I really like the wines of Alsace. It’s a region I’d like to focus on more in the future, because I think it’s seriously underrated and often forgotten. If you are a white wine fan, there’s a lot of fun to be had here without spending serious money.
It’s from Hugel, a solidly good producer, and it’s a late-harvested Gewurztraminer, from the heart of the Grand Cru Sporen vineyard (Hugel and Trimbach are the two serious producers who don’t recognize the Grand Cru system), harvested with a potential alcohol of 18.4%! The resulting wine is 13% alcohol with a residual sugar level of 96 g/litre. It’s really serious, but it’s still just about affordable.
Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive 2007 Alsace, France
Wonderfully rich nose with grape jelly, lychee, spice, mango, herb and tea notes. The palate is richly textured and quite viscous, but avoids being heavy with bold, sweet, intense flavours of grapes, lychees, clementines and cantaloupe melon. Very sweet and smooth, with a broad texture. 94/100 (£33 The Wine Society, Vintage Marque)
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1 Comment on Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive
I have always loved Alsace wines. The vast majority (there are really only a few exceptions) are good value for money (i.e. quality / price ratio) compared to other regions of France – although i recognise that this doesn’t mean they are ‘cheap’.
The variety and different styles make them fascinating – from stoney, dry, mineral wines to rich, off dry, to vendange tardive. Alsace is a treasure trove of wonderful wines.