Hugel Grossi Laue Riesling 2011
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James
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A hint of smoke and a touch of earth precede the fresh lemon notes of the nose. The dry palate, with its vivid impression of very pure, bright and incisive lemon freshness, still seems tightly wound. There is something brooding and alive about this—it can be felt below the surface, disquieting but promising. This has barely started on its journey and will take a while to develop fully but it's all already there, dormant and ready to unfurl with a little more bottle age. The pure, long and intense finish is a delicious promise. Drink 2017–2037.
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Tasting Panel
is fleshy, salty, and savory (its grapes come from a vineyard planted in the 1400s). Aromas and flavors increase with each sip: cashew milk and peach blossom with a ladle of tangerine, a dollop of nougat, and an earthy core from the unique marl soils of the Riquewihr crus.
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James Suckling
A beautiful and clean wine with flowers, honey dew and gun flint. Medium body, bright acidity and flint undertones. Lots of aniseed, clove and burning-spice flavors here, too. So beautiful. Drink now or hold. Lots of potential here.
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Wine Spectator
A graceful white that waltzes on the palate, showing fine integration of the intense acidity, with appealing flavors of ripe white peach, almond blossom and lemon parfait. A streak of salinity drives the lasting finish. Drink now through 2030.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Entirely sourced in the Schoenenbourg, the 2011 Riesling Grossi Laüe offers a deep, clear, fresh and fine bouquet. Sourced in the best three parcels next to the Schoelhammer, the wine shows a clear and fine, yet warm and rich, bouquet of cooked white fruits along with sweet almond aromas. Rich and intense on the palate, this is a full-bodied, powerful and slightly bitter Riesling with firm, but slightly astringent, tannins. Bottled with 14.2% alcohol – the highest alcohol level the Hugels have ever bottled as Marc Hugel puts it. The acidity is rather low but still vital.
Other Vintages
2013-
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James
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In the cellars, the oldest of which dates back to 1551, can be seen rows of oak wine casks, over one hundred years old, crafted by the forefathers of the present generation of Hugels now running the company. Near them is the oldest cask in the world still in use: the Sainte Caterine, which has a capacity of 8,800 litres. It was built in 1715, the year in which Louis XIV died.
The company has always maintained its family character and is determined to keep it that way. The vineyards are owned and farmed by individual members of the family whereas the company owns the buildings and machinery.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
With its fairytale aesthetic, Germanic influence and strong emphasis on white wines, Alsace is one of France’s most unique viticultural regions. This hotly contested stretch of land running north to south on France’s northeastern border has spent much of its existence as German territory. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains, it is one of the driest regions of France but enjoys a long and cool growing season. Autumn humidity facilitates the development of “noble rot” for the production of late-picked sweet wines, Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles.
The best wines of Alsace can be described as aromatic and honeyed, even when completely dry. The region’s “noble” varieties, the only ones permitted within Alsace’s 51 Grands Crus vineyards, are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris.
Riesling is Alsace’s main specialty. In its youth, Alsace Riesling is dry, fresh and floral, but develops complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics, and is often utilized for late harvest wines. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Muscat, vinified dry, tastes of ripe green grapes and fresh rose petal.
Other varieties grown here include Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chasselas, Sylvaner and Pinot Noir—the only red grape permitted in Alsace and mainly used for sparkling rosé known as Crémant d’Alsace. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and unlike other French regions, are also labeled with the variety name.