy, it leaves an agreeable sensation of balanced, languorous bliss.
Ready to drink without hesitation, this wine can also be cellared without any risk. Enjoy it as an aperitif, or with pan-fried goose liver with figs, apple, quince, or with strongly-flavoured cheeses.
December 12, 2002
An already open, pleasant, slightly mature bouquet, more fruity and floral than spicy : apricot, ripe yellow peach, orange blossom, almond blossom, frangipane, marshmallow, Turkish delight, soft, supple, restrained and nicely elegant.
Elegantly approachable on the palate, composed, almost affectionate, silky, soft, supple and fleshy, it leaves an agreeable sensation of balanced, languorous bliss.
Ready to drink without hesitation, this wine can also be cellared without any risk. Enjoy it as an aperitif, or with pan-fried goose liver with figs, apple, quince, or with strongly-flavoured cheeses.
December 12, 2002
