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A kind invitation was passed my way to attend another German wine tasting courtesy of my new friend Georg and Tse Wei. As little as I knew about Trocken wines from the last tasting, I knew even less about the themed wines for this tasting: white German wines that are not based on Riesling or hybrids grapes. I couldnt pass up the chance to broaden my experience, though I knew these wines would be served blind and Id be humiliated while forced to guess what they were. I apologize for the quality of my notes. I have no reference point for these wines so imagine a 9 year old child drank the wines and wrote the notes (minus the whole burden of the state thing).
1A Smells a bit like Alvarinho with citrus and green apple notes on the nose. The palate was light with a touch of minerality. My guess? Pedestrian white wine. 2007 Helmut Dolde-Silvaner Onkle Fritz
1B Steely nose, and larger boned than the previous wine, this was a wine made in the profile of wines that people want to make well, but come off as a bit formulaic. Nice. 2007 Ziereisen Gutedel Steingruble
1C Very lightweight wine, like dandelion fluff in a glass. 2007 Max Markgraf von Baden Auxerrois Gailinger Schloss Rheinburg
2A Lovely floral nose giving way to a bright palate with good balance, some fruit tannin, and an interesting sweet and sour finish. Quite good. 2007 Schnaitmann Sauvignon Blanc*** When I learned it was SB, I noticed that it reminded me of a clean Savignon-heavy Bordeaux Blanc.
2B Smelled like feet, tasted like copper pennies but in a good way. Funky, non-typical wine that ended up my WOTN. Uncouth and unapologetic. Imagine the hickness of VLM and the jingoism of VS now totally forget both. 2004 Okonomierat Rebholz Muskateller Kabinett Trocken.
2C Dried flowers and juicy fruit was my impression. My man-date for the evening, Charles Weiss, profetically noted red fruit nuances. Very nice, and like 2B, unexpected. 2004 Okonomierat Rebholz Spatburgunder Blanc de Noir Spatlese Troken. Georg giggled as he unveiled this white ringer.
3A White currents. Linear. Seemingly plain in the shadow of two Rebholz in a row. Im a bit surprised to learn that this is 1999 Koehler-Ruprecht Chardonnay Philippi
3B Composty nose, really funky palate. I am not sure if I love it or hate it. Of course, it is another Rebholz 2002 Weissburgunder Siebeldinger in Sonnenschien GG.
3C Mineral and musk do battle in this wine. Heavy, but not cumbersome. 2007 Michael Frohlich Silvaner Escherndorfer Lump GG.
4A Spiramint was a promonent note on the nose and the palate of this wine. It wasnt barrel derived, but rather a very organic presence. There was a viscosity that would, upon unveiling the producer, make sense. 2004 Muller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Spatleze.
4B Confectionary and past its prime, but still interesting: 1993 Hans Wirsching Iphofer Kronsberg Scheurebe Spatlese Trocken.
5A Immediately this entry asserted itself as an easy to drink wine with excellent acidity. It screamed for food in the way that only honest wines can. 2007 Schnaitmann Trollinger** Alte Reben
5B More polished and with some dark fruit notes, I appreciated 5A more. 2007 Schnaitmann Schwarzriesling***.
6A Not a lot of residual sugar, but plenty of sweet fruit notes. 2007 Karl Haidle Muskattrollinger Stettener Monchberg
6B Musky, not good. Possibly flawed. 2005 Wachtsetter Samtrot Ernst Combe
6C Odd. Yes, that is the limit to my notes on this wine. Odd. 2007 Dr. E Schmidt Fruhburgunder Trocken Clemens
Reds
7A Again, one of those fairly formulaic wines that could have come from anywhere. 2003 Koehler-Ruprecht Cabernet Sauvignon Philippi
7B While the other red was paint by the numbers, this was far more expressive of something unique. It started a bit slow, but then grew on me with each sip. A perfect picnicing wine. I note this positively, and not because a family member was at the table. 2006 Wachtstetter Lemberger Junges Schwaben
Sweet
8A Tropical and familiar, this is a grape that I know. Very nice. 2006 Klaus Zimmerling Gewurztraminer
8B Unipressive in its simplicity 2004 Koehler-Ruprecht Scheurebe Beerenauslese Kallstadter Steinacker
8C Not a great flight for this to be served blind in, since it came after two wines with a lot of RS and this had very little, but it still impressed as an off-dry wine with excellent acidity. 2003 Okonomierat Rebholz Muskateller Spatlese. Clearly not as wacky and the drier wines that Rebholz makes, or maybe it is the age that settles it down.
8D Machined dessert wine. Drinkable. 2007 Basserman-Jordan Goldmuskateller Eiswein
Final impressions: Some of these offbeat wines deserve attention and have some potential for grassroots viability. Others seemed to be a labor of love, but not marketable. I was reminded of the trip to the Piedmont almost two years back. Even though it wasnt my cup of tea, all the producers want you to try the Freisa and understand how they have assumed ownership of its continuation despite taking up vineyard space that could be used on a more expensive product. Its commendable. Rebholz continues to impress and scare me at the same time. I have no idea what was going on with the Koehler-Ruprecht wines, though it has recently been intimated to me that it might have something to do with the ownership. I dont know, the 2001 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Spatlese Trocken "R" tasted a few months back was enough to seduce a purely Austrian Riesling lover like myself. Also, in the right hands (and broth) cow tongue and lamb tongue rules.
