Hugel Classic Pinot Gris 2017

Tasting
At first sight, a straw-yellow robe with nice, slightly coppery highlights. The aroma is youthful; the variety has yellow fruit and floral notes that remain in their most simple state when the wine is in its early years. Once aged in the bottle there will be hints of more mature fruit: fig, apricot, pear and the more typical notes of noble wood, waxed furniture and undergrowth that will add further to its complexity. The flavour is rounded and mouth-watering, light yet full-bodied and held together with the property?s typical sense of equilibrium by a pleasantly acid structure that makes it a perfect table wine.

Quick View
Rich and full but still dry, it perfectly matches with terrines, white meats and fish in sauce.
The most discreet of all varieties in primary aromas, it enjoys the best aging potential.

The vintage
If proof needs be of climate change, 2022 is once again an earliest vintage in history in Alsace. But one not to rush into starting the picking. Once again winter was mild and budbreak as early as April 5th in Riquewihr, luckily making the episode of frost of April 3rd painless across most of the region. The hot conditions of May and June (26 to 32° all along) made for most of the earliness of the vintage with blooming May 23rd and especially drought conditions across all of France until harvest making for a very healthy crop. Acidity levels are low, and ripeness levels very high. Quality is extra across the board and the wines dense and concentrated. Hugel started picking 8 days after the rest of Alsace on September 12th and rightly did so, and finished in just over 3 weeks, a record speed. 2022 will be a benchmark vintage for Pinot Noirs especially.