Roses and spice (and nice – but the price...)
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Hugel Gewürztraminer 2004
R184.00
Bought
from Caroline’s Fine Wine Cellar, Loop Street, Cape Town
Nestling
in the bouquet of flowers Acer’s call centre had sent me (after I complained
bitterly about never being able to progress beyond an unreliable and
misleading automated system to speak to a real person and determine just how
the repair of my laptop was progressing) were three delicate, baby-pink
roses. Not only did they soften my heart towards the company that I had paid
good money for a three-year-no-fuss warranty, they reminded me of the bottle
of Gewürztraminer I had bought a few weeks ago and propped in the wine
fridge next to this month’s house white, Ken Forrester Petit Chenin 2006.
Gewürztraminer, for
me, is all about rose petals and Muscat spice; not the grapey, syrupy Muscat
d’Alexandrie we know as hanepoort and love when it is fortified to become
jerepigo, but the higher-toned, more spicerack and energetic scent of Muscat
Blanc à Petit Grains (also known as Muscat d’Alsace and Muscat de
Frontignan).
The bottle I had
chilling had been made and bottled by Hugel & Fils, one of the oldest
winemaking families in Alsace. According to the Hugel website (www.hugel.com),
the family can trace its roots in Alsace to the 15th century and
the famous family crest, still used as the company’s logo today, was carved
above the door of the house in Riquewihr, from which the company still
trades, in 1672. The family’s importance in the world of wine is highlighted
by its membership of Primum Familiae Vini, an association of 12 family wine
companies in the major wine producing regions of the world. It is also a
member of the Henokiens, an international association of family businesses
that are all more than two hundred years old
The Hugel family’s
vineyard estates cover more than 25 hectares, exclusively in Riquewihr, and
almost half of which are in the Grand Cru zone. The vines average 30 years
of age and this – together with no fertiliser, low yields, thinning out of
excess bunches and hand harvests – is said to contribute to the high levels
of quality Hugel wines are known for. In addition to its own grapes, Hugel
has access to the produce of another 100 hectares as it purchases grapes –
never wine – from growers under long-term contract.
Of course, there
are a range of wines that come from the family’s cellars. Top of the pyramid
are the Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles wines made from
grapes that have over-ripened on the vine or been infected with botrytis.
Just below these wines is the Jubilee range, made in exceptional vintages
only from strictly selected grapes from Hugel’s own vineyards. Then comes
the Tradition wines, also made from grapes grown in the family’s own
vineyards but supplemented by bought in grapes. Selection is strict to
ensure Hugel Tradition wines display increased depth and personality versus
the entry level range, which goes simply by the name ‘Hugel’ and is made
exclusively from grapes purchased from winegrowers under long-term contract.
Total production
tops 110 000 cases, which makes Hugel & Fils half the size of Boschendal but
double that of Vergelegen, and 90% of the wines are exported. While the
biggest focus is on the four ‘noble’ Alsace varieties – gewürztraminer,
riesling, pinot gris and muscat d’Alsace – others like Pinot Noir and
Sylvaner are also grown and bottled.
My generic Hugel
Gewürztraminer was from the 2004 vintage but showed very little bottle age
character on the nose. Instead, there were forthcoming rosepetal, spice and
musk aromas which were very inviting but not overly complex or intense. The
over-riding character on the palate was a ‘slippery’ texture. I’d like to
describe it as oily but that has negative connotations and I enjoyed this
sensation as it added interest and weight to the mid-palate. Also on the
palate was a characteristic little bitter lift, almost as if you’d bitten
into the rose petal (well, haven’t you?) or an apricot pip. And there was
just a hint of a pithy ‘full stop’ on the finish; again a textural
character, not a flavour.
Verdict:
This is a long and balanced wine with interesting aromas, flavours and
textures, and I enjoyed it immensely with the green Thai curry it inspired
me to make. However, while it is well-made and textbook gewürztraminer, I
found myself expecting just a little more excitement and depth, excitement
I’m certain I’d have found in the next tier up. It’s a little disappointing
to be found expecting when you’ve paid nearly R200 for the honour.
Foreign
fling