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American Whiskey Producers in Germany

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Picture: At the Bar Convent Berlin

Frank Coleman led a Group of 18 Spirits Producers from the United States 

Eighteen American spirits producers - most of them micro - distilleries and whiskey producers – came in October of this year to Germany to make their products (better) known here. Stops included Frankfurt, Duesseldorf and Berlin.

Picture: Chris Morris, Master Distiller of Brown-Forman and Woodford Reserve, Kentucky, at a Whiskey Tasting with Dinner at Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main

Picture: Chris Morris, Master Distiller of Brown-Forman and Woodford Reserve, Kentucky, Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser in Oestrich-Winkle, and Frank Coleman, Senior Vice-President, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, at Weingut August Eser on the Way from Frankfurt am Main to Duesseldorf

Picture:  Asbach Uralt Tasting in Ruedesheim with Asbach Uralt Managing Director Christopher Dellee and Chris Morris, Master Distiller of Brown-Forman and Woodford Reserve, Kentucky

The group was headed by Frank Coleman, the head of the Association "Distilled Spirits Council of the United States." The undisputed star of the group was Chris Morris, master distiller for Brown -Forman and Woodford Reserve in Kentucky. He is the seventh of his profession since the founding of Brown - Forman in 1870. The other producers were small and medium-sized manufacturers, such as the very likeable Don Garrison, of the Garrison Brothers Distillery from Texas, who want to get (more) into the German market. "In the last ten years, sales of American spirits, especially whiskey, recorded an increase of 84 % in Germany" Frank Coleman said.

Picture: Annette Schiller, Ombiasy Wine Tours and Public Relations, and Philip E. Prichard, Prichards' Distillery, Tennessee, in Berlin. The Whiskey Tour was organized by Annette Schiller and her Team.

Whiskey Shut Down

In Berlin, the reception and the press briefing at the U.S. Embassy with the Ambassador unfortunately had to be reorganized on short notice and moved to a Berlin Hotel - because of the American budget crisis. But despite these problems, the event turned out to be a big success. The emphasis in Berlin was the Bar Convent Berlin (BCB), which took place during October 7 and 8. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States had its own stand, providing the American spirits producers excellent opportunities to present their products to the professional audience at the BCB. All American producers were very satisfied and many want to come back next year. The Bar Convent Berlin has become one of the most important platforms for the bar and spirits industry in Germany since its inception seven years ago.

Picture: The American Pavillion at the Bar Convent Berlin

Picture: The American Pavillion at the Bar Convent Berlin

Picture: Taking Pictures of Frank Coleman

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at the Bar Convent Berlin

Picture: The "Macher" of the Bar Convent Berlin

Frankfurt and Duesseldorf

The four days in Berlin were preceded with events in Frankfurt and Duesseldorf with Frank Coleman and Chris Morris. In Duesseldorf, Falstaff organized a whiskey tasting with dinner in the “Im Schiffchen”. Chris Morris led an entertaining and educational tasting with four very different American whiskeys. The aim of the tasting was to give a broad overview of the world of American whiskeys.

Pictures: Whiskey Tasting in "Im Schiffchen"

Following the tasting, guests were treated to an excellent four-course menu.

It was a terrific evening, which all who were present will remember as an extremely successful symbiosis of German and American delicacies.

Pictures: Chef Jean-Claude Bourgueil, Im Schiffchen, and Ursula Haslauer, Managing Director and Co-owner of Falstaff Deutschland

The initial version of this article (in German) appeared on October 15, 2013 in Falstaff.de:
Amerikanische Whiskey-Hersteller in Deutschland 

A somewhat longer version, also including a review of the whiskeys tasted in Duesseldorf, appeared on October 16, 2013 on schiller-wine:
Amerikanische Whiskey Hersteller in Deutschland

Weingut Wachstetter in Wuerttemberg – A Profile, Germany

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Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Rainer Wachtstetter, Weingut Wachtstetter inPfaffenberg, Wuerttemberg

I visited with the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim the Württemberg wine region for 2 days, including Weingut Wachstetter in Pfaffenberg, which is one of the leading wine producers in the Württemberg wine region.

See:
Touring (and Visiting 4 Wineries in) the Württemberg Wine Region (Zabergäu), Germany

Wine Region Württemberg

Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 German states that make up Germany. Baden-Wuerttemberg is one of the growth centers of Germany due to its booming export industries. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are prime examples. Baden-Württemberg comprises two wine growing areas, Baden and Württemberg.

Wine from Württemberg is mainly red wine. The main production area is along the Neckar River between Stuttgart and Heilbronn. There are also vineyards on Lake Constance that belong to Württemberg.

More wine is consumed here (per capita) than anywhere else in Germany - actually twice as much as in the rest of Germany. The German poet Friedrich von Schiller wrote already several centuries ago: “A Württemberger without wine--is that a real Württemberger?”

The Trollinger is the most popular variety, which is grown almost exclusively in Württemberg. It is a nice table wine that goes well with the local food. If you are looking for a premium wine, Lemberger (known as Blaufränkisch in Austria and Kékfrankos in its Hungarian homeland) is the grape variety to go for. The Lemberger made by Weingut Dautel and Weingut Wachstetter, which we had during the tour, can compete with the best red wines in the world.

Pictures: Weingut Wachtstetter

With 11,000 hectares under vine, Württemberg is Germany's fourth largest wine region. Winemaking cooperatives are very common in Württemberg, number around 70, and are responsible for almost 75% of the region's production.

Wines from Württemberg are hard to find in the US. This is partly explained by the production structure, which is dominated by co-operatives. These co-operatives are known for producing top class wines. But they tend to be less aggressive in terms of penetrating new markets.

Weingut Wachtstetter

Weingut Wachstetter is in Pfaffenberg, right in the middle of the village. It is a traditional family operation, with 3 generations living under one roof and working together. Weingut Wachstetter is in particular known for its premium Lembergers (known as Blaufränkisch in Austria and Kékfrankos in its Hungarian homeland).

Today, Rainer Wachtstetter is at the helm of Weingut Wachtstetter. He owns and runs the winery now in the 4th generation. It all started with Karl and Ernst Combé, the great-grandfather and the grandfather of Rainer. In particular Ernst left a strong impression on Rainer, which explains why one the Wachstetter product lines is called Ernst Combé line.

Pictures: Rainer Wachstetter with Annette and Felix Wachstetter

In 1979, Ernst Combé - with his son-in-law Roland and daughter Anni – decided to move their wine production by beginning to bottle and sell directly his wine. When Rainer Wachtstetter joint in 1987 the family winery at the age of 19, it was clear that he would push on in that direction. Indeed, since then, the vineyard area has expanded from 3 to 17 hectares and Weingut Wachstetter has become one of the best red wine producers in Wuerttemberg, if not in Germany.

Rainer Wachtstetter

Rainer Wachtstetter is in charge of winemaking today. He has a degree of Weinbautechniker. His wife Annette looks after sales and the accounts, father Roland and mother Anni continue to help. Rainer and Annette have 3 children, Felix, Louis und Anna; Felix helped when we were there.

Picture: VDP Member Rainer Wachstetter

Rainer Wachtstetter is a founding member of the winemaker group Junges Schwaben; the group was awarded the ArtVinum Prize in 2010 as Europe’s Best Up-and-coming Winemakers. In 2009, Rainer Wachtstetter became a member of the VdP, the association of German elite winemakers.

Lemberger and Other Grape Varieties

The specialty of Weingut Wachtstetter is the Lemberger. Rainer Wachtstetter devotes 35% of the vineyard area to this grape variety. He definitely has become one of the best Lemberger producers in Württemberg.

Pictures: With Rainer Wachstetter in the Wine Cellar

Stuart Pigott: “Yes, I know that you’re probably asking yourselves who the hell Rainer Wachtstetter is and if a red wine from Württemberg can really be worth recommending this highly, but this is a rare bargain amongst „serious“ red wines. Wachtstetter has been perfecting the making of red wines from the Lemberger grape for over a decade and the result is this medium-bodied, supply tannic dry wine with a wonderful bouquet in which elderberry, plum, baking spices and something floral mingle. Where’s my glass?”

Besides Lemberger and (of course) Trollinger, Rainer Wachtstetter also makes Pinot Noir, Samtrot and Dornfelder. Rainer Wachtstetter is not only a specialist in red wines, but also makes excellent white wines, including Riesling.

