Riesling Classic
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled sea bass, choucroute garnie, roasted poultry
✨ Technical Specifications
Hugel's Riesling Classic is the quintessential introduction to the dry, mineral-driven style of Alsace Riesling. Sourced from estate-owned vineyards and long-term grower partners around the historic village of Riquewihr, these grapes benefit from a complex mosaic of clay, limestone, and marl soils. Historically, Hugel has championed dry Rieslings that express pure varietal character without the influence of new oak. The grapes are hand-harvested and gently pressed, with the juice fermented in temperature-controlled vats and aged in historic, large century-old oak casks (foudres) that impart texture without oak flavors. This wine represents a centuries-old tradition of Alsatian winemaking, delivering a crisp, bone-dry profile defined by vibrant acidity, green apple, citrus, and a distinct stony minerality.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1639 by Hans Ulrich Hugel in the fortified medieval village of Riquewihr, Famille Hugel represents one of the world's most enduring wine dynasties, spanning thirteen consecutive generations. The domaine oversees approximately 30 hectares of estate vineyards—largely concentrated in premier climats including the famed Grand Cru Schoenenbourg and Sporen—supplemented by contractual partnerships across Alsace. Sheltered by the Vosges Mountains in one of France’s driest meso-climates, the steep, south-facing parcels benefit from complex geological mosaics of Triassic limestone, marl, and sandstone. Viticulture follows sustainable lutte raisonnée principles with manual harvesting. Winemaking favors classical restraint: pneumatic pressing, spontaneous fermentation via indigenous yeasts, and élevage in century-old neutral oak foudres, devoid of cosmetic wood influence or chaptalization. Famille Hugel famously pioneered the modern codification of Alsace late-harvest wines; its benchmark portfolio is headlined by the dry, structured Grossi Laüe single-terroir bottlings alongside historically revered Vendange Tardive and botrytized Sélection de Grains Nobles cuvées.
🍇 Grapes
Riesling
🍷 ABV
12% - 13%