Gewurztraminer ESTATE 2017

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 clay soils of Riquewihr, in and around the Sporen give a characteristic density to wines from this remarkable terroir. A wine of depth and of patience.

Presentation

Quick View
Originally from northern Italy, this is the emblematic grape of our region due to its slow maturation with cool nights giving its full varietal expression. Dry but full and intensely aromatic.
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.
In the vineyard
Selection of the best plots of the Hugel family estate situated in Riquewihr in its most prestigious crus.
The unique clay soils of Riquewihr gives a characteristic richness to wines from this remarkable terroir.

The grapes are taken in small tubs to the presses, which are filled by gravity, without any pumping or other mechanical intervention.
Winemaking
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.
Specifications
Alcohol content : : 14.36 % vol.
Residual Sugar : : 15.6 g/l
Tartaric acidity : : 3.95 g/l
pH : : 3.73
Age of vines : : 39 years old
Yield : : 50 hL/ha