Classification

Of course, as a member of the VDP, Weingut Wachtstaetter is following the new VDP classification. But you can still find elements of the old Weingut Wachstetter classification. Rainer Wachstetter has devoted a series of Riesling, Spätburgunder and Lemberger at the middle level to his 3 children Anna, Louis und Felix. The Ernst Combé series with red wines fermented and aged in barrique represents ultr-premium wines. The Grosses Gewaechs from the Grosse Lage Pfaffenhofener Hohenberg ( Riesling and Lemberger) represent ultra-premium dry wines.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Wachtstetter

Gasthaus Adler

Since the beginning of the 1900s, the small and cosy Gasthaus Adler – a wine tavern - has been an integral part of the Weingut Wachtstetters. Today, it is only open durng a few weekends in the spring and the autumn. We had our tasting in the Gasthaus Adler, which has room for 60 guests. We did not eat there, but Rainer Wachtstetter explained that the food is very much local food. In particular, the Gasthaus Adler has been known for many decades for its superb Spanferkel, with home-made Spätzle und Kartoffelsalat.

Tasting

We tasted the following excellent wines. All wines were bone-dry.

Pictures: The Wines

2011 Lemberger weissgekelterter Sekt brut
2012 Riesling Kabinett trocken
2012 Anna Riesling trocken
2012 Grauburgunder trocken
2012 Lemberger blanc de noir trocken
2012 Muskat-Trollinger Weissherbst Kabinett
2011 Trollinger Steillage trocken
2008 Samtrot Ernst Combe trocken
2010 Felix Lemberger trocken
2009 Lemberger Ernst Combe trocken
2010 Pfaffenhofer Hohenberg Lemberger Grosses Gewaechs trocken

schiller-wine - Related Postings

The Role of Government - Government Owned Wineries in Germany

One of the Fathers of the German Red Wine Revolution: Weingut Huber in Baden

Wine region: Baden and Württemberg, Germany

In the Glass: A 2007 Pinot Noir from the Gault Millau Shooting Star of the Year - Estate Baron Gleichenstein, Germany

Wine Maker Count of Bentzel-Sturmfeder in Frankfurt am Main Presenting his Wines from Wuerttemberg, Germany

A “Viertele” of Schillerwein at Weinhaus Stetter in Stuttgart, Wuerttemberg, Germany

Schillerwein---a German Speciality

Touring (and Visiting 4 Wineries in) the Württemberg Wine Region (Zabergäu), Germany


The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain

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Pictures: Ryan and Gabriella Opaz and Robert McIntosh at the 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño

The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) took place in Logroño (Spain) from Friday, October 25 to Sunday, October 27, 2013. Formerly called European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC), it was the sixth such annual event. Previous conferences took place in Spain, Portugal, Austria, Italy and Turkey.

The DWCC is a three-day event that provides a platform for the global wine community to address today's online communications opportunities. The theme of the 2013 conference was “flavor”. The conference was attended by 250 participants from more than 30 countries.

Pictures: The Tapas Bars of Logroño

Conference Highlights and Content

As in previous years, the 2013 conference was a highly entertaining and educational mix of workshops, lectures, tastings and winery visits with lunches/dinners.

There were 30 or so parallel workshops, lectures and tastings on Friday and Saturday, in 3 different meeting rooms: Panos Kakaviatos led an interesting discussion about the impact of climate change on wine making. Doug Frost introduced us to the 3 subregions of Rioja. The “Aged Rioja Tasting” was extremely popular and the limited number of seats were quickly taken. Tyler Coleman and others tried to provide an answer to the question: “What is wine communication and who are the wine communicators in 2013”. David White and others addressed the issue of “Challenges of a Global Brand in Communicating Socially”. Julia Harding and Jose Vouillamoz led a tasting of “Native Iberian Varieties”.

Pictures: DWCC 2013 Sessions

On both days, there were walk-around tastings in the lobby from 9 am to 3 pm. On the first day, it was all Rioja producers. On the second day, there were also other, including Portuguese, producers.

Pictures: Walk-Around Tastings in the Lobby

The first day ended with a winery visit and dinner at the winery. We were taken by bus to 6 different wineries. I had the pleasure to visit Bodegas Baigorri. It was an extraordinary evening.

Pictures: At Bodegas Baigorri

A gala dinner in Laguardia was the highlight of the second day.

Pictures: At the Gala Dinner in Laguardia

The third day was comprised of excursions to wineries. You could choose between different tours. My group visited Bodegas Bilbainas in Haro and Bodegas Palacio in Laguardia, where we also had lunch.
Pictures: At Bodegas Bilbainas

Pictures: At Bodegas Palacio

Pre- and Post Conference Activities

The 3 conference days were preceded by the legendary “Bring Your Own Bottle Party” on the evening and an optional visit of and lunch at Bodegas Dynastia Vivanco in Briones during the day before the conference (on Thursday).

Pictures: At Bodegas Dynastia Vivanco in Briones

Pictures: At Bring-Your-Own-Bottle Party

Finally, before and after the DWCC 2013 there were a number of press trips, for which you could sign up. My wife Annette Schiller and I participated in a fascinating 3 day pre-conference trip to Porto, the Vino Verde Region and the Douro Valley.

Pictures: Pre-conference Press Trip to Porto, the Vino Verde Region and the Douro Valley

Conference Sponsors and Organizers

The 2013 conference was sponsored by the Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja, and organized by Ryan and Gabriella Opaz and Robert McIntosh of social media company Vrazon in partnership with Catavino.net, a site dedicated to Iberian food and wine culture.

Christian Schiller and DWCC/EWBC

This was be my third DWCC/EWBC; I participated in the 2010 conference in Vienna in Austria and in the 2011 conference in Brescia in Italy. I enjoyed these conferences very much.

Here are my postings on schiller-wine.

Austria

Picture: Lunch with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, Schuetzen am Gebirge, Burgenland, Austria in Restaurant Buergerhaus in Rust - see more: Lunch with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, Schuetzen am Gebirge, Austria

The 2010 European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) in Vienna

Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

Willi Klinger Leads Tasting of Austria's Undiscovered Stars at EWBC 2010 in Vienna

Picking and Drinking Gruener Veltliner with Ewald Gruber sen. and jun., Weingut Gruber, Weinviertel, Austria

Lunch with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, Schuetzen am Gebirge, Austria

Chef Martin Weiler Suggests Amazing Food to Go With Gruener Veltliner

Producing Wines in Austria and Hungary - Franz and Franz Reinhard Weninger

With the WienWein Winemakers in Vienna in the Heurigen Drinking Gemischter Satz Wine

Wine and Food from Burgenland at Wachter-Wieslers Ratschen, Deutsch-Schuetzen, Austria - with Tom and Christoph Wachter and Julia Sevenich

Meeting “John” Nittnaus from Gols, Burgenland, Austria

Guerilla Wine Tasting with Gottfried Lamprecht from Herrenhof in Vienna, Austria

Internet Guru and Medical Doctor go Wine: Weingut StephanO in Suedburgenland

Italy

Picture: Dinner with Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti at Badia a Coltibuono - for more see: Wining and Dining at Badia a Coltibuono in Tuscany with Wine Makers and Owners Roberto and Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti, Italy

Blogging, Wining and Dining at the European Wine Bloggers Conference (#EWBC) October 2011 in Brescia, Italy – A Tour D’ Horizont

The Up and Coming Premium Sparklers of Franciacorta (#EWBC), Italy

The Premium Sparklers of il Mosnel, Franciacorta, Italy

The 1 Star Michelin Food of Chef Stefano Cerveni from the due colombe Ristorante and the Premium Sparklers of il Mosnel, Franciacorta - Wining and Dining at il Mosnel, Italy

An Apero at Zucca in Galleria in Milano, Italy

Wining, Dining and Blogging in Chianti Classico (#EWBC), Tuscany, Italy

Dining and Wining where the Royals Eat: Dario Cecchini’s Solo Cicca Restaurant in Panzano– the Butcher of Chianti Classico

Meeting Wine Maker Paolo Cianferoni at his Caparsa Estate in Chianti Classico, Italy

Wining and Dining at Badia a Coltibuono in Tuscany with Wine Makers and Owners Roberto and Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti, Italy

Extraordinary Art and Wines at Castello di Ama in Chianti Classico, Italy

Tasting Wines where Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was Born – With Wine Maker and General Manager Francesco Nardi at Vignamaggio Estate in Chianti Classico, Italy

Visiting Barone Francesco Ricasoli and his Castello di Brolio in Chianti Classico, Italy

Wining and Blogging in the Soave Region, Italy

Christian G.E. Schiller’s Views on Soave– a Video Interview

Visiting Balestri Valda in Soave, Italy

Meeting the Winemakers of the Soavecru Association in the Palazzo Vescovile in Monteforte d’Alpone, Soave, Italy

A Visit of Cantina di Soave, Soave, Italy

Meeting American Wine Journalist/Writer George M. Taber (who was Present at the 1976 Judgment of Paris Tasting), USA

How Recioto di Soave - a Dessert Wine - is Made: In Le Sponde Room of the Coffele Winery in Soave, Italy

Annette Schiller and Ombiasy Wine Tours

Picture: Annette Schiller, Ombiasy Wine Tours and Henri Lurton, Château Brane Cantenac 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux

This time, I was joined by my wife Annette Schiller, founder and owner of Ombiasy Wine Tours.

