Famille Hugel
Pinot Gris ESTATE 2016
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.
Specifications
Alcohol content : 14.28 % vol.
Residual Sugar : 8.4 g/l
Tartaric acidity : 5.92 g/l
pH : 3.36
Presentation
The vintage
After three years of extremely low yields, we can at last say 2016 has been a generous vintage! Unlike most of France, which has been severely hit by hail and frost, Alsace was probably the luckiest of the major wine regions this year. The vintage can really be divided in two halves as weather, which caused us great concern initially, then took a turn for the better around the end of June.
Spring did not unfold without incident, with a few frost alerts in April and even in the beginning of May, followed by the wettest month of June (157mm) in decades! Careful monitoring of the vineyards was key with an outbreak of mildew, extremely rare in the region.
The only window of bright sun during Spring came at the end of June, just in time for a perfect and, for the least, complete blossoming between June 17 and 21.
Summer came out very dry and hot and harvest saw dry and cool conditions (only three real days of rain in seven weeks) resulting in perfect sanitary status across all grape varieties. Due to the late vintage, harvesting started extremely slowly on September 27, one of the latest and longest campaigns of the recent years.
2016 is the first vintage in over a decade that hasn’t seen the production of any botrytis wines at Hugel; due to the late vintage and the optimum health of the grapes, noble rot did not develop, resulting in a classic vintage for dry wines only.
Spring did not unfold without incident, with a few frost alerts in April and even in the beginning of May, followed by the wettest month of June (157mm) in decades! Careful monitoring of the vineyards was key with an outbreak of mildew, extremely rare in the region.
The only window of bright sun during Spring came at the end of June, just in time for a perfect and, for the least, complete blossoming between June 17 and 21.
Summer came out very dry and hot and harvest saw dry and cool conditions (only three real days of rain in seven weeks) resulting in perfect sanitary status across all grape varieties. Due to the late vintage, harvesting started extremely slowly on September 27, one of the latest and longest campaigns of the recent years.
2016 is the first vintage in over a decade that hasn’t seen the production of any botrytis wines at Hugel; due to the late vintage and the optimum health of the grapes, noble rot did not develop, resulting in a classic vintage for dry wines only.
In the vineyard
Grapes carefully selected from within the Hugel Family estate including a high proportion from the Pflostig, strongly influenced by the chalky soils of Riquewihr.
The grapes have been handpicked into small containers such that they arrive intact to the press.
The grapes have been handpicked into small containers such that they arrive intact to the press.
Winemaking
Gravity feed presses, no pumping or other handling.
After a few hours of decanting the must is then transferred to vats for fermentation at a carefully controlled temperature (18 to 24°C). Part of the wine (around 30%) was fermented in six to ten wine Burgundy barrels; this gives the wine body without the addition of any oaky character. A single racking before winter allowing the wine to clarify naturally without any artificial cold treatment. The wine is then lightly filtered in spring before bottling. The bottles are then laid down in our cellars before commercialization. The whole of the vintage was corked with DIAM, the cork without cork taint.
After a few hours of decanting the must is then transferred to vats for fermentation at a carefully controlled temperature (18 to 24°C). Part of the wine (around 30%) was fermented in six to ten wine Burgundy barrels; this gives the wine body without the addition of any oaky character. A single racking before winter allowing the wine to clarify naturally without any artificial cold treatment. The wine is then lightly filtered in spring before bottling. The bottles are then laid down in our cellars before commercialization. The whole of the vintage was corked with DIAM, the cork without cork taint.
Varietal
Pinot gris : 100%
Specifications
Alcohol content : : 14.28 % vol.
Residual Sugar : : 8.4 g/l
Tartaric acidity : : 5.92 g/l
pH : : 3.36
Advice
Tasting notes by Serge Dubs, World's Best Sommelier 1989
This is a wine that presents well; youthful, dense, a nice full structure, rounded, warm and powerful. The legs are very well structured, smooth and velvety, with pastel yellow and lime tree blossom green highlights and a lovely brilliance over a silvery crystalline base.
The bouquet is direct, well-stated, dense and harmonious with a refreshing ethereal touch. Pleasing youthful and attractive. Very harmonious. Apricot, liquorice, yellow peach, honey, lily, reseda, a little smoky, rhubarb, lime, yuzu.
On the palate it has harmonious sensations of softness it is smooth, sophisticated, rounded and filled with a charm that is well structured with a superb vivacity and an ethereal scented finish.
This wine is fine to serve now and can be laid down for 5 to 8 years.
It has a lot of character with a nice expression of its limestone growing conditions which give it a long-lasting foundation.
Highly recommended with gastronomic cuisine involving sea or freshwater fish in sauce, freshwater shrimp. Langoustine, John Dory, white meat, game terrines.
The bouquet is direct, well-stated, dense and harmonious with a refreshing ethereal touch. Pleasing youthful and attractive. Very harmonious. Apricot, liquorice, yellow peach, honey, lily, reseda, a little smoky, rhubarb, lime, yuzu.
On the palate it has harmonious sensations of softness it is smooth, sophisticated, rounded and filled with a charm that is well structured with a superb vivacity and an ethereal scented finish.
This wine is fine to serve now and can be laid down for 5 to 8 years.
It has a lot of character with a nice expression of its limestone growing conditions which give it a long-lasting foundation.
Highly recommended with gastronomic cuisine involving sea or freshwater fish in sauce, freshwater shrimp. Langoustine, John Dory, white meat, game terrines.
