Alsace wine producer: Hugel, Riquewihr

Hugel is one of the most important wine houses of the World. Hugel defines Alsace just as Mouton-Rotshild defines Bordeaux, Antinori defines Chianti and Mondavi defines Napa Valley. To this role, one should add an open, generous and warm-hearted attitude to the visitors and customers.

Certainly, the admirable efforts of Jean Hugel and now Etienne Hugel on the local, national and international arena have been of deciding importance for all producers in Alsace.

Among other contributions, Hugel pioneered the successful introduction of Vendanges tardives and Sélection de grains nobles.

Hugel is a large house with few wines. Hugel has created a range with three levels of quality; Classic, Tradition and Jubilee. The former indicated wines from grapes purchased from contract growers, Tradition is from Hugels own land, while Jubilee are wines from Grand Crus. Om some years, Hugel produces a very full-bodied Cuvée, Hommage de Jean Hugel.

The house is very disappointed with respect the outcome of the delimitations of the Grands Crus, therefore they do not sell their Schoenenbourg (Riesling) and Sporen (Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer) wines under AOC Grand Crus.

The house style is very correct and the wines are very well assembled. The impression is that Hugel tries to maintain a very consistent style, regardless of vintage, something in the spirit of the Champagne houses. With the exception of the Hommage-range, the wines give a dry impression.

In fact, you get most for the money at the Jubilee level. To my mind, there is a very large leap in level of ambition already between the Classic and Tradition levels, the latter offering much more character for just a little more money.

Hugel has a very good website. During the harvest, one can follow how the work progresses. One can then get some understanding of the struggle with the elements and of the complicated logistics associated with the vinification of 1.5 million bottles of wine in two months.

Hugel has created an Internet tool to view all their plots, together with the geological map, in Google Earth. Reach it by clicking on the map to the right.

Latest visit: 2006

Facts

Etienne and Jean Hugel 3, rue de la première armée along the main street. +33 (0)389 47 92 15
+33 (0)389 49 00 10 (fax)
info@hugel.com
Riesling Classic €10
Riesling Tradition €15
Riesling Jubilee €20
Classic with balance, character and style. Ver professional, just as the wines. Perfect English. Grands Crus: Schoenenbourg, Sporen
Lieux-dits: -

Selected representative wines 2006

2004 Riesling Classic Nice, green aroma with some fruit. Almost hard, classic taste with sustain fruit. Well made wine for food. 2004 Riesling Jubilee Complete aroma of honey and minerality. Almost fat, but dry, taste with superb fruit and acidity, fresh pamplemousse and outstanding structure. A model Schoenenbourg 1998 Riesling Sélection de grains nobles Outstanding, complex and developed honey aroma with elegant botrysis-notes. Mellow, concentrated, elegant, and very long taste with white raisins.