See more:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
American Whiskey Producers in Germany


Dirk Wuertz Presented the 2012 Grosses Gewaechs Wines of Weingut Balthasar Ress, Germany

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Dirk Wuertz

Balthasar Ress in Hattenheim has always had a strong reputation in the premium segment of German wine, but was not very present in the ultra-premium dry segment – the Grosses Gewaechs wines. This changed, when Dirk Wuertz – wine maker, wine blogger and wine TV journalist – joined Weingut Balthasar Ress in 2009, first as winemaker and then as General Manager. Together with owner Christian Ress and senior boss Stefan Ress, he is pushing Ress wines to new hights. A few weeks ago, Weingut Ress released the 2012 Grosses Gewaechs wines. At this occasion, Weingut Balthasar Ress had invited to the Ress Bistro in Wiesbaden, where Dirk Wuertz poured, presented and commented on four 2012 Grosses Gewaechs Rieslings.

Picture: Weingut Balthasar Ress Weinbar und Vinothek

Weingut Balthasar Ress

Founded in 1870 by Balthasar Ress in Hattenheim in the Rheingau, Weingut Balthasar Ress has developed into one of the leading wine estates of the Rheingau region and became a global player in the wine trade. With 46 hectares under vine it is also one of the larger estates in the Rheingau. Riesling accounts for 90 % of the grapes in the Balthasar Ress vineyards. It is a member of the VDP, the association of about 200 German elite winemakers.

Stefan Ress – now senior boss - owned and run Weingut Balthasar Ress for many years. In 2010, his son Christian Ress took over and Dirk Wuertz became the new Managing Director.

Picture: Senior Boss Stefan Ress Checking in

Dirk Wuertz

Dirk Wuertz is a winemaker from the Rheinhessen region Germany. He is not only a successful winemaker, but also a leader in terms of social media in the German wine industry. Dirk is the most popular wine blogger in Germany. He has his own internet TV show “100 Grad Oechsle”. This is a very professionally made one- hour talk show with prominent guests from the wine industry. And he is the front man of a video series on wine produced by the Stern, a leading German weekly.

Picture: Dirk Wuertz

More on Dirk Wuertz:

Hanging out with Rheingau Winemakers: Dirk Wuertz, Desiree Eser, Alexander Jakob Jung, Hansi Bausch and Christian Ress in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany
3. German Twitter Wine Awards – German Pinot Noir Below Euro 20
In the Glass: Wuertz 2007 Rheinhessen trocken at Ten Bells in the Lower East Side in Manhattan
Dirk Wuertz and His Bag-in-a-box Rieslings

The New VDP Classification

Dirk started the evening by briefly providing an overview about recent changes in the way Germany is classifying its wines.

Although many people think that there is only one wine classification system in Germany – the classification system of the Law of 1971 – this is not correct. True, the classification system of the Law of 1971 with its pyramid of ripeness of the grapes at harvest (Qualitaetswein, Kabinett, Spaetlese, Auslese …) at the center is the standard classification system in Germany and the vast majority of winemakers in Germany use this approach. A large number of winemakers, however, have moved away from the standard, in particular the producers of premium and ultra-premium wines. Importantly, the powerful group of German elite winemakers – the VDP (Verband Deutscher Praedikatswein Produzenten) – has conceived its own classification system and is developing it further. The latest modifications are those that came into effect with the vintage of 2012.

Pictures: Annette Schiller, Ombiasy Wine Tours, and Dirk Wuertz

Following their colleagues in the Bourgogne, the terroir principle has taken center stage in the VDP classification. Effective with the 2012 harvest, the VDP classification has the following 4 quality layers (In brackets, the equivalent quality classes in the classification system of the Bourgogne):

• VDP.Grosse Lage (Grand Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Erste Lage (Premier Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Ortswein (Village level in Burgundy)
• VDP.Gutswein (Bourgogne régional in Burgundy)VDP Classification

Until recently, the VDP winemakers in the Rheingau did not go along with their VDP colleagues in other regions, but they went along with their non-VDP colleagues in the Rheingau: They called their best dry wines Erstes Gewaechs. Thus, until recently, the top dry wines of VDP members in the Rheingau were called Erstes Gewaeachs, while the rest of the VDP members in the other wine regions called their top dry wines Grosses Gewaechs. This changed with the 2012 vintage. The VDP winemakers from the Rheingau switched fronts and decided to call their best dry wines Grosses Gewaechs. So, there is now uniformity on the VDP front.

More on the new VDP classification:
Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany
Stepping up: From 3 … to 4 Quality Levels - The New Classification of the VDP, Germany
VDP.Grosses Gewaechs, Erstes Gewaechs, Spaetlese/Auslese Trocken, … Labeling Dry Ultra-Premium Wines in Germany

The Grosses Gewaechs Wines Dirk Wuertz Poured

Dirk Wuertz poured 4 wines.

Picture: The Wines

2012 Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling GG

The Nussbrunnen vineyard in Hattenheim has a south-southeast exposure. The name derives from a "Brunnen," or spring, that was once surrounded by nut trees. The source of the spring is still visible today. It lies well protected from cold northerly winds on the lower reaches of the slope, adjacent to the site Wisselbrunnen.

Dirk Wuertz: “My Prince Charming. Stopped during fermentation at 7 grams remaining sugar. An opulent wine. Needs many years to fully develop.”

Pale lemon yellow in the glass, notes of pears on the nose, creamy on the palate, long finish.

Pictures: In the Weingut Balthasar Ress Weinbank with Stefan Ress during the 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy

More on wine tours by ombiasy:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
American Whiskey Producers in Germany 

2012 Balthasar Ress Ruedesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling GG

Berg Rottland is a steep site with a slope of 33% in Ruedesheim, a few miles west of Hattenheim.

Dirk Wuertz: “A mystical vineyard, just behind the railway station in Ruedesheim. 40 years old vines. The 2012 is a classic Rheingau Riesling. Fresh and fruity with low acidity. 2 to 3 gram remaining sugar.”

Pale lemon yellow in the glass, notes of apples and minerals on the nose, fruity on the palate, refreshing finish.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Christian Ress and Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser, at Weingut Balthasar Ress in Hattenheim

2012 Balthasar Ress Ruedesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling GG

With an inclination of 70%, Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg is the steepest vineyard in the Rheingau. Its name derives from the Ehrenfels castle ruins. The vineyards on the "Rüdesheimer Berg" - the steep slopes adjacent to Rüdesheim - particularly the protected Schlossberg site, benefit from intense solar radiation. The slate and Taunus quartzite soils absorb heat during the day and gently release it at night.

Dirk Wuertz: “A very mineral wine. Completely dry. Low acidity. The Riesling grape has moved to the backburner. I am trying to bring the terroir into the glass. The grape is just the medium to do it.”

Pale lemon yellow in the glass, pineapple and yeasty notes on the nose, elegant on the palate, intense finish.

Pictures: During the Presentation of the 2013 Schlossgut Diel Releases Earlier on the Same Day in the Nahe Valley

See:
Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany

2012 Balthasar Ress Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen Riesling GG

The vineyard lies 100 meters above sea level and faces south-southwest, an optimal position for absorbing solar radiation. Wisselbrunnen's light, tertiary marl soils have a good water balance so that even in very dry years, grapes can ripen very well.

Dirk Wuertz: “First ultra-premium dry wine from this vineyard. We used to make fruity sweet and noble sweet wines. For me the most interesting of the 4 wines. Very mineral.”

