2014 Hugel Schoelhammer Riesling, Alsace

How can a dry riesling that’s not far off 10 years old have this much vitality and purity of yellow fruit? It’s something only a few very special top sites can give you. Concentrated, juicy and extremely fine this has close to perfect balance. This ravishing beauty is a miracle, because, generally speaking, this vintage was afflicted by a ton of problems. Drink or hold.

98 points jamessuckling.com

Hugel's 2014 Riesling Schoelhammer opens with a clear and remarkably fine and herbal bouquet that indicates perfectly ripe and concentrated fruit that is reminiscent of ripe mirabelles. On the palate, this is a rich and textural, very elegant and refined yet highly complex and long-lasting Schoenenbourg that combines power with incredible finesse. The finish is very long, stimulating and complex due to the remarkably fine saline acidity. This is a stellar Riesling from Alsace, and although I didn't taste it along with the great 2010, I dare say this is possibly the finest Schoelhammer Hugel has produced so far. 13.5% stated alcohol. Diam cork. Tasted at the domaine in April 2024.

As always, the Hugel tasting with Jean Frédéric Hugel includes a range of vintages, with the 2022 being the youngest and the 2014, 2016 and sweet 2015 the oldest. The 2014 Schoelhammer from Schoenenbourg, which is not marketed as grand cru, is an outstanding Riesling from the vintage and even surpasses the estate's own still-very-superb grand cru Schoenenbourg, of which the 2014 and 2016 vintages are available for purchase. The 2016 Sporen is once again a great Gewürztraminer, and the generic Vendange Tardive also shows once more that Hugel is one of the best producers of this variety in Alsace. The same applies to the 2016 Pinot Gris, particularly from the Clos du Pflostig and the grand cru Sporen. Hugel is also contributing to the rapid upswing of the Alsace Pinot Noir, because the 2016 Clos du Pflostig is remarkably fine and elegant but also intense and has an irresistible umami flavor.

98 points Stephan Reinhardt

The 2014 Hugel Schoelhammer Riesling is the pinnacle of precision and pedigree from one of Alsace’s most historic producers. This wine marks the very top tier of Hugel’s Riesling portfolio, a single-vineyard, single-varietal masterpiece sourced from the famed Schoelhammer parcel in the heart of the grand cru Schoenenbourg. It’s a wine of immense structure, steely elegance, and profound ageing potential.

Hugel, founded in 1639 in the village of Riquewihr, is one of the oldest and most respected names in Alsace. Still family-owned and operated, the estate is now led by Jean-Frédéric Hugel, representing the 13th generation. The family has long championed Riesling as the region’s greatest white grape, and Schoelhammer is their ultimate expression of it.

The vineyard sits on a south-facing slope composed of deep, rich marl and limestone soils that have produced Rieslings of great longevity for centuries. The parcel is farmed using lutte raisonnée practices, and yields are kept deliberately low. The 2014 vintage — the inaugural commercial release of this wine — was cool and classic, allowing for slow ripening, balanced acidities and exceptional aromatic purity.

Fermented and aged in neutral oak casks in Hugel’s ancient cellars, the wine was held back for extended bottle ageing before release to allow it to knit together and begin revealing its depth. In the glass, it is tightly wound yet incredibly expressive: think lime oil, white flowers, crushed slate, green tea and flint, layered over a spine of rapier-like acidity. The palate is dry, linear and mineral to the core, with immense length and a coiled tension that suggests decades of life ahead.

It is a wine that rewards contemplation and deserves air. Pair it with Dover sole in beurre blanc, scallop ceviche, or veal tartare with lemon and fennel. While already impressive, it will continue to evolve over the next 20 years and beyond.