Famille Hugel
Famille Hugel, Vendanges Tardives, Gewurztraminer, AOC Alsace, Blanc, 2017
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 : 11.5 % vol.
Residual Sugar : 93.7 g/l
Tartaric acidity : 4.53 g/l
pH : 3.93
Age of vines : 43 years old
Yield : 34 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
This 2017 vintage year has been a real emotional roller-coaster ride.
The year started well enough with plenty of winter rain and a rapid first budding leading us into an ideal start to the spring season.
And then on the night of 19/20 April the Alsace region suffered its worst frost in 30 years. The damage was extensive but highly variable, anything from 0 to 80% destruction depending on the local conditions. Riquewihr was really hit very hard. All growth stopped for a number of days and the vines finally began to flower on 31 May. During the flowering season the conditions were perfect with regular rains and the vines grew magnificently throughout the summer. And almost no disease outbreaks whatsoever. We were wary of being optimist but we had a good feeling.
The harvest opened on 31 August! We started on 12 September under radiant sunshine. Then... Hailstorms on 17 September! That was not part of the plan, very unusual for the season and the region! Yes, 2017 was really turning out to be a hell of a roller-coaster ride. In the end there was little real damage apart from a Pflostig field which didn't come in until the next day. Phew.
At the end of the harvest the weather was perfect with the added bonus of some wonderful late harvests, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. It was a tough one but the 2017 vintage will produce really great wines.
The year started well enough with plenty of winter rain and a rapid first budding leading us into an ideal start to the spring season.
And then on the night of 19/20 April the Alsace region suffered its worst frost in 30 years. The damage was extensive but highly variable, anything from 0 to 80% destruction depending on the local conditions. Riquewihr was really hit very hard. All growth stopped for a number of days and the vines finally began to flower on 31 May. During the flowering season the conditions were perfect with regular rains and the vines grew magnificently throughout the summer. And almost no disease outbreaks whatsoever. We were wary of being optimist but we had a good feeling.
The harvest opened on 31 August! We started on 12 September under radiant sunshine. Then... Hailstorms on 17 September! That was not part of the plan, very unusual for the season and the region! Yes, 2017 was really turning out to be a hell of a roller-coaster ride. In the end there was little real damage apart from a Pflostig field which didn't come in until the next day. Phew.
At the end of the harvest the weather was perfect with the added bonus of some wonderful late harvests, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. It was a tough one but the 2017 vintage will produce really great 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
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 : : 11.5 % vol.
Residual Sugar : : 93.7 g/l
Tartaric acidity : : 4.53 g/l
pH : : 3.93
Age of vines : : 43 years old
Yield : : 34 hL/ha
Advice
Tasting
At first glimpse, what really draws the eye is the young yet dense and viscous aspect of the wine. The first nose confirms that impression. A dried and candied fruits basket: lychee, mango, cumquat and white peach alongside candied ginger and cloves boldly comes out of the glass. The palate is dense, rich, opulent and generous; it immediately calls for meditation. Very well maintained by a vibrant structure, the Gewurztraminer grape shows fragrant, lush, yet delicate. As it breathes, the wine gently opens and evolves towards more floral notes of jasmine and rose, inviting for another sip.