Pale lemon yellow in the glass, mineral notes on the nose, lively on the palate, long finish.

schiller-wine - Related Postings

Stepping up: From 3 … to 4 Quality Levels - The New Classification of the VDP, Germany

VDP.Grosses Gewaechs, Erstes Gewaechs, Spaetlese/Auslese Trocken, … Labeling Dry Ultra-Premium Wines in Germany

Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

In the Glass: Wuertz 2007 Rheinhessen trocken at Ten Bells in the Lower East Side in Manhattan

Dirk Wuertz and His Bag-in-a-box Rieslings

Hanging out with Rheingau Winemakers: Dirk Wuertz, Desiree Eser, Alexander Jakob Jung, Hansi Bausch and Christian Ress in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Meeting Winemaker/Owner Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser, at the Banks of the Rhein River in the Rheingau in Germany

Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

American Whiskey Producers in Germany

18 US Distillers at Bar Convent Berlin 2013, Germany

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Philip E. Prichard and Mrs. Prichard, Prichards' Distillery, Tennessee,at the Bar Convent 2013 in Berlin

18 US small and large distillers came to Berlin, to showcase American whiskeys and other products in one of Europe’s most important markets. The initiative, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, featured a press conference and tasting for German media at the Hilton Hotel in Berlin as well as an American Spirits Pavilion and seminar at the Bar Convent Berlin on October 8 and 9. The press conference and tasting had to be moved on short notice from the US Embassy to a hotel and Ambassador John B. Emerson could not host the event, as a result of the government shutdown in America.

Pictures: Press Conference and Walk-around Tasting at the Hilton Hotel

Among the participating producers in the German market promotion were Brown-Forman (Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve), Beam (Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam), Diageo (Bulleit Bourbon) and Campari USA (Wild Turkey) as well as many small distillers from across the US, including Catskill Distilling Company (NY), Cane Land Distilling Company (LA), Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. (VA), Cleveland Whiskey (OH), Corsair Artisan Distillery (TN), Death’s Door Spirits (WI), Few Spirits (IL), Garrison Brothers Distillery (TX), Georgetown Trading Co. (DC), House Spirits Distillery.

Pictures: At the Berlin Bar Convent 2013

“The market for US distilled spirits, particularly whiskeys, has been very strong in Germany, and with some education, we feel that growth can continue and even accelerate,” said Distilled Spirits Council Senior Vice President Frank Coleman at the press conference. “Further, it is worth noting Germany is a cultural opinion leader and trendsetter for the many emerging markets to the East,” he added, “thus providing a beneficial echo effect for our industry marketing efforts here.”

Pictures: The DISCUS Pavillion at the Berlin Bar Convent 2013

Frank Coleman noted that between 2007 and 2012, US whiskeys were the second largest category of imported spirits in Germany, growing 41.4 percent by volume to over 15 million liters, and 32.8 percent by value to over $850 million.

Pictures: Interviews

“American whiskeys trace their heritage to our European ancestors in Germany, Scotland and Ireland,” said Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris, who has spent decades in Kentucky refining his distilling craft. “These forbearers took their distilling skills to a new continent and discovered new varieties of grain, pure limestone-filtered water, and giant forests of American oak. These elements led to the creation of new whiskeys that are now finding much favor with consumers back in Europe. Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey are natural products that are approachable yet complex, whether in cocktails, over ice, or just straight up with splash of water.”

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with the Legend Charles Schumann

“Premium Bourbons, Tennessee Whiskeys and other U.S. distilled spirits are experiencing significant growth in global markets because of their authentic heritage, their distinctive flavors, and their versatility in cocktails, and we are excited to help educate the media and the trade in Germany” Frank Coleman concluded.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Cognac– An Introduction, France

The “Rhums Arranges” - Arranged Rums - and the Tropical Fruits of Madagascar

In the Glass: A Banyuls - a Deliciously Sweet and Fortified Red Wine from Languedoc-Roussillon

Martini, Noilly Prat and Picpoul de Pinet

Visiting Jas Hennessy and Co. - or more simply: Hennessy - in Cognac, France

American Whiskey Producers in Germany

Amerikanische Whiskey Hersteller in Deutschland




A Date with the German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner at Weinhaus Bluhm in Mainz, Germany

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Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and the 2013/2014 German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner at Weinhaus Bluhm in Mainz, Germany

German Wine Princess Sabine Wagner and I met for the first time at the October tasting of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim. As a member of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim since it was founded more than 30 years ago, I always try to come to the monthly events, when I am in the Frankfurt am Main area. Sabine Wagner had just been chosen as one of the two German wine princesses who will support the 65th German Wine Queen, Nadine Poss from the Nahe wine region, over the course of her 12 months reign. By attending the event, she wanted to express her gratitude to the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim for actively campaigning for her. By chance, we were sitting next to each other at the event, but did not have a lot of time to talk to each other. However, there was enough time to agree on a date where we could talk more about my suggestion to come over to Washington DC for a number events to promote German wine.

A Date at Weinhaus Bluhm

We met at Weinhaus Bluhm in Mainz, my favorite wine tavern in Mainz. Mainz in the wine region Rheinhessen in Germany is, along with Bilbao in Spain, Bordeaux in France, Cape Town in South Africa, Christchurch in New Zealand, Firenza in Italy, Mendoza in Argentina, Porto in Portugal and San Francisco in the US, one of the 9 wine capitals in the world. But there is not a single wine bar in Mainz, as I know them from London, New York City, Berlin or Washington DC. However, there are a large number of wine taverns in Mainz. Typically, wine taverns do not have an elaborated list of wines, nor do they serve fancy and sophisticated food. They serve local wines, at very reasonable prices, typically from a handful of local winemakers that you do not find in the wine guides such as the Gault Millau. There is one exception: Weinhaus Bluhm.

Pictures: Sabine Wagner, Annette Schiller (Wine Tours by ombiasy), Christian G.E. Schiller, Silvia and Roland Ladendorf

See more on Wine Tours by ombiasy:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
American Whiskey Producers in Germany 

Starting with the setting and atmosphere, Weinhaus Bluhm is a dark, a bit smoky, very basic tavern. It looks today the same as it looked when I first set foot into the Weinhaus Bluhm as a student of macro-economics at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. The furniture is functional, used, a bit worn down. Weinhaus Bluhm offers a feeling of well-being and it has a lot of charm. In the summer, you can sit on the cobble stone road outside the tavern on communal benches. It cannot get better. The food at Weinhaus Bluhm is simple and good. It does not reach out for some sophistication, as some of the other wine taverns do. It stays at the more basic range, but at the highest quality level.

Pictures: Weinhaus Bluhm, Saturday, 4 pm

When it comes to the wines, however, Weinhaus Bluhm really stands out. It is a class of itself. Nowhere else in a wine tavern in Mainz, you can get wines of German wine stars like Weingut Klaus Peter Keller or Weingut Kruger Rumpf or Weingut Teschke. Owner and Host (“Wirt”) Manager Roland Ladendorf is a wine aficionado and extremely knowledgeable about the wine scene. And what is most important, you can get a fair number of his world class wines by the glass.

Pictures: Roland Ladendorf and Christian G.E. Schiller at Weinhaus Bluhm

I had a delicious Spundekaes – a regional cheese speciality - and a few glasses of wine, all selected by Roland Ladendorf. My wife Annette had a Fleischwurst. And Sabine had a Handkaes.

Pictures: Handkaes, Spundekaes, Fleischwurst

See here for more on Weinhaus Bluhm:
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany
Weinhaus Bluhm in Mainz: A Cosy and Basic Wine Tavern Serving World Class Wines from Germany
Rediscoverd: Weinhaus Bluhm in Mainz, Germany - A Cosy and Basic Wine Tavern Serving World Class Wines from Germany

Becoming a Wine Queen and Wine Princess

Sabine explained to me a bit how it works and how she moved up so quickly. The German Wine Queen (German: Deutsche Weinkönigin) is the representative of the German wine industry. She is elected for a period of one year. In 1931, the first German wine region, the Pfalz, crowned its own wine queen. Because the Palatine Wine Queen was Germany's only wine queen, she automatically represented the German wine industry in general as well as the Palatine wine region until 1939, and then again, from 1947 until 1949.

Since 1950, the German Wine Queen has been elected in a separate competition. Each year, every German wine region selects its regional wine queen. From these regional wine queens, the German Wine Queen is chosen the following year. Until 1999, it was a condition that the candidates had to be single - they could be neither married nor divorced - and had to come from a family of winemakers. Since 2000, the candidates who apply have only had to have "clear and strong ties with German wines."

Pictures: With the 2013/2014 German Wine Princess Ramona Diegel from Rheinhessen in Mainz

For more:
Impressions from the Mainz Wine Market 2013, Germany
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Selection is no longer based so much on good looks and dancing skills today; more important, in addition to a knowledge of oenology and winemaking technology, quick wit and eloquence are required as well as proficiency in foreign languages and a knowledge of the export business.

