Famille Hugel Classic Pinot Noir 2019 NO20230712 with rose petals

with rose petals

slightly sweet

and the LA River crew

accented by notes of pastry cream and subtle chalky minerality

aged four years on the lees

Famille Hugel Classic Pinot Noir 2019 NO20230712 with rose petalsAlsace is so famous for its whites that its Pinot Noir gets to fly under the radar which is exactly where the value hides. The Hugel family has been making wine in Riquewihr since 1639, thirteen generations deep, and their Classic Pinot Noir shows what the region does with the grape when it isn't trying to cosplay Burgundy. It's destemmed, briefly macerated, and raised in tank rather than barrel, so no oak gets in the way of the fruit. The result is