Producer Article
Hugel
Last edited on 11/9/2020 by srh
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Citation from a comment by John H. Trombley on Hugel wines labeled "Grossi Laüi":
These wines come from lieu-dit(s) located within [a] Grand Cru vineyard(s), but were not labeled with their respective vineyard names (a requirement for Alsace Grand Cru AOC.) As a matter of fact, this seems to have been deliberately avoided, purportedly for reasons given below.
IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED THAT NOT EVERY WINE MADE IN A GRAND CRU VINEYARD IS ENTITLED TO THE AOC ALSACE GRAND CRU BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER REQUIREMENTS, NOT LEAST YIELD AND permitted VARIETIES.
NOTE THAT what is claimed by Robert Parker as an Alsatian-dialect trivalent for the Burgundian 'Grand Cru' or the German 'Grosses Gwächs', that is, Grossi Laüi, seems to have no official standing in the wine law that I could find as of this date. The Hugels are knows to be among a handful of powerful estates who, for various reasons, have strongly resisted participation in the Alsace Grand Cru system, and its efforts at promoting a separate system probably should be seen as self-promotional, in the view of some. In 2017, those resisters were beginning to work with the system, and it is expected that this will influence the labeling identity of subsequent vintages. I expect this may cause some confusion as to wine identities.
In Cellar Tracker, it is strongly suggested that wines not be listed as Grand Cru unless the maker has chosen to make that label claim, and is prepared to defend it to the Appellation authorities. However, exceptions may arise, and will undoubtedly be structured into the CT infomatics.
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)
Citation from a comment by John H. Trombley on Hugel wines labeled "Grossi Laüi":
These wines come from lieu-dit(s) located within [a] Grand Cru vineyard(s), but were not labeled with their respective vineyard names (a requirement for Alsace Grand Cru AOC.) As a matter of fact, this seems to have been deliberately avoided, purportedly for reasons given below.
IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED THAT NOT EVERY WINE MADE IN A GRAND CRU VINEYARD IS ENTITLED TO THE AOC ALSACE GRAND CRU BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER REQUIREMENTS, NOT LEAST YIELD AND permitted VARIETIES.
NOTE THAT what is claimed by Robert Parker as an Alsatian-dialect trivalent for the Burgundian 'Grand Cru' or the German 'Grosses Gwächs', that is, Grossi Laüi, seems to have no official standing in the wine law that I could find as of this date. The Hugels are knows to be among a handful of powerful estates who, for various reasons, have strongly resisted participation in the Alsace Grand Cru system, and its efforts at promoting a separate system probably should be seen as self-promotional, in the view of some. In 2017, those resisters were beginning to work with the system, and it is expected that this will influence the labeling identity of subsequent vintages. I expect this may cause some confusion as to wine identities.
In Cellar Tracker, it is strongly suggested that wines not be listed as Grand Cru unless the maker has chosen to make that label claim, and is prepared to defend it to the Appellation authorities. However, exceptions may arise, and will undoubtedly be structured into the CT infomatics.