In the first round, the regional wine queens faced a rigorous oral examination with questions about viticultural and winemaking techniques, as well as wine labelling, packaging and marketing, from a panel of 80 judges. Six candidates go to the second and final round, a televised "gala" attended by 1,300 guests and watched by more than a million viewers, where the 18- to 25-year-olds have to demonstrate they can field questions on wine-making spontaneously.

Pictures: With the 2012/2013 German Wine Queen Julia Betram in New York

See also:
The 31-Days-of-German-Riesling Concert Cruise Around New York Harbor with the German Wine Queen Julia Bertram and the 3 Wine Amazones Tina Huff, Eva Vollmer and Mirjam Schneider from Mainz, Germany

During their one-year term of office, the Wine Queen and Wine Princesses advertise German wine at trade fairs, wine festivals and other events. Wine Queen competition is arranged by the German Wine Institute (DWI) in Mainz.

Wine Princess Sabine Wagner

Sabine Wagner was born and grew up in Hochheim, the famous wine village in the eastern part of the Rheingau. Unusually, her parents are not winemakers. Often, wine queens and wine princess came from a winemaking family. In 2009, Sabine was elected Wine Princess of Hochheim. She stayed in that function for 2 years before being elected Wine Queen of Hochheim in 2011. In 2012, Sabine became a candidate for the regional wine queen, the Rheingau wine queen, and was elected. She told me that she was a bit of an underdog in the election but won the contest.

Pictures: Talking

In 2013, Sabine went with 12 other regional wine queens through the challenging selection process for the national wine queen. She did not make it to the very top, but came out of the selection, with her colleague from Rheinhessen, as wine princess. Nadine Poss from the Nahe wine region was crowned the 65th German Wine Queen. She will be supported in her role by wine princesses Sabine Wagner from the Rheingau and Ramona Diegel from Rheinhessen.

Sabine studies International Wine Business at the Geisenheim University in the Rheingau. She is in her 5th semester and will have a one year break.

schiller-wine - Related Postings

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Weinhaus Bluhm in Mainz: A Cosy and Basic Wine Tavern Serving World Class Wines from Germany

Rediscoverd: Weinhaus Bluhm in Mainz, Germany - A Cosy and Basic Wine Tavern Serving World Class Wines from Germany

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

American Whiskey Producers in Germany 

Wine in Mainz on Saturday Morning: Marktfruehstueck – Farmer's Market Breakfast, Germany

Wine Tavern Beichtstuhl in Mainz, Rheinhessen, Germany

Celebrating Riesling and my Birthday at Weingut Schaetzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany

Winemaker Eva Vollmer is Germany’s Discovery of the Year 2010

In the Glass: Mirjam Schneider's 2007 Merlot No.2 from Rheinhessen, Germany

Surprising the World with their Pinot Noir: Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Impromptu Winetasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Erbach, Rheingau, Germany

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Pictures: Annett and Christian G.E. Schiller with Alexander Jung

On the German Wine and Culture Tour 2013 by ombiasy, participants met a number of outstanding winemakers, including Clemens Busch, Ernst Loosen, Helmut Doennhoff and Klaus Peter Kuehn. All these tastings were planned months in advance. One tasting that was unexpected, but turned out to be one of the best tastings of the whole tour, was an impromptu tasting with up and coming winemaker Alexander Jung at his wine booth in Erbach in the Rheingau, on the banks of the Rhine River.

See more on Wine Tours by ombiasy:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
American Whiskey Producers in Germany  

Most of the German wine villages have a booth where during the summer season on weekends one of their winemakers pours his or her wine. When we were in Erbach in September it was the turn of Weingut Jakob Jung, a member of the VDP, the association of about 200 German elite winemakers and I noticed this when we drove into Erbach. When I checked at the wine booth, Alexander Jung was even there … and it was a slow evening. Since we had nothing on the program for that evening, the group decided to accept the offer of Alexander Jung and to come back after dinner for a tasting. It turned out to be a most enjoyable tasting.

Picture: At the Tasting

Weingut Jakob Jung

The winery is in Erbach in the Rheingau. The winery has been in family ownership since 1799. After the early death of his father in 1969, Ludwig Jung had to take charge at the early age of 18, while had the same time doing his studies. Five years later, in 1974, he became fully responsible for the winery. In 2007, he passed ownership and main responsibility on to his son Alexander Johannes, after he had successfully graduated from Geisenheim College (and internships in Baden and South Africa). Today, Ludwig still takes the lead in the vineyard, while Alexander takes the lead in the wine cellar and has overall responsibility.

Pictures: Weingut Jakob Jung in Erbach

The vineyard area now totals 14 hectares which is quite a bit up from when Ludwig took over. The new acquisitions also include a 250 year old stone cellar, with a total length of 110 meters, which is eight meters below the earth and which offers ideal conditions for aging and storing the wines.

The Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) vineyards are Hohenrain, Siegelsberg, Michelmark and Steinmorgen. Overall, Riesling accounts for 4/5 with the remainder being Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer.

Weingut Jakob Jung is a member of the VDP.

More on Weingut Jakob Jung:

At Weingut Jakob Jung in Erbach, Rheingau, with Winemaker Alexander Johannes Jung, Germany

The Wines

Alexander Johannes Jung poured the following wines. I am also adding winemaker notes (in German).

Pictures: At the Tasting

2012 Jung Sauvignon Blanc trocken


Wenn man beim Riesling nicht auf Dichte, sondern auf Leichtigkeit geht, dann kommt im besten Falle dieses hier dabei heraus: Ein Sommerwein par excellence! Euro 10.90

2012 Erbach Steinmorgen Riesling Kabinett trocken

Der feingliedrige Kabinett überrascht mit seiner Vielschichtigkeit und einer ausgewogenen Mineralität.Euro 8.40

2012 Erbach Hohenrain Riesling Alte Reben trocken

Dies ist eine hochwertige Spätlese aus den Trauben 40 Jahre alter Rieslingreben, extraktreich, vielschichtig mit schier unendlichem Abgang. Euro 11.90

2011 Erbach Hohenrain Riesling Grosses Gewaechs


Ein königliches Großes Gewächs aus einer der besten Lagen im Rheingau. Schmelzig, reif und würzig mit einem langen Nachhall, so wie ein Spitzen-Riesling sein sollte. Euro 19.40

2012 Erbach Michelmark Riesling Kabinett

Der Geschmack von Weinbergpfirsich ist beim Erbacher Michelmark sehr präsent: cremig und fein zugleich. Euro 8.40

2011 Erbach Michelmark Riesling Spaetlese


Aus einer unserer Spitzenlagen kommt diese druckvolle Spätlese aus einem sehr guten Jahr. Mineralität gepaart mit feiner Fruchtsüße. Euro 10.40

schiller-wine - Related Postings

Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

Hanging out with Rheingau Winemakers: Dirk Wuertz, Desiree Eser, Alexander Jakob Jung, Hansi Bausch and Christian Ress in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany 

At Weingut Jakob Jung in Erbach, Rheingau, with Winemaker Alexander Johannes Jung, Germany

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

American Whiskey Producers in Germany  

Meeting Winemaker/Owner Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser, at the Banks of the Rhein River in the Rheingau in Germany

A Pinot Noir Star: Visiting August Kesseler and his Weingut August Kesseler in Assmannshausen, Germany

A Combination of Extraordinary Wine and Art: Peter Winter's Georg Mueller Stiftung in the Rheingau

With Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris on a Whiskey Tour in Frankfurt, Duesseldorf and Berlin, Germany

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Picture: Chris Morris, Master Distiller of Brown-Forman and Woodford Reserve, Kentucky, and Christian G.E.Schiller in Duesseldorf

Chris Morris is the Master Distiller of Brown-Foreman, including Woodford Reserve, the ultra-premium Bourbon Whiskey from Kentucky in the US. I accompanied him on a recent tour through Germany.

Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve is the smallest of the about 20 distilleries in Kentucky. It is unique in using a triple distillation method. This employs three copper pot stills, built in Scotland. Woodford Reserve is operated by the Louisville-based Brown-Forman Distiller Corporation, which also owns Jack Daniels.

Woodford Reserve traces its origins back to 1797, when Elijah Pepper moved from Virginia to Versailles, where he distilled corn whiskey in a small distillery behind the county courthouse. In 1812 he moved his operation to the present site on Glenn's Creek. In 1941 Brown-Forman bought the distillery used it to produce their Early Times whiskey. By the 1960s Bourbon sales were falling and Brown- Forman sold the distillery to a local farmer. The buyer proceeded to make the car fuel substitute 'gasohol' in the distillery for a short period, but when that venture failed, the distillery lay silent for 23 years. Then, in 1994, with interest in 'small batch' Bourbon rising, Brown-Forman bought back the semi-derelict site and restored it to showpiece condition. In 2003, the present Woodford Reserve name was adopted for both the distillery and its whiskey.