Best,
Joe
1A Smells a bit like Alvarinho with citrus and green apple notes on the nose. The palate was light with a touch of minerality. My guess? Pedestrian white wine. 2007 Helmut Dolde-Silvaner Onkle Fritz
1B Steely nose, and larger boned than the previous wine, this was a wine made in the profile of wines that people want to make well, but come off as a bit formulaic. Nice. 2007 Ziereisen Gutedel Steingruble
1C Very lightweight wine, like dandelion fluff in a glass. 2007 Max Markgraf von Baden Auxerrois Gailinger Schloss Rheinburg
2A Lovely floral nose giving way to a bright palate with good balance, some fruit tannin, and an interesting sweet and sour finish. Quite good. 2007 Schnaitmann Sauvignon Blanc*** When I learned it was SB, I noticed that it reminded me of a clean Savignon-heavy Bordeaux Blanc.
2B Smelled like feet, tasted like copper pennies but in a good way. Funky, non-typical wine that ended up my WOTN. Uncouth and unapologetic. Imagine the hickness of VLM and the jingoism of VS now totally forget both. 2004 Okonomierat Rebholz Muskateller Kabinett Trocken.
2C Dried flowers and juicy fruit was my impression. My man-date for the evening, Charles Weiss, profetically noted red fruit nuances. Very nice, and like 2B, unexpected. 2004 Okonomierat Rebholz Spatburgunder Blanc de Noir Spatlese Troken. Georg giggled as he unveiled this white ringer.
3A White currents. Linear. Seemingly plain in the shadow of two Rebholz in a row. Im a bit surprised to learn that this is 1999 Koehler-Ruprecht Chardonnay Philippi
3B Composty nose, really funky palate. I am not sure if I love it or hate it. Of course, it is another Rebholz 2002 Weissburgunder Siebeldinger in Sonnenschien GG.
3C Mineral and musk do battle in this wine. Heavy, but not cumbersome. 2007 Michael Frohlich Silvaner Escherndorfer Lump GG.
4A Spiramint was a promonent note on the nose and the palate of this wine. It wasnt barrel derived, but rather a very organic presence. There was a viscosity that would, upon unveiling the producer, make sense. 2004 Muller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Spatleze.
4B Confectionary and past its prime, but still interesting: 1993 Hans Wirsching Iphofer Kronsberg Scheurebe Spatlese Trocken.
5A Immediately this entry asserted itself as an easy to drink wine with excellent acidity. It screamed for food in the way that only honest wines can. 2007 Schnaitmann Trollinger** Alte Reben
5B More polished and with some dark fruit notes, I appreciated 5A more. 2007 Schnaitmann Schwarzriesling***.
6A Not a lot of residual sugar, but plenty of sweet fruit notes. 2007 Karl Haidle Muskattrollinger Stettener Monchberg
6B Musky, not good. Possibly flawed. 2005 Wachtsetter Samtrot Ernst Combe
6C Odd. Yes, that is the limit to my notes on this wine. Odd. 2007 Dr. E Schmidt Fruhburgunder Trocken Clemens
Reds
7A Again, one of those fairly formulaic wines that could have come from anywhere. 2003 Koehler-Ruprecht Cabernet Sauvignon Philippi
7B While the other red was paint by the numbers, this was far more expressive of something unique. It started a bit slow, but then grew on me with each sip. A perfect picnicing wine. I note this positively, and not because a family member was at the table. 2006 Wachtstetter Lemberger Junges Schwaben
Sweet
8A Tropical and familiar, this is a grape that I know. Very nice. 2006 Klaus Zimmerling Gewurztraminer
8B Unipressive in its simplicity 2004 Koehler-Ruprecht Scheurebe Beerenauslese Kallstadter Steinacker
8C Not a great flight for this to be served blind in, since it came after two wines with a lot of RS and this had very little, but it still impressed as an off-dry wine with excellent acidity. 2003 Okonomierat Rebholz Muskateller Spatlese. Clearly not as wacky and the drier wines that Rebholz makes, or maybe it is the age that settles it down.
8D Machined dessert wine. Drinkable. 2007 Basserman-Jordan Goldmuskateller Eiswein
Final impressions: Some of these offbeat wines deserve attention and have some potential for grassroots viability. Others seemed to be a labor of love, but not marketable. I was reminded of the trip to the Piedmont almost two years back. Even though it wasnt my cup of tea, all the producers want you to try the Freisa and understand how they have assumed ownership of its continuation despite taking up vineyard space that could be used on a more expensive product. Its commendable. Rebholz continues to impress and scare me at the same time. I have no idea what was going on with the Koehler-Ruprecht wines, though it has recently been intimated to me that it might have something to do with the ownership. I dont know, the 2001 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Spatlese Trocken "R" tasted a few months back was enough to seduce a purely Austrian Riesling lover like myself. Also, in the right hands (and broth) cow tongue and lamb tongue rules.
Best,
Joe