2014 Hugel "Grossi Laüe" Riesling, Alsace, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Grossi Laüe signifies the finest vineyards in Alsace dialect and represents an equivalent to the German Grosses Gewächs or the Burgundian Grand Cru.

Produced in a selection of the finest plots of the Hugel estate in the heart of the grand cru Schoenenbourg. This fantastic historical terroir has been almost exclusively devoted to Riesling for centuries. Keuper, marl, dolomite and gypsum, rich in fertilising agents, overlaid with fine layers of quaternary siliceous gravel, Vosges sandstone and Muschelkalk, with at its eastern extremity outcrops of Lias marl limestones.

Hand harvested grapes from the family estate's Schoenenbourg 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 as individual plots "parcellaire" in temperature-controlled century old foudres (at 12 to 18°C). The wines are racked just once, before natural clarification during the course of the winter. The following spring, the wines are tasted, assessed and the best ones are selected in a family tasting session to be blended as Grossi Laüe. The final blend is lightly filtered just before bottling, and the bottles are then aged extensively in the family's cellars until released for sale.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Hugel & Fils, founded in 1639 in picturesque Riquewihr, Alsace, France, is still 100% family owned and managed by the 12th consecutive generation of the family.

The family owns a 30 hectares estate of prime sites in Riquewihr, mostly classed Grand Cru, and buys grapes from a further 110 hectares farmed under contract. The Hugel estates are planted with only the noble Alsace grape varieties, with vines averaging 35 years of age.

Hugel production averages 110,000 cases per year, of which around 90% is exported to more than 100 countries worldwide, where “Alsace” is often synonymous with “Hugel”.

Vines have been cultivated in Alsace for more than 2,000 years and have brought great prosperity to the region. The second driest wine region in France, Alsace has a unique climate that enables the grapes to ripen slowly, giving dry, aromatic wines with great finesse and unequalled intensity: a perfect match for most Western and Asian cuisine.

Hugel wines, with their distinctive yellow labels, express the pure varietal character of Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat and Pinot Blanc, all of which have no “make-up” from oaking or sweetening.

The Hugel family pioneered late-harvest Alsace wines, Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles and drafted the law that governs their production. Born out of respect for these special wines and a determination to guarantee quality and authenticity, the law is the strictest in force in any of the French AOC wine regions.

The Hugel cellars, under fine XVIth century buildings in the heart of medieval Riquewihr, contain large oak barrels which are more than one century old, including the famous “S. Caterine” cask, dated 1715, named the world’s oldest working cask by the Guinness Book of Records.

The Hugel family are members of the The Hugel family are members of the Primum Familiae Vini – an exclusive association of some of the world’s most prestigious wine dynasties – which promotes the values of family wine producers.