Between 40 and 50 barrels a day are filled at Woodford Reserve distillery. The resultant whiskey is bottled at six to seven years of age. The mashbill comprises 72 per cent corn, 18 per cent rye and 12 per cent malted barley. Bourbon whiskey must be at least 51% corn, and many bourbons are as high as 80%. A bourbon mashbill with 18% Rye is fairly high and helps distinguish Woodford Reserve’s slightly spicy character.

In the Brown-Forman family, a lot of time and attention is paid to Jack Daniels, the whiskey from Tennessee, and for good reason: it’s one of the best selling spirits in America. Although Jack Daniels gets lots of attention, it’s Woodford Reserve that is the crown jewel in Brown-Forman portfolio. Run by master distiller Chris Morris, Woodford Reserve focuses on producing small batch premium bourbon.

Chris Morris 

Chris Morris is sevent Master Distiller for Brown-Forman, since the company began in 1870. A Louisville native, Chris Morris has grown up around bourbon his whole life. His dad was a production manager, and his mother worked in the art department at Brown-Forman. His career with Brown-Forman began in 1976, as a trainee. Chris Morris holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bellarmine College in Louisville, a master’s degree in liberal arts from Texas Christian University, and a master’s degree in marketing from Webster University.

At Asbach Uralt in Ruedesheim

Our first stop in Germany was at Asbach Uralt in Ruedesheim. We had lunch in the famous Drosselgasse at Breuer’s Restaurant with wines from Weingut Bernhard Breuer. We then moved to the Asbach Uralt company, where General Manager Christopher Dellee introduced us to the company and led us through a brandy tasting. Asbach Uralt is a German brandy produced by the company Asbach Gmbh, which also makes other spirits and chocolate. Asbach's history dates back to 1892 when Hugo Asbach founded the company. The Treaty of Versailles decreed that the word Cognac could only be used for French products, so Hugo Asbach coined the term Weinbrand for German brandy.

Pictures: At Asbach Uralt with Asbach Uralt General Manager Christopher Dellee

We tasted 5 different Asbach Uralt brandies: Asbach Uralt, Asbach Privatbrand (aged for 8 years), Asbach Spezialbrand (15 years), Asbach Selection (21 years) and Asbach Vintage 1972.

At Grand Cru Bistro in Frankfurt

In the evening, Chris Morris presented 4 Whiskeys to a group of whiskey lovers at the Grand Cru Bistro in Frankfurt. The aim of the tasting was to give a broad overview of the world of American whiskeys. The tasting was followed by a great dinner with wines of Walter Schug, Carneros, California.

Picture: At Grand Cru Bistro in Frankfurt am Main

The excellent food, the large, well-chosen and ever changing wine list – with about 300 wines by the bottle and by the glass - and the French brasserie/bistro atmosphere of Grand Cru always bring back fond memories of the 3 years which I spent in Paris. The expertise and the passion for wine and food of owner Kai Buhrfeindt – a Staatlich gepruefte Weinnase (a government certified wine nose) - shows clearly and everywhere at Grand Cru.

At Weingut August Eser in Oestrich Winkel

The next day, we drove from Frankfurt am Main to Duesseldorf and stopped at Weingut August Eser for a cellar tour and tasting with winemaker and owner Desiree Eser.

Pictures: At Weingut August Eser with Winemaker and Owner Desiree Eser

Weingut August Eser is a small, family owned winery in Oestrich in the Rheingau, producing 6000 cases of first class Riesling and Spaetburgunder annually. Desiree Eser: “Our family-winery in the heart of the German wine growing region Rheingau has 10 hectares of 90% Riesling and 10% Pinot Noir grapes. Our cellar dates back to 1650 and it is here that our wines mature and develop their lively aromatic character which is fruity and floral. Our wines are made in both dry and balanced sweet styles. As a member of the VDP, our goal is to produce top quality, distinctive wines. 95% of our production is sold in Germany. I have justed started to export to the US

At Im Schiffchen in Duesseldorf

In Duesseldorf, Falstaff organized a whiskey tasting with dinner in the “Im Schiffchen”. Chris Morris led an entertaining and educational tasting with four very different American whiskeys. The aim of the tasting was to give a broad overview of the world of American whiskeys. Following the tasting, guests were treated to an excellent four-course menu. It was a terrific evening, which all who were present will remember as an extremely successful symbiosis of German and American delicacies.

Pictures: At Im Schiffchen with Chef Jean-Claude Bourgueil and Ursula Haslauer, Managing Director and Co-owner of Falstaff Deutschland

At Press Conference and Bar Convent in Berlin

In Berlin, Chris Morris joined a group of 18 small and large distillers from America, who had come to Germany to present their products at the 2013 Bar Convent Berlin. The day before the Bar Convent Berlin, the American Ambassador had invited for a press briefing, reception and tasting at the American Embassy in Berlin, which, however, had to be moved to a Berlin Hotel on short notice because of the US Government Shut down. Nevertheless, the event turned out to be a big success.

Pictures: Press Conference at Hilton Hotel in Berlin

Pictures: At Berlin Bar Convent 2013

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Cognac– An Introduction, France

The “Rhums Arranges” - Arranged Rums - and the Tropical Fruits of Madagascar

In the Glass: A Banyuls - a Deliciously Sweet and Fortified Red Wine from Languedoc-Roussillon

Martini, Noilly Prat and Picpoul de Pinet

Visiting Jas Hennessy and Co. - or more simply: Hennessy - in Cognac, France

American Whiskey Producers in Germany

Amerikanische Whiskey Hersteller in Deutschland

18 US Distillers at Bar Convent Berlin 2013, Germany

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff

Helmut Doennhoff and Ernst Loosen are very good friends. Earlier this year, Weingut Dr. Loosen co-hosted with Chateau Ste. Michelle the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, Washington State. Among the group of 8 German elite winemakers in Seattle was Helmut Doennhoff with his wife. I had the opportunity to spend quite some time with Helmut Doennhoff.

Picture: Oliver Haag, Weingut Fritz Haag, Helmut Doennhoff, Weingut Doennhoff, Clemens Busch, Weingut Clemens Busch, Steffen Christmann, Weingut A. Christmann, Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil in Seattle

Pictures: The German Crowd with Helmut and Mrs. Doennhoff, Oliver Haag and Clemens Busch

Picture: German Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff and Mrs. Doennhoff, Weingut Doennhoff, in Seattle

Picture: Lunch - Christian G.E. Schiller, Steffen Christmann, Weingut A. Christmann, Helmut and Mrs Doennhoff, Weingut Doennhoff

Picture: Helmut Doennhoff Leaving The Chihuly Garden and Glass

For more on the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, see:
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA
Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany
The 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle: Impressions from the Grand Tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington State, USA
The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

Annette Schiller’s 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy included a tasting at Weingut Doennhoff and we were thrilled – but not really surprised – when Helmut offered to lead us though the tasting. It turned out to be 3 most entertaining and fascinating hours. We went through 16 wines.

Pictures: Helmut Doennhoff Receiving the Ombiasy Group

For more on the Wine Tours 2013 by ombiasy, see:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
American Whiskey Producers in Germany  

Weingut Doennhoff

The Dönnhoff family first came to the Nahe Valley over 200 years ago. The Dönnhoffs were a mixed farm up until the 20th century, with cereal crops, vegetables, fruit and livestock in addition to grapes. Helmut's grandfather Hermann made the transition from mixed farm to focus entirely on winegrowing. Helmut Dönnhoff took over day-to-day responsibility from his father in 1971. From the initial 4 hectares of land Helmut Dönnhoff expanded the estate to now 25 hectares. Today, his son Cornelius works alongside in the winery; in fact, ownership and responsibility has been formally transferred to Cornelius Dönnhoff.

Pictures: Tasting with Helmut Doennhoff

“Most people in wine today make it for business”, Helmut Doennhoff said. “I make it for me, myself”. Helmut Doennhoff compared his winemaking with music and cooking. “There are many wonderful scores, but only a few people can interpret them well. Or it is like a chef: people have the same ingredients but each chef brings another taste to them”.

