Hugel is one of the major producers of Alsace wine, and has been an important force in the Alsace wine industry in its developments during the second half of the 20th century. For over 370 years and with 13-family generations the Hugel family has unrivaled experience and knowledge of Alsace vineyards and winemaking. Known today for their passion and modern outlook, the dynamic Hugel family, located in the picture-postcard fortified village of Riquewihr, has earned a worldwide reputation for their Alsace wines.
Marc-André Hugel was our host.
Senior Boss André Hugel, Marc-André Hugel's grandfather, paid us a visit.
Marc-André Hugel took us on a tour of the estate, which is right in the center of picture-postcard fortified village of Riquewihr, before sitting down in the tasting room for a formal tasting.
Hugel is represented in the US by Frederic Wildmann.
See also: Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Jean Frédéric Hugel - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Hugel
Hugel was founded in Riquewihr in 1639 by Hans Ulrich Hugel, who was a Swiss national who left his home country during the Thirty Years' War. It has remained in the hands of the Hugel family since then. As a logotype, they use a family crest which was carved in 1672, to decorate the doorway of a house built in Riquewihr by one of Hans Ulrich's sons
In 1902, Hugel moved to its present location in the centre of Riquewihr.
Hugel produces its high-end wines from its own vineyards, and also operates a négociant business, which sources additional grapes under long-term contract from various growers. Hugel is highly export-oriented, with almost 80 percent of the wines produced being exported.
Wine Cellar
Marc-André Hugel took us on a fascinating tour of the Hugel wine cellar.
Wine Dude: Hugel makes about one million bottles of wine annually, exporting them to over 100 countries, and is fond of testing out new tech in the cellar (to wit: they claim to be the first company in the world to employ a robo-palette). But that cellar dates from 1543, and happens to be near the center of the improbably precious town of Riquewihr. The oldest barrel therein dates back to the early 1700s (full disclosure: I might have crawled inside of it… also, they generate some downright impressive tartrate deposits). The combination of relatively large production, modern touches, and ancient surroundings requires the careful use of their restricted (and highly regulated) space.
Vineyards
Hugel holds slightly over 25 hectares, all located around Riquewihr. More than half Hugel’s 25 hectares are in what the Hugel family now calls Grossi Laüe vineyards, which translated from Alsatian dialect means Great Growth, the equivalent of “Grand Cru” in Burgundy or “Grosses Gewächs” in Germany. This nomenclature change underscores the Hugel family’s proud ownership of these finest estate vineyards. In particular the Schoenenbourg Grossi Laüe and Sporen Grossi Laüe vineyards are a special source of pride, planted to Riesling and Gerwürtztraminer, with small parcels of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.
In addition, grapes from over 100 hectares of Alsace vineyards are bought in for the négociant business.
The Wine Portfolio
Hugel's range of wines consist of the following levels:
Gentil Hugel - a blend like the “Edelzwicker” but only allowed for blending the four noble grapes of Alsace: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Gewürztraminer
Hugel Classic - basic level wines produced from bought grapes. Includes most Alsace varieties and some blends.
Hugel Estate - 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
Hugel Tradition - intermediate level wines, from the four "noble" white grapes
Hugel Jubilée - top level dry wines from Hugel's own vineyards
Hugel Grossi Laüe - Grossi Laüe signifies the finest vineyards in Alsace dialect and represents an equivalent to the German Grosses Gewächs or the Burgundian Grand Cru
Hugel Vendange Tardive - late harvest wines
Hugel Sélection de Grains Nobles - wines from botrytised grapes
Tasting
We tasted 5 wines.
cc
The Wines we Tasted
2017 Hugel Gentil
The perfect introduction to Alsace wines as it combines the qualities of all our white varietals. This wine revives an ancient Alsace tradition that wines assembled from noble grape varieties were called "Gentil". Gentil "Hugel" allies the suave, spicy flavour of Gewurztraminer, the body of Pinot Gris, the finesse of Riesling, the grapiness of Muscat and the refreshing character of Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner.
2014 Hugel Riesling Estate Euro 21.60
2011 Hugel Riesling Grossi Laüe Euro 42.50
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.
2011 Hugel Gewürztraminer Grossi Laüe Euro 39.90
2010 Hugel Gewürztraminer Vendage Tardive Euro 42.50
Dinner at Brasserie Chez Roger Hassenforder
Following the visit of Hugel we went back to Kaysersberg to our hotel and had dinner at Brasserie Chez Roger Hassenforder. Roger Hassenforder is a famous Alsatian cyclist who was a star of the Tour de France during the 1950s.
schiller-wine: Related Postings - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Elsass Tour 2019 mit dem Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, Frankreich
Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
Tasting at Maison Jülg in Seebach, Alsace, with Peter Jülg - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister, Alsace, with Mélanie Pfister - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
Tasting at Domaine Rémy Gresser in Andlau, with Rémy Gresser - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
Dinner and Overnight-stay at Hotel-Restaurant A l’Ami Fritz in Ottrott - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
Cellar Tour and Massive Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, Alsace, with Pierre Gassmann - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Hugel et Fils in Riquewihr, with Marc-André Hugel - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
Tour and Tasting at Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, with Jean Frédéric Hugel - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Issenheim, with Jean-Pierre Dirler and Ludivine Cadé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
Tasting at Domaine Dirler-Cadé with Jean Pierre Dirler and Ludevine Dirler-Cadé - Germany-South and Alsace 2017 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch at Restaurant Gastronomique Philipp Bohrer in Rouffach - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domäne Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, with Annick Rieflé - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, with Paul Rieflé - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Winemaker Dinner with Jean-Claude Rieflé of Domaine Rieflé-Landmann, Alsace, at Bart Vandaele's Belga Café on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, USA/ Alsace
Lunch and Tasting at Weingut Kilian Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, with Martina Hunn - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, Baden, with Kilian and Martina Hunn - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Eating Well in Alsace - Alsace Tour 2019 with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim, France
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux
Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017
UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: June 3, 2019)
Reminder: Ombiasy Wine Tour to Bordeaux: September 03 - September 12, 2019
A Visit of the Vineyards of Alsace– Presented by Annette Schiller at the John Marshall Chapter of the American Wine Society, USA/ France
Germany meets France: Bourgogne, Baden, Alsace and Pfalz - Tasting with the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), led by Annette Schiller, USA/ France/ Germany
The World Class Wines of Alsace
In the world class white wine region Alsace