Riesling ESTATE 2013

A new selection "parcellaire" of carefully chosen plots of the Famille Hugel estate situated in Riquewihr in its most prestigious crus. Most of the plots chosen for this new wine are being converted into Organic viticulture.
The unique marl soils of Riquewihr, in and around the Schoenenbourg give a characteristic minerality to wines from this remarkable terroir.
A wine of depth and of patience.

Presentation

Quick View
Riesling is the Pinot Noir of white wines! It is our most demanding variety as it is also the latest ripening. Dry and elegant, it expresses itself best on our steepest slopes with the most complex minerality.
The vintage
Rarely have we seen a vintage subject to so many variations in the weather.
The season started late with a damp spring and coulure, causing a smaller than usual crop.
High temperatures and exceptional summer weather brought the grapes to perfect levels of maturity.
Right from the start of our harvest on 1 October the grapes were very healthy and ripe, and so 2013 was a classic Alsace vintage of intense, pure, well balanced wines. Uneven weather at the very end of the harvest prevented any significant production of Late Harvest wines.
In the vineyard
Selection "parcellaire" of some of the best plots within the Hugel family estate in Riquewihr in its most prestigious crus.
A very clear dominance of the
Schoenenbourg character with its unique marly character.
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 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 in our cellars until released for sale.
The whole production of this wine is closed with DIAM the cork without the risk of cork taint.
Varietal
Riesling : 100%
Specifications
Alcohol content : : 12.6° % vol.
Residual Sugar : : 5.1 g/l
Tartaric acidity : : 7.41 g/l
pH : : 3.23
Age of vines : : 33 years old
Yield : : 52 hl/ha hL/ha

Advice

Video
Tasting notes by Serge Dubs, World's Best Sommelier 1989
Beautifully intense satin colour, an attractive straw yellow with pale green highlights, a wonderful sheen and spark with thick and even legs.
Its fruity and floral bouquet is open, spontaneous, expressive and powerful with a subtly mineral touch that perfectly expresses the complex and unique nature of the Riquewihr region, providing it with a wonderfully tender and smooth harmony; ripe grapes, golden apples, pears, almond blossom, plumeria, honey and beeswax.
The palate is overwhelmed by the character and correctness of this dry Riesling wine, such that it is brought to life by this great and well-structured wine, a perfectly balanced and harmonious hint of fruit.
The flavour and after-taste are remarkable. Ideal for immediate consumption.
This is a gastronomic wine that can be laid down for 5 to 8 years, best served at 8°C. Sea fish, roast turbot, ray in butter, king prawns and lobster, pike in Riesling, smoked eel, veal Blanquette, Arctic char.