Helmut Dönnhoff was described by Hugh Johnson as having a "fanatical commitment to quality, and a remarkable natural talent for winemaking" and as a "superstar" of the region by Robert Parker. Helmut Doennhoff was named German Winemaker of the Year in 1999 by the Gault Millau WeinGuide.

See also:
Top 10 Riesling Producers in the World– Snooth 2012 

80% of Dönnhoff's of vineyard holdings grow Riesling grapes, with the remaining 20% Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.

Pictures: Tasting with Helmut Doenhoff

"We do not irrigate at all. We irrigated in the 1950s. My father and his colleagues did it for frost protection. After 10 or 15 years of doing it we realized that the wines were not better. In particular we saw that in places we did not irrigate, the wines were better. The roots went deeper, the wines were more intense. So we stopped irrigation 25 years ago” said Helmut Doennhoff.

Helmut Doennhoff: “Grapes are always picked by hand over 2-3 passes through each vineyard. The grapes are pressed as soon as possible – within 3 hours of picking – and fermented in large wooden casks as well as stainless steel”. Helmut Dönnhoff has designed his cellar to have enough capacity to hold a vintage either entirely in steel or entirely in wood, depending on what he feels it needs. For healthy grapes he will use a natural ferment but for botrytized grapes he will inoculate with cultured yeasts. Wines fermented in wooden casks typically spend 2–3 months in cask and then go to stainless steel. The wine spends 1 month on gross lees and 3 months on fine lees. In March the wines are filtered, and they are bottled a month or two later.

Pictures: Tasting with Helmut Doennhoff

Helmut Doennhoff splits his production between the dry and sweet styles. “Riesling has 2 faces – it has a good reputation for dry wines and in Germany it has a good reputation for fruity sweet wines. We used to use the best grapes for the sweet style wines, but the fashion has shifted to dry wines. Now high class dry wines are being made. Global warming has helped. Acidity is lower now and the grapes are riper, so the quality of wines has improved”. He concluded: “It takes 10 years to fully understand a vineyard and to know if the vineyard is better suited for dry or fruity-sweet wines.”

Tasting

2012 Doennhoff Riesling dry


Pale greenish gold in the glass, notes of honeysuckle and white flowers on the nose, good structure, bright.

2012 Doennhoff Tonschiefer Riesling dry

Pale greenish gold in the glass, notes of flowers and wet stones on the nose, bright mineral flavors on the palate, good finish.

2012 Kreuznacher Kahlenberg Riesling dry


The Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl vineyard has perfect drainage due its topsoil of pebbles over loam soil; characteristic are wines with a mineralic elegance.

Palest greenish gold in the glass, notes of honeysuckle on the nose, zingy acidity and aromas of green apple on the palate, floral.

2012 Felsenberg “Felsentuermchen” Riesling dry Grosses Gewaechs

The Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg is a very old site with porphyry soil.

Pale gold in the glass with a greenish hint, notes of crushed stones and green apple on the nose, aromas of lime zest and white flowers on the palate, pure, exceptional.

2012 Dellchen Riesling dry Grosses Gewaechs

The Norheimer Dellchen is a steep terraced vineyard in a rocky hollow with porphyry and slate soil.

Pale greenish gold in the glass, notes of ripe peach on the nose, rich palate with notes of flowers and spicy fruit, crisp and mouth-filling, great wine.

2012 Hermannshoehle Riesling dry Grosses Gewaechs

Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle, perhaps the most famous of all the Nahe vineyards, is a slate vineyard with many conglomerates of volcanic rocks, mostly porphyry and melaphyr.

Pale greenish gold in the glass, notes of honeysuckle and Asian pear on the nose, aromas of crushed stones on the palate, vibrant, incredible length.

2012 Doennhoff Riesling off-dry

Pale greenish gold in the glass, lemon notes on the nose, creamy on the palate, good entry-level wine with some sweetness.

2012 Kreuznacher Kroetenphuhl Riesling Kabinett

Pale greenish gold in the glass, honeysuckle and green apple notes on the nose, bright green apple and white flowers on the palate, bright and long, lightly sweet.

2012 Oberhaeuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett


Oberhäuser Leistenberg, the oldest vineyard held by the family, has slate soils and produces fruity wines with elegant acidity.

Pale greenish gold in the glass, notes of lemon oil and clover honey on the nose, wet stone aromas with honey and lemon citrus on the palate, bright, long.

2012 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Kabinett

Norheimer Kirscheck sits on a steep south slope of slate soil.

Pale greenish gold in the glass, notes of pear and oranges on the nose, good structure, notes of green apple and pineapple on the palate, great Kabinett wine.

2012 Oberhaeuser Bruecke “Monopol” Riesling Spaetlese

The Oberhäuser Brücke, the smallest vineyard in the Nahe, is a tiny parcel saddled on the Nahe River that Dönnhoff owns in entirety. The Brücke has grey slate covered by loess-clay and the vines ripen even later here than in the Hermannshöhle due to large diurnal temperature swings along the river.

Pale greenish gold in the glass, notes of green apple and honeysuckle on the nose, flavors of wet stones, green apple, and hints of lime juice on the palate, wonderful wine.

2003 Oberhaeuser Bruecke “Monopol” Riesling Spaetlese

Light yellow-gold in the glass, attack of perfumed apricots, ripe peaches, and candied orange peel on the nose, aromas of apricots, honey and wet stone on the palate, long and mouthwatering finish thanks to stunning acidity.

2012 Oberhaeuser Bruecke “Monopol” Riesling Auslese


As its site is adjacent to the river, the Bruecke Riesling vineyard develops noble rot easily. Hand selected fruit.

Light yellow-gold in the glass, notes of wet leaves, honey, and ripe peaches on the nose, green apple and ripe peach aromas on the palate, a mouthwatering wine long and clean.

2012 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Eiswein

Pale greenish gold in the glass, notes of candied green apple and honey on the nose, on the palate, mouthwatering green apple, apricot, and honey aromas are backed by a high acidity, nice silky texture.

schiller-wine - Related Postings

The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany

The 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle: Impressions from the Grand Tasting at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington State, USA

The World of Riesling in Seattle - Fourth Riesling Rendezvous in Washington State, USA

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany 

At Weingut Jakob Jung in Erbach, Rheingau, with Winemaker Alexander Johannes Jung, Germany

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

American Whiskey Producers in Germany  

Top 10 Riesling Producers in the World– Snooth 2012 

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at L'Envers du Decor

I regularly visit St. Emilion, on the annual Bordeaux Tour by ombaisy. St. Emilion is a very magic place, a medieval village, full of narrow, steep streets. In 1999, the town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, due to the uniqueness of its territory and some of the monuments that can be visited in the medieval village, first of all the Monolithic church with its bell tower, the Europe's largest underground church carved into the rock.

See here:
Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013
 
Pictures: St. Emilion

St Emilion's history stretches back to Roman times, when the Roman ruler Decimus Magnus Ausonius founded a small property here in the 4th century, when the Romans controlled Gaul (France). Ausonius’ name has been immortalized in the famous St-Emilion winery, Chateau Ausone.

St Emilion's founding father was a Benedictine Monk called Emilian. Emilian spent the last decades of his life creating a large cave in which he lived until his death in 787. His work was taken over by the Monks who continued to create a vast network of caves, catacombs and eventually the Church that stands today. After Emilian´s death, the settlement continued to prosper and grew into an important outpost of the Aquitaine province in the 12th century. St Emilon's peaceful existence was shattered during the Hundred Years War, a conflict between England and France for control of the French throne and control of her territories, which engulfed France from the mid-1400s. After the conflict ended, St Emilion enjoyed a peaceful existence, which lasted until the French Revolution in 1789.

The 1800s were a great time for Bordeaux's winemakers, as their produce was finding massive favour across Europe fuelling a newfound era of prosperity for St Emilion's many chateaux.

See also:
Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France
The Saint Emilion 2012–2022 Classification, Bordeaux

Wine Bars

There is only a very limited number of wine bars in St. Emilion. Here are ma favorites.

Chai Pascal
37, Rue Guadet

My #1 wine bar in St. Emilion. Chai Pascal is a small, relaxed place, with lovely wines and a limited but interesting food menu. Note that there is only one chef in the kitchen.

Pictures: Christian and Annetter Schiller at Chai Pascal with Catherine Papon-Nouvel

Chai Pascal is run by Pascal Fauvel, and Catherine Papon-Nouvel, the owner of three St. Emilion chateaux: Château Gaillard, Château Petit Gravet Ainé and Clos Saint Julien. Catherine’s wines are of course on offer but also many of her colleagues’ wines.

