HAGEL 2023

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Basement of cristalline granit and gneiss from the Vosges - dry and straight forward.

Appellation:

Alsace

Locality:

Grapes coming exclusively from local soils of the Hagel located bellow the ruins of the 3 castles of Ribeauvillé.

Type of soil:

The Hagel vineyards are in the geological fracture zone of Ribeauvillé. The steep slopes are situated at the beginning of the valley behind Ribeauvillé on the oldest type of soils we can find on earth: gneiss from Precambrian era. Three major points are to be noticed concerning these terroirs: They are chilled by the fresh winds (Tahlwind) coming out of the valley down from the Vosges mountains during summer nights. This maintains the acidity level of the grapes giving nice structures to the resulting wines. The second point is related to the composition of the soils which gives the wines lot of finesse and rightness. Finally, these poor soils allow only very low yields giving concentrated wines.

Certified organic grapes for an enhanced terroir expression:

Started in 2005, our conversion to organic production took a concrete form three years later in 2008 with the ECOCERT certification. Since 2012, all the cellar operations are also covered by the European specification so that we can now speak about organic wines.

Wine character:

Very fine nose with notes of citrus and hints of minerality. On the palate, the wine is straight and vertical. The delicate acidity gives the wine a good length and an interesting ageing potential. Typical dry wine for the gastronomes.

Tips for consuming:

May be served with all dishes which require a dry white wine: crustaceans, shellfish, fish (grilled or served in sauce), white meat, and of course sauerkraut.
Wine to be appreciated immediately. A longer ageing period will lead to the formation of the typical mineral flavours of the Riesling.

The 2023 vintage:

The vintage started rather warmly in May and June, offering ideal flowering conditions. But then, the cooler and rainier episodes of July and early August calmed things down and spread out the veraison. The return of hot and dry conditions at the end of August accelerated maturity. The exceptionally hot and dry conditions of the harvest left a strong impression on everyone this year. The harvest started in our area on September 11 for almost 5 weeks, they were only interrupted once by a very light rain.