Review: Hugel et Fils Riesling "Jubilee Hugel" 2002

As you can read in my last post, I absolutely love Alsatian Rieslings. Of course, one thing that must always be remembered is that, with any wine, some producers are better than others. Alsace is no exception. In any region, there are bound to be some bad producers, some good producers, and a handful of very good to great producers. Hugel et Fils is one of these producers in Alsace that makes some superb wines.

When I was there, I picked up a bottle of their Jubilee Hugel 2002 Riesling. I finally opened it the other day, and here are my thoughts:

Clear and pale grey/green in color, this wine has a complex nose in the glass of white peach, apricot, honeydew, pears, rubber, and a slight wet stone smell.

On the palate, it shows the beauty of Alsatian riesling. It has a strong acidity that surrounds such up front fruit flavors as dried apricots, peaches, kumquats, and lemons which all lead into a long finish of minerality (almost making me think of mineral water such as san peligrino). The finish lasts a good length and ends with a crisp finish that keeps the palate sharp.

This is a very balanced wine that is a very good example of an Alsatian Riesling. It would pair very well with fish or poultry that has been prepared with some kind of citrus such as seabass en papillote or chicken picatta as well as porkloin that has been prepared either grilled or broiled and rubbed with fresh herbs.

Final rating: 90