2002 Gewurztraminer Selection de Grains Nobles

The 2002 Gewurztraminer Selection de Grains Nobles is redolent of smoked meats, orange liqueur, and brown spices. Honeyed and superbly rich on the palate, it offers an invigorating, mineral-rich, oceanic salinity and carnal depth, combining sheer viscosity with brightness in a manner that Gewurztraminer can only achieve under the influence of subtle desiccation and refined botrytis. While it appears unlikely to ever give its siblings from 2005 or 2001 a run for the gold, it can certainly safely rest in one’s cellar for the next couple of decades. The Hugels – like the Beyers and Trimbachs – are true to tradition in their emphasis on dry-tasting wines across the varietal spectrum and in the release of their best wines only after a year or (usually) more of bottle age. As with Muscat, there is no “regular” bottling of Pinot Gris at Hugel, but rather one begins with a wine of primarily estate origins. In 1999 and 2003, Hugel elected to separately bottle the fruit of their oldest Pinot Noir vines (planted in 1966 in a parcel in the Pflostig known as “Les Neveux”). Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700.