Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle Jubilee Hugel (Domaine) 2008

Lot presentation

Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle Jubilee Hugel (Domaine) 2008

The wine

Probably the most renowned wine in the Alsace, the Gewürztraminer Grand Cru is robust and well-structured, it delivers an intense bouquet and is deeply aromatic on the palate, combining the flavours of exotic fruits – pineapple, banana, mango and kiwi ¬– with floral, spiced notes (the stem gerwurz means ‘spice’ in German). It has a rich alcohol content, sometimes as high as 14°, making it slightly sweet and giving it fantastic ageing potential. The Jubilee range classifies the wines which come from the finest vineyards in the Hugel estates and are produced exclusively in the best vintage years. The grapes are harvested at peak ripeness from some of the oldest vines in the domaine and the resulting wine is powerful and dry, requiring a long cellaring to reach its optimum drinking age. Produced in only the most exceptional vintage years, this cuvée is the fruit of a rigorous selection process at each stage of its development.

Hugel is a family operation that has been making wines since 1639; production is currently managed by the eleventh and twelfth generations, in the form of Jean-Philippe, Marc and Étienne, who endeavour to uphold the Hugel style developed by their ancestors. Their activities are divided between a wine merchant business and production in their own name, from the 26 hectare vineyard, located entirely in Riquewihr in the most prestigious crus and planted with traditional varieties in the following proportions: 40% Riesling, 40% Gewurztraminer, 15% (Tokay) Pinot Gris and 5% Pinot Noir. The oldest vines (around 60 years old) are from the family nursery. Hugel produces wine with rigorous respect for the environment: no fertilizers, very low yields, and green harvests at the end of July. The wine merchant activity is supplied solely by the purchase of grapes, from 115 hectares that are managed by growers under contract. All of the harvests are manual and will remain so. Hugel produces 110,000 cases of wine every year, 85% of which are exported. In order to preserve the wines' freshness and character, Hugel starts bottling in the spring. The Jubilee, VT and SGN cuvées are only produced in the best years, from the Domaine Viticole Hugel's Grands Crus vines. It is largely the Hugel family who have instigated the revival of this kind of wine. ssert wines in the world. Furthermore they have an almost unlimited longevity.