Famille Hugel
Pinot Gris VENDANGE TARDIVE 1996
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 : 13.2° % vol.
Residual Sugar : 42 g/l
Age of vines : 28 years old
Yield : 24 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
A classic, ripe, sound year with very good acidity levels. After a late start to the season, a warm summer was followed by an unusually cool yet dry September. Ideal harvest conditions. A classic Pinot vintage. Pinot Noir intense and dark (best since 1990). Pinot Gris has good weight. Many wines were encouraged to undergo malo-lactic fermentation. A classic vintage with good ageing potential.
In the vineyard
Produced in a selection of the finest plots of the Hugel estate in lower and heavier parts of the grand cru Sporen, rich in clay and in our best plots in the chalky Pflostig.
Harvest date : 29 Oct. & 1 Nov. 1996
Potential alcohol : 15,7°
Harvest date : 29 Oct. & 1 Nov. 1996
Potential alcohol : 15,7°
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
Pinot gris : 100%
Specifications
Alcohol content : : 13.2° % vol.
Residual Sugar : : 42 g/l
Age of vines : : 28 years old
Yield : : 24 hl/ha hL/ha
Advice
Tasting notes by Serge Dubs, World's Best Sommelier 1989
Its promisingly youthful appearance is dominated by greenish hints, even though it already has 5 years' bottle age. Great concentration and depth can also be observed, as well as the tell-tale richness and unctuousness of very ripe grapes.
Expressive and aromatic, sufficiently perfumed by very mature (but not over-ripe) grapes, its bouquet displays touches of wood smoke and liquorice, enhanced by the agreeable freshness that characterises this particular vintage.
On the palate, the wine is soft, velvety, supple, unctuous but not cloying, on the contrary, its opulence and structure are very obviously present, enhanced by an attractive liveliness that is a direct result of the climatic conditions (especially the cool nights) during the 1996 harvest.
Its delectable, well-balanced character makes it suitable for early drinking, but it could easily be cellared for many more years. Enjoy it with pâtés, game terrines, duck or goose liver foie gras, fresh or pan-fried, or with sweet-and-sour dishes.
June 1, 2001
Expressive and aromatic, sufficiently perfumed by very mature (but not over-ripe) grapes, its bouquet displays touches of wood smoke and liquorice, enhanced by the agreeable freshness that characterises this particular vintage.
On the palate, the wine is soft, velvety, supple, unctuous but not cloying, on the contrary, its opulence and structure are very obviously present, enhanced by an attractive liveliness that is a direct result of the climatic conditions (especially the cool nights) during the 1996 harvest.
Its delectable, well-balanced character makes it suitable for early drinking, but it could easily be cellared for many more years. Enjoy it with pâtés, game terrines, duck or goose liver foie gras, fresh or pan-fried, or with sweet-and-sour dishes.
June 1, 2001
