Producer profile: Hugel
The 13th generation has just started working at this famous Alsace producer, notable for setting the rules for (and later boycotting) the region’s grand crus. Margaret Rand meets a few of the family.
Hugel: a timeline
1639 Hans Ulrich Hugel, who settled in Riquewihr during the Thirty Years’ War, is made freeman of the city
1672 Hans Ulrich’s son builds a house in Rue des Cordiers; the shield he carved over the door still appears on Hugel labels
1802 Earliest existing records of Hugel owning land in Sporen and Schoenenbourg. Earlier records were destroyed during wars
1865 & 1876 The last Hugel to be a cooper as well as a grower builds, and dates, casks that are still in use today
1871 Alsace annexed by Germany after the Franco-Prussian War
1902 Frédéric Emile Hugel buys the buildings in Riquewihr where the company is still based
1911 Hugel starts bottling its own wines
1918
Alsace is returned to France under the Treaty of Versailles
1940 Alsace is occuped by Germany
1945 Alsace is returned to France
1948 Jean Hugel’s son Johnny (right, with mother Mimi and brother André) joins the company. Hugel begins working with other growers
1980 Hugel is the first company in Alsace to introduce temperaturecontrolled fermentation
Early 1980s Jean, as president of the Alsace Grand Cru delimitation committee, was charged with drawing the boundaries of the new grands crus. INAO also asked him to draw up rules for VT and SGN wines
1982 Marc starts to take over as winemaker
1983 Etienne starts to take over as head of sales
1984 VT and SGN regulations come into force
1989 The Jubilee range is launched at Hugel’s 350th anniversary party
1992 The decree governing Grands Crus Sporen (above) and Schoenenbourg come into force; Hugel decides not to use the designation
1994 Jean Philippe takes over as CEO
2009 Organic viticulture starts in Schoelhammer. Now, most Hugel vineyards are farmed organically
2011 Jean Frédéric, (above left with Etienne) joins the company, initially running the tasting room
2014 Marc André joins the company
2015 Schoelhammer is launched
Hugel, Classic Riesling, Alsace, France, 2016
Riesling grapes from 12 plots surrounding Riquewihr make up this wine. It's a fresh, limey expression backed by potent acidity. The palate is youthful and...
2016
Hugel
Hugel, Estate Riesling, Alsace, France, 2014
From estate-owned vines - mostly from the high quality Schoenenbourg vineyard - this is a more intense expression compared to the Classic, with a slightly...
2014
Hugel
Hugel, Grossi Laüe Riesling, Alsace, France, 2013
Grossi Laüe hints at the official grand cru status of the Schoenenbourg vineyard, a south-facing patchwork of different soils of which Hugel owns 5ha. 12...
2013
Hugel
Hugel, Grossi Laüe Riesling, Alsace, France, 2012
The 2012 is a quite different expression to the 2013. The vines experienced a more even growing season, and the result is a more savoury...
2012
Hugel
Hugel, Grossi Laüe Riesling, Alsace, France, 2011
A hint of hay and lemon on the nose leads into a creamy palate that's relatively rounded, sitting between the 2013 and 2012 in terms...
2011
Hugel
Hugel, Jubilee Riesling, Alsace, France, 2009
The last vintage before Hugel changed the Jubilee name to 'Grossi Laüe' to better reflect the terroir element of this wine. The grapes are sourced...
2009
Hugel
Hugel, Schoelhammer Riesling, Alsace, France, 2009
2009 was a warm year capped by an Indian summer, producing rich and healthy grapes. Many wines had less acidity than usual, however the clay...
2009
Hugel
Hugel, Schoelhammer Riesling, Alsace, France, 2008
In contrast to 2007, 2008 was a cool and late vintage, but the grapes were harvested healthy if at slightly lower maturity than usual. The...
2008
Hugel
Hugel, Sélection de Grains Nobles Riesling, Alsace, France, 2010
Carefully selected grapes from Hugel's oldest plots in the Schoenenbourg, picked over the course of a month from 27 September, make up this deliciously sweet...
2010
Hugel
Hugel, Classic Riesling, Alsace, France, 2016
Riesling grapes from 12 plots surrounding Riquewihr make up this wine. It's a fresh, limey expression backed by potent acidity. The palate is youthful and...
2016
Hugel
Hugel, Estate Riesling, Alsace, France, 2014
From estate-owned vines - mostly from the high quality Schoenenbourg vineyard - this is a more intense expression compared to the Classic, with a slightly...
2014
Hugel
Hugel, Grossi Laüe Riesling, Alsace, France, 2013
Grossi Laüe hints at the official grand cru status of the Schoenenbourg vineyard, a south-facing patchwork of different soils of which Hugel owns 5ha. 12...
2013
Hugel
Hugel, Grossi Laüe Riesling, Alsace, France, 2012
The 2012 is a quite different expression to the 2013. The vines experienced a more even growing season, and the result is a more savoury...
2012
Hugel
Hugel, Grossi Laüe Riesling, Alsace, France, 2011
A hint of hay and lemon on the nose leads into a creamy palate that's relatively rounded, sitting between the 2013 and 2012 in terms...
2011
Hugel
Hugel, Jubilee Riesling, Alsace, France, 2009
The last vintage before Hugel changed the Jubilee name to 'Grossi Laüe' to better reflect the terroir element of this wine. The grapes are sourced...
2009
Hugel
Hugel, Schoelhammer Riesling, Alsace, France, 2009
2009 was a warm year capped by an Indian summer, producing rich and healthy grapes. Many wines had less acidity than usual, however the clay...
2009
Hugel
Hugel, Schoelhammer Riesling, Alsace, France, 2008
In contrast to 2007, 2008 was a cool and late vintage, but the grapes were harvested healthy if at slightly lower maturity than usual. The...
2008
Hugel
Hugel, Sélection de Grains Nobles Riesling, Alsace, France, 2010
Carefully selected grapes from Hugel's oldest plots in the Schoenenbourg, picked over the course of a month from 27 September, make up this deliciously sweet...
2010
Hugel
