Rieslingfeier 2017: The Grand Tasting

[Jeff Grossman]

This year the main event was held at Craft Restaurant. Apparently, this is a much better space then wherever-it-was last year; people complained bitterly about over-crowding last year. This year, the crowd was quite manageable for the first hour and not all that terrible for the next hour.

All riesling wines.

Regions reprsented:
- Wachau... Alzinger, Hirtzberger
- Rheingau... Eva Fricke, Leitz, J.B. Becker
- Pfalz... Von Winning
- Nahe... Donnhoff, Schlossgut Diel
- Swabia... Beurer
- Mosel... Clemens Busch, Selbach-Oster, Vollenweider, Schloss Lieser
- Saar... Hofgut Falkenstein, Egon Muller

Every house was represented by the wine-maker him- or herself. They poured four wines at each table: a basic bottling, followed by two of the better wines, followed by "something for the VIPs". (I had a VIP admission but so did many others and sometimes the VIP wine was finished before I got there; so it goes.)

As this was a walkaround event, I assign a grade on a scale of --- to +++ to all wines and only take notes on exceptional ones. If I list a wine without a note and didn't mark it down you may assume that it passed this test: Would I keep drinking this wine at the dinner table?

Finally, it is unavoidable that my preferences show. Firstly, a trocken wine has to work harder than a pradikat wine to pull my trigger. Secondly, I agree that Kabinett is the unique German contribution to wine-making: when it is well-made, pure, taut, nervy, teasing but not torturing, tangy but not sharp - it is the most exciting white wine to drink.

Alzinger - Leo Alzinger was a little distracted so we did not have much chance to chat, other than for him to express his pleasure with the 2015 vintage and how easy it was to vinify.
2015 Durnsteiner Federspiel 1
2015 Hollerin Smaragd - this one stood out from the others for its balance and for a chalky minerality that reminded me of some champagnes and chablis and which added complexity to otherwise too-young wine; 1.5
2015 Loibenberg Smaragd 1

Hirtzberger - Franz Hirtzberger came equipped with maps and an iPad to show exactly where each vineyard is located. He likes his wines best at 5-7 years from vintage.
2015 Setzberg Smaragd - there was something more savory, almost red-fruity about this wine that made it attractive; 1.5
2015 Hochrain Smaragd 1
2015 Singerriedel Smaragd - built on a bigger and more vivid frame; 1.5
2012 Singerriedel Smaragd - nice to see that this ages really well; 1.5

Eva Fricke
2015 Kiedrich Trocken - clay soils, lacks zip; 0
2015 Lorch Trocken - grey slate 1
2015 Lorcher Schlossberg Trocken -

 

[Jeff Grossman]

One photo:

 

[Oswaldo Costa]

Danke!

 

[John M]

Thanks for a great recap of the Gränd Tasting, Jeff. Below are a handful of complementary impressions from my tour through the room.

Alzinger
I enjoyed the 2015 Loibenberg and Steinertal Smaragds quite a bit, and in fact, they made me think I might just start buying Smaragds again. I had been running into a bunch that didn't have the grace I love in Riesling, but that was not an issue with either of these two wines.

Clemens Busch
I thought the Marianburg GG came from grey slate, not red slate. It had the style of minerality would match grey slate, and I loved it. The Rotenpfad GG was a step above as you note, and it had a particularly striking aromatic profile.

Vollenweider
Loved the Goldgrube Kabinett and Spätlese. That's exactly what you indicate, but I just had to pipe up on these since I'd probably go higher than a "+ and a half".

Falkenstein
My wine-of-the-table here was the 2015 Sonnenberg Spätlese Feinherb. The bit of additional sugar compared to the trocken gave it some lovely roundness. Which makes me wonder, what does your comment of "no +, no -" indicate?

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by John M:
Falkenstein
My wine-of-the-table here was the 2015 Sonnenberg Spätlese Feinherb. The bit of additional sugar compared to the trocken gave it some lovely roundness. Which makes me wonder, what does your comment of "no +, no -" indicate?

Both wines were akin: more Juicy-Fruit than a lot of other rieslings there, the Trocken (15g) finished unpleasantly dry and sandy, the Feinherb was better but just didn't grab me. Sorry, not much more to add, really, than chacun.

 

[VLM]

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
As this was a walkaround event, I assign a grade on a scale of --- to +++ to all wines and only take notes on exceptional ones. If I list a wine without a note you may assume that it was + and passed this test: Would I keep drinking this wine at the table?

