Prince - Hugel tasting

Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street
Tasted Wednesday, February 11, 2015 by chatters with 537 views

Introduction

bit of a treat - Hugel tasting with Etienne Hugel including a bracket of Riesling Vendage Tardive going back to 1988. For convenience the wines were divided into four brackets.

Flight 1 - On Entry (1 Note)

Superb QPR at about $20AUD. Fresh and pleasant.

  • 2013 Hugel Gentil "Hugel"

    France, Alsace

    Aromas of spice, tropical fruit, citrus, wet stone, crushed rock, some peach and cream with yoghurt notes. In the mouth the wine is juicy with slight bitterness accompanies a cornucopia of fruit; peach, passion fruit, lychees, mid palate furring, perhaps a tiny bit short but very refreshing and excellent QPR. Eminently quaffable and very nice.

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Flight 2 - Bracket one (6 Notes)

Entry level Single Varietal Hugels. Pleasant enough...Pinot Gris Tradition and the 2012 Gewurz for me in this bracket

  • 2011 Hugel Pinot Blanc Tradition

    France, Alsace

    Medium minus intensity aromas of lime and sour grapefruit, very slight ginger spice and slight perfumed wood notes. In the mouth the wine is juicy, slight grapefruit, tangy, quite bitter on the back of the palate and gums. Meh.

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  • 2012 Hugel Pinot Gris Tradition

    France, Alsace

    Aromas of cream, yoghurt, wet stone, muted citrus notes and an almost peach quality. In the mouth there are flavours of apple, citric tartness, juicy, quite rich and broad on the palate…a little warm but pleasant enough.

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  • 2011 Hugel Pinot Gris Tradition

    France, Alsace

    Medium minus intensity aromas of cream and yoghurt, slight white pepper spice and some green notes. In the mouth the wine has flavours of slight sour apples, cream & yoghurt. Front of mouth furring, quite spicy and warm on the back of the palate. Long finish, well balanced, nice.

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  • 2012 Hugel Riesling Classic

    France, Alsace

    Medium plus aromas of lime, dusty, spice and slight plasticine notes. In the mouth there is a slight spritz, lime juice- tart and acidic, quite linear and bone dry. Quite gripping on the mid palate as well. Needs years and I don't have the time to wait. Not for me.

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  • 2012 Hugel Gewurztraminer Classic

    France, Alsace

    Pronounced intensity aromas of rose water, lychee, slight ginger notes. More of the same on the palate, spicy as well it gets a touch bitter on the back of palate…then the rose petal quality carries on the long finish. Broad and plentiful gum grip. Nice.

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  • 2011 Hugel Gewurztraminer "Hugel"

    France, Alsace

    Medium plus intensity aromas of rose water, lychee, slight wet stone notes and ginger spice. In the mouth the spice and rose water dominate...initially broad then mellows on the palate. Balanced. Okay.

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Flight 3 - Bracket two (6 Notes)

A selection of Jubilees...I found the 2009's were a little lacking in freshness for me. That 2010 was very nice though.

  • 2008 Hugel Riesling Jubilee

    France, Alsace

    aromas of lime cream, wet stone, slight dusty note, also floral top notes - almost honeysuckle - on agitation. In the mouth the wine is juicy with medium plus intensity acidity, lime, slight honeyed notes, dry, very linear and front to back of mouth. Very pleasant but needs time.

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  • 2009 Hugel Riesling Jubilee

    France, Alsace

    Spiced, almost mulled with notes of cinnamon, white pepper and sweet spice over lime and alcohol heat - also some perfumed top notes. In the mouth the wine is juicy with lime over green apple notes, quite spice and alcoholic on the back of the palate. Not for me.

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  • 2010 Hugel Riesling Jubilee

    France, Alsace

    Aromas of cream, lime - almost lime meringue or key lime pie filling with spice notes, perfumed top notes and an almost peach element. In the mouth the wine is juicy with tart lime over lemon juice and quite mineral, almost electric back of the palate tang, very young, needs plenty of time.

