Gewurztraminer Selection de Grains Nobles 2010
Famille Hugel
Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN or selection of noble berries) are made much in the same way as Vendanges Tardive but are made with grapes affected by noble rot and must have a higher potential alcohol and sugar level at harvest.
Vendange Tardive or late harvest wines are the sweet jewels of the the Alsace region and in particular, the Hugel family. It was Jean “Johnny” Hugel that first used the term following the 1976 vintage and who personally drafted the guidelines to producing vendange tardive that would become law in 1984. The law is strict and details several variables that must be considered including sugar and alcohol levels, vintage declaration, and vinification techniques.
Terroir: The Hugel Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles is sourced from the family owned parcel of the Grand Cru Sporen vineyard on the slopes just outside of Riquewihr. Soils here are primarily clay and chalk.
Vinification: Prior to harvest the intention of a vendange tardive is declared to the INAO. The grapes are allowed to sit on the vine until maximum sugar and alcohol levels are achieved. They are then hand harvested and brought to the winery for sorting and vinification. There are no pumps used at any point in the vinification process. The must is cold fermented and then transferred to neutral vessels to undergo aging. After clarification the finished wines are bottled and allowed to rest for a long period of time prior to release to the market.
Hugel Sélection de Grains Nobles is an extremely rare wine and is only available in the very best of vintages.
Additional Information
An absolute nectar! Great specialty for several generations of the Hugel family, who drafted the law on late harvest. Wine with great power and longevity to taste religiously by itself during a special occasion.
“The winter of 2010 was particularly harsh, with more than 30 days below zero, and temperatures dropped as far as -17°C. Budburst on 8 April was early, but flowering which began on 10 June took almost 3 weeks to finish due to cool temperatures. July was exceptionally hot and sunny, before cold, damp and rainy weather set in throughout August and into September. Ideal weather conditions returned on 11 September, with not a drop of rain for 6 weeks. Our harvest began on 27 September and ended on 26 October. Maturity reached record levels, the highest for 50 years, with good acidity, similar to 1996. Crop size was 30% below average, and even lower for Gewurztraminer.” – Jean-Frederic Hugel
Technical Details
- Appellation: Alsace
- Winemaker: Marc Hugel
- Sustainability: Sustainable Practices
- Soil: Lias clay-marl
- Avg Vine Age: 30 years
- Yield: 45 hl/ha
- Alcohol: 11.90%
- Ttl Acidity: 5.3 g/l
- Residual Sugar: 159 g/l
- Sizes Available: 750ml
- Pack Size: 6/750ml
- Varietals: 100% Gewurztraminer
Recent Press
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Score: 91 Points
Wine Spectator Author: Alison Napjus
Date: Monday, December 31, 2018"Lychee and candied pink grapefruit zest flavors lead the way in this plush and creamy dessert wine, backed by juicy, mouthwatering acidity and accents of grated ginger, spun honey and kumquat that linger on the finish. Drink now through 2023. 200 cases made." -
Score: 98 Points
JamesSuckling.com Author: James Suckling
Date: Tuesday, May 1, 2018"Welcome to rose-petal heaven! Decadent but also extremely lively. This is an exceptional gewurztraminer that is just beginning to show the world what amazing things this grape can do given an ideal vintage. A remarkably clean, very long and complex finish. Drink or hold." -
Score: 98 Points
The Wine Advocate Author: David Schildknecht
Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2014"Celery seed, quince preserves, mint, black tea, caramelized parsnip, and an ethereal overlay of honeyed sheer botrytis secretion characterize Hugel’s 2010 Gewurztraminer Selection de Grains Nobles S (whose identifying capital letter is employed on their labels for any S.G.N. in excess of 21% potential alcohol). This represents the second of two lots that the winery for a time considered blending but which proved captivatingly distinctive not to mention, in this instance, supernal. Expansive and satin-textured, this elixir’s relative refinement vis-a-vis the corresponding “R” bottling in no way implies a diminution of acidity, which here too is Riesling-like, leading to an intensely bright finish that locks-in on the salivary glands while deploying a kaleidoscopic interaction of strikingly colorful and vivid flavors. It will leave you amazed, perhaps even dazed, and eager to follow (or to permit some lucky descendant of yours to follow) through mid-century." -
Score: 90 Points
Vinous Author: Ian D'Agata
Date: Monday, November 12, 2012"(11.9% alcohol;6.6 g/l total acidity): Bright straw-gold. Pure if slightly high-toned aromas and flavors of dried apricot, minty orange marmalade, grilled pineapple and marzipan. Wonderfully rich yet tangy on the palate, with pure botrytis notes adding another dimension of complexity and sound acidity extending the finish. Very silky and long on the back end, but shows a slight mushroomy note that detracted from my enjoyment of the wine."
