Schoelhammer 2009 embodies the expertise acquired by the Hugel Family since 1639. We have always sought out the purest and most natural expression of each noble Alsace grape variety that we grow in our historic vineyard estates around Riquewihr. Famille Hugel was established in 1639 by Hans Ulrich Hugel and is one of the regions most loved producers and largest landholders with in excess of 120 hectares of vineyards to their name. Situated in Riquewihr the estate has over the years built an enviable reputation for the consistency and quality of its wines. The Hugel label wines are the companies negoce offerings, the Tradition range is often a blend of purchased and estate grown fruit and the Jubilee range comes solely from the estates own vineyards. The Vendange Tardive and Selection de Grains Nobles wines from the domaine are considered to be some of the finest in Alsace.

The Rheingau wines of Robert Weil have reached well beyond cult status and today are revered across the globe as some of Germany’s most superlative Rieslings. Based in the town of Kiedrich, Weil’s wines are fuelled by the three epic, high altitude, south facing vineyards of Klosterberg, Turmberg and most famously, Gräfenberg, all situated in the foothills of the Taunus Mountains.

Within Kiedrich’s Gräfenberg Grand Cru lies a small 0.5-hectare parcel once known as the Gräfenberg-Lay. Sitting in one of the steepest portions of the vineyard, the Lay is located at the transition between Gräfenberg and Turmberg and is known for having the highest concentration of phyllite slate on the hill. The vines here are now between 40 and 60 years old. This site was originally purchased by Dr Robert Weil in the 19th century, using the dowry from his marriage to Emilie von Vacano (a descendant of the Vacano family in Lombardy). The wine from this parcel, called Monte Vacano (the Hill of Vacano) was always produced and bottled alone. It was used only for celebratory occasions and never released for sale. Following Weil's death in 1921, the tradition of Monte Vacano fell dormant, and the fruit was incorporated into a regular Gräfenberg bottling. Compared to the Gräfenberg GG, Monte Vacano trades power and richness for exceptional purity, elegance and detail. Resurrecting the old custom, 2021 marks the fourth Riesling in a century made solely from this special lieu-dit. It was harvested in October, and the grapes were whole bunch-pressed into two ancient refurbished Stückfässer (1,200-litre casks) where the wine fermented wild and spent almost two years on lees before bottling.