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  • 1997 Hugel Riesling Jubilee

    France, Alsace

    slightly oxidised aromas with honey over lime and spice. In the mouth the wine is initially juicy and tart with honey and lime…the fruit carries and joined by a buttery note on the long finish. Rather pleasant.

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  • 2009 Hugel Pinot Gris Jubilee

    France, Alsace

    Aromas of cream, apple spice, and honeyed notes, almost marzipan and almond meal. In the mouth the initial impression is of slight residual sugar, spice and a long, long finish. Tangy notes. Pleasant enough but lacks fruit and is a bit alcoholically warm on the finish.

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  • 2009 Hugel Gewurztraminer Jubilee

    France, Alsace

    Pronounced intensity aromas. A beautifully perfumed and harmonious gewürztraminer. All the usual aromas for me: lychee, rose water ginger but also violets and a certain minerality. In the mouth there is some residual sugar, all the flavours on the nose are on the palate as well and the whole is quite alcoholically warm. The wine is quite broad on the palate and, almost, a tiny bit flabby though pleasing none the less.

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Flight 4 - Bracket three (7 Notes)

Oh lordy. What a superb bracket. I found the 1990 flawed but it was the only hiccup in an otherwise incredible bracket of wines. The 1998 was stunning.

  • 2009 Hugel Riesling Vendange Tardive

    France, Alsace

    Medium minus intensity aromas of cream, slight lime, key lime pie, almost peach notes. On the palate the wine is off dry, lime, spice, very spicy on the long finish. Still a puppy though. Needs a lot of time.

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  • 1998 Hugel Riesling Vendange Tardive

    France, Alsace

    Medium minus intensity aromas of honey, spice, butter, cream, tinned tropical fruit mix, slight dirty dishwater, floral top notes. In the mouth the wine has flavours of honey, lime, spice, lime marmalade, butter, off dry, long, ridiculously long. Superb. Glorious.

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  • 1997 Hugel Riesling Vendange Tardive

    France, Alsace

    Medium plus intensity aromas of very slight mustiness under richly honeyed notes, with melted butter, cream, leather as well. In the mouth the wine is very slight musty with almost apple notes, touches of lime, beautifully honeyed - off dry. Rather lovely

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  • 1996 Hugel Riesling Vendange Tardive

    France, Alsace

    Low intensity aromas of muted honey and mineral notes, slight cream, spice and almost toasty notes after plentiful agitation. Rich. Despite the residual sugar the wine has some searing acidity, lime, slight honeyed notes, mineral notes. Hmm, out of whack.

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  • 1990 Hugel Riesling Vendange Tardive Flawed

    France, Alsace

    Musty, honey and wet stone and damp cellar. In the mouth the wine is tart and musty. Out of condition for me, despite some honeyed notes. FLAW

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  • 1989 Hugel Riesling Vendange Tardive

    France, Alsace

    medium minus intensity aromas of honey and key lime pie, spice and some meaty notes. In the mouth the wine is off dry but wine some sourness, lime juice and touches of lime marmalade, cream and honey. Long, nice. Very nice in fact.

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  • 1988 Hugel Riesling Vendange Tardive

    France, Alsace

    Very slight kerosene and almost briny notes, honey and oyster shells, meaty and cheesy notes. In the mouth the wine has flavours of honey, lime juice, lime marmalade, touch of bitterness and spice, also a bit of front of mouth gum grip that closes on the palate. Keeps growing in mouth, layers of interest and complexity. Nice.

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Flight 5 - Bracket four (4 Notes)

Last bracket served with food which rather blitzed my rather tired palate. These notes, alas, reflect this fact. Mind you that SdGN was pretty epic.

Closing

The 98 Vendage Tardive was WOTN for me closely followed by the 1989 and 1988. The Gewurztraminer SdGN get's an honourable mention but nothing here (with the exception of the rather spiky Riesling 2012 and the flawed 1990) was much short of very good. What a wonderful tasting and utter treat. Alas most of the wines weren't available.

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