In Alsace, Famille Hugel have just announced that they brought in their last grapes on October 8, “a typical date when harvest started some 30 or so years ago” according to André Hugel (born in 1929). He says that in 2015 he sees some similarities with the outstanding 1947 or 1976 vintages, both ripe and low acid vintages. “The few remaining bottles we still have remain in outstanding drinking condition,” he adds.
Alsace 2015 is truly an exceptional vintage with small crops with high levels of maturity. The grapes were perfectly sound from the beginning of harvest on September 10 at Famille Hugel in Riquewihr and remained healthy throughout. Volumes are low to very low due of the hot, dry summer but the predominantly clay/marl terroirs of Riquewihr performed extremely well in the drought as they did in previous hot years.
The family of Pinots – Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir – enjoyed the great conditions once again and the Pinot Noirs are expected to yield some great wines. Riesling wines are also looking exceptional. The Schoenenbourg is rarely prone to botrytis, but this year Famille Hugel harvested some gorgeous Riesling grapes affected by noble rot on this terroir. Both Riesling Vendanges Tardives & Sélections de Grains Nobles have been produced. Last but not least, a Riesling Sélection de Grains Nobles on Engelkritt (a rare granitic terroir on the Hugel estate) was harvested at a 22.5° potential.
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