I found your rating system impenetrable. What does this mean?

2015 Felsenfest Trocken - no +, no -

Just use a numerical scale with, your caveats are good ones and enough to make sense of a number.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by VLM:

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
As this was a walkaround event, I assign a grade on a scale of --- to +++ to all wines and only take notes on exceptional ones. If I list a wine without a note you may assume that it was + and passed this test: Would I keep drinking this wine at the table?

I found your rating system impenetrable. What does this mean?

2015 Felsenfest Trocken - no +, no -

Just use a numerical scale with, your caveats are good ones and enough to make sense of a number.

Sorry.

I reposted with numbers.

 

[John M]

originally posted by Jeff Grossman:

originally posted by John M:
Falkenstein
My wine-of-the-table here was the 2015 Sonnenberg Spätlese Feinherb. The bit of additional sugar compared to the trocken gave it some lovely roundness. Which makes me wonder, what does your comment of "no +, no -" indicate?

Both wines were akin: more Juicy-Fruit than a lot of other rieslings there, the Trocken (15g) finished unpleasantly dry and sandy, the Feinherb was better but just didn't grab me. Sorry, not much more to add, really, than chacun.

Got it. On your original scale of --- to +++ this was an ∅ or {} depending on your preferred notation for the empty set. I think I rather enjoy this rating system! Myself, I would have put the Feinherb in the + and a half range, or (+ + ++)/2.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by John M:
Got it. On your original scale of --- to +++ this was an ∅ or {} depending on your preferred notation for the empty set.

Well, to be completely correct, a null score would indicate that I did not record a score. This is a zero.

I think I rather enjoy this rating system! Myself, I would have put the Feinherb in the + and a half range, or (+ + ++)/2.

Thanks. It's actually pretty easy when you have very little time to jot and very little paper to jot upon.

 

[Robert Dentice]

I have so much to say about a wonderful week of Riesling events. I will start with adding some thoughts to Jeff's great notes on the grand tasting.

It is tough to compare producers in this tasting because they are all at a very high level.

I love 2015 in Austria and need to buy some, I have not bought much because I went crazy on 2015 Germans.

I think 2015 in Germany is great but it is a warm vintage that will take a long time to show if it is truly great. For drinking now I much prefer 2013.

Eva Fricke continues to evolve and her 2015s are stunning.

Beurer wines are also outstanding.

Within the small crew of winemakers I was tasting with we all liked Donnhoff much more than Jeff. I have also tasted the entire 2015 lineup on another occasion and wonder if Jeff had an off bottle.

The older Von Winning did nothing to convince me that their oak regime will work with time.

J.B. Becker is my hero!!!

Off to the finale of Rieslingfeier week, the J.B. Becker dinner!

 

[Jeff Grossman]

OK, I changed the original post back to the -3 to +3 scale.

Robert, I agree that I did not have an optimal or even recognizable experience at Donnhoff's table.

 

[Jayson Cohen]

Pretty well aligned here with Jeff.

GG wines overall were underwhelming, texturally challenged, and over-represented. But I did like the Leitz Schlossberg more than Jeff although i was lamenting with Johannes that he feels he can't make spatlese from the site any more due to global warming / lower acidity at ripeness.

Found Becker and Fricke completely underwhelming. I don't get it.

Falkenstein was a fine revelation for me. And a dynamic young estate.

Egon Muller predictably good (in the Saar). 2015 QBA is wonderfully fresh. 2011 auslese full of clear as a bell botrytis. Loved Selbach's pradikat wines. I have 20-year history with drinking his wines young and old, and think his wines are always delightful, including what was poured here.

Quite liked Diel. Just as Jeff noted. But have never been to a less convincing Donnhoff line up. Even NH spatlese was relatively uninteresting to me, dominated by up front strangely bananaish fruit. Willing to give this the benefit given the track record but .... Not the 2002. And I thought it a shame to think the disappointing Felsenturmchen GG might detract from the Felsenberg spatlese (not poured) given how much I've come to love the latter over the years. Also the least interesting Leistenbetg i can remember. I know Theise said he thought this was the year that Cornelius really came into his own, but whether from global warming or because the son is not the father or you can't taste Nahe after MSR or I don't know what, my interest here is fading.

Thought Alzinger Steinertal was their best - very lovely and elegant weight - but Hirtzberger Singerriedel's were the Austrian stars. Not too surprising. Continues to manage its size brilliantly.