L'Envers du Decor
11, rue du Clocher

Owned by winemaker Francois de Ligneris (ex-owner of Chateau Soutard) this lively wine bar and bistro has a great list of interesting wines, with many by the glass. A favorite with locals who sit at the bar for wine by the glass or eat there. Locals call this place an "institution".

Pictures: L'Envers du Decor

The outdoor setting in the courtyard is lovely, especially on a warm summer night.

Le Bouchon
3 place du Marche

Not a wine bar, but still included in the list. The Bouchon is located in the central square of St. Emilion where it occupies a large outdoor space. The food is average, but the wine list is quite serious, including an impressive list of Tertre Rotebeuf wines. Foremost, it is a great location during a warm summer night for a magical moment in the heart of St. Emilion.

Pictures: At Le Bouchon

Lard et Bouchon
22, rue Guadet

Restaurant and wine bar in a medieval cellar.

Pictures: Lard et Bouchon

Les Delices du Roy
1, rue de la Porte Bouqueyre

Good value and good choice of wine by the glass, including the owner's own Gand Cru St. Emilion.

Picture: Les Delices du Roy

Le Bistrot des Vignobles
Rue de la Porte Bouqueyre

Picture: Le Bistrot des Vignobles

Schiller’s Favorites

This posting is part of the Schiller’s favorites series. Here is a full list of all Schiller’s favorites postings so far.

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France

Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA

Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) on North America Tour in Washington DC - Schiller’s Favorites

Schiller’s Favorites from the VDP Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru – Presentation at Kloster Eberbach, 2012, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, UK

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary

Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria (2011)

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California

schiller-wine - Related Postings

Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France 

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France

The Saint Emilion 2012–2022 Classification, Bordeaux

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France

Owner Jean-Bernard Grenié and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos Presented the Wines of Chateau Angélus and Chateau Daugay at Black Salt Restaurant in Washington DC, USA

The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany

A Morning at Château Canon La Gaffeliere in Saint Emilion with Owner Count Stefan von Neipperg, Bordeaux

Vin Bio de Bordeaux - At Château Beauséjour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, France

Château Figeac, Saint-Émilion - A Profile, France

An Afternoon with François Mitjavile at his Tertre Rôtebeouf - A Saint Emilion Cult Wine Producer

Lunch at Place de L’Eglise Monolithe in Saint Emilion and Visits of 3 Châteaux: Tertre Roteboeuf, Figeac and Beausejour

Rheingau Riesling Gala 2013 at Kloster Eberbach, Germany

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Picture: Christian G.E.Schiller, Martina Weil, Annette Schiller, Wilhelm Weil at the 2013 Rheingau Riesling Gala

Between mid-August and mid-November 2013, my wife Annette Schiller (ombiasy PR and WineTours) and I were Germany-based. Many interesting things happened during this period, including a Wuerttemberg Wine Tour, the Apple Wine Festival 2013 in Frankfurt am Main, the German Wine and Culture Tour 2013 by ombiasy, the Bordeaux Tour 2013 by ombiasy, the Digital Wine Communication Conference 2013 in Spain and Portugal and a Germany Tour with American Whiskey Producers. The last, and perhaps the most impressive event, before we flew back, was the Rheingau Riesling Gala 2013 at Kloster Eberbach.

See for ombiasy PR and WineTours:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
American Whiskey Producers in Germany

See also:
Touring (and Visiting 4 Wineries in) the Württemberg Wine Region (Zabergäu), Germany Impressions from the Apple Wine Festival 2013 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja,

Glorious Rheingau Days

The Rheingau Riesling Gala is the grand finale and the highlight of the Glorious Rheingau Days, an annual celebration of the Rheingau Riesling, this year for the 27th times. Over 10 days or so, VDP members of the Rheingau present their wines at winemaker dinners and similar events at the Rheingau’s top restaurants or other interesting places.

Pictures: Wilhelm Weil Opening the 2013 Rheingau Riesling Gala

The grand finale is the Rheingau Riesling Gala on the last day of the Glorious Rheingau Days (a Sunday) in the “Laiendormitorium” of “Kloster Eberbach”. It is a culinary and social event in which wine enthusiasts meet in the historic settings of the Laiendormitorium of Kloster Eberbach (the largest room of the Romanesque period north of the Alps) in order to celebrate the noblest of all grapes, the Riesling.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller, Werner Schoenleber, Weingut Emrich-Schoenleber, see: Germany’s Top 10 Winemakers (with 5 Grapes) - The Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013

Picture: Cornelia Heymann-Loewenstein, Weingut Heymann-Loewenstein. Eva Raps, Managing Director of the VDP, Reinhard Loewenstein and Christian G.E. Schiller

Picture: Manfred Pruem, Weingut JJ Pruem and Annette Schiller, see: JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

Picture: Annette Schiller and Werner Michel, Domdechant Werner'sches Weingut, see: Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller, Rowald Hepp, Weingut Schloss Vollrads and Giuseppe Lauria, Gault Millau, see: Germany’s Top 10 Winemakers (with 5 Grapes) - The Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Marian Kopp, former Managing Director of Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl, see: Bollinger Chef de Cave Mathieu Kauffmann Moves to Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in the Pfalz, Germany

Picture: Wilhelm Steifensand, Valckenberg and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Weil, see: Meeting Valckenberg Owner Wilhelm Steifensand and Tasting his Wines

Picture: Angela Kuehn, Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn, Annette Schiller, Mrs. Ress, Weingut Balthasar Ress, see: German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Pictures: Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil, Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, Philipp Erik Breitenfeld, Direttore Blog, Dirk Wuertz, Weingut Balthasar Ress, Andreas Barth, Weingut von Othegraven and Christian G.E. Schiller

Picture: Philipp Wittmann, Weingut Wittmann, and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Weil

Picture: Werner Schoenleber, Weingut Emrich-Schoenleber, and Josef Leitz, Weingut Leitz, see: Germany’s Top 10 Winemakers (with 5 Grapes) - The Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013 and Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

Picture: Katharina Pruem, Weingut JJ Pruem, and Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, see:  JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

Picture: Ralf Frenzel, Tre Torri Verlag, Chef Hans Stefan Steinheuer, Steinheuers Restaurant (Bad Neuenahr Heppingen) (2 stars Michelin) and Wilhelm Weil

From 11 am to 6 pm, VDP producers of the Rheingau, their guest winemakers from other regions and their 560 guests enjoyed a 6 courses dinner, each course prepared by a different top chef, almost all of themMichelin-starred. 3 Chefs were from the Rheingau and each of them had invited a Guest-Chef from another wine region.

The wines served differed, depending on who was hosting you and who his or her guest winemaker was. This year, my wife Annette and I were the guests of Wilhelm Weil, whose guest winemaker was Ernst Loosen from the Mosel. So, we enjoyed the superb wines of Weingut Robert Weil and Weingut Dr. Loosen. Please note that Robert Weil wines are part of the “Friends of Erni” portfolio at Loosen Bros. USA.

Pictures: Martina Weil, Annette Schiller, Wilhelm Weil, Ernst Loosen and Christian Schiller

See also:

Weingut Robert Weil (VDP)
German Riesling and International Grape Varieties – Top Wine Makers Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Weingut Dr. Loosen (VDP)
Riesling from Germany and Pinot Noir from Oregon: A Winemaker Dinner with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen and J.Christopher Wines, at Black Salt in Washington DC.
Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA
Ernst Loosen and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World;
The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA
A Riesling Guru and a Killer Guitarist cum Cult Winemaker: Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers and their J. Christopher Winery in Newberg, Oregon
Wine ratings: Two American/German wines - Eroica and Poet's Leap - on Top 100 Wines from Washington State list for 2009
German American Wines: (1) Pacific Rim Riesling (2) Eroica and (3) Woelffer's Schillerwein
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

The Rheingau

It is remarkable: For its entire length of nearly 560 miles, the Rhine flows north with one exception – a 28-mile stretch where the river changes its course. Here, it flows to the west, thereby enabling both the river and the vineyards facing it to bask in the warmth of the sun all day long. This is the Rheingau, one of the medium-size German wine regions. It is a quietly beautiful region, rich in tradition. Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for Hochheim's wines contributed to their popularity in England, where they, and ultimately, Rhine wines in general, were referred to as Hock.


Picture: The Rheingau

The third President of the USA - and notable bon viveur - Thomas Jefferson visited the Rheingau in 1788 and wrote that the wine of the "Abbaye of Johnsberg is the best made on the Rhine without comparison … That of the year 1775 is the best." He also referred to the Rheingau’s Riesling as the "small and delicate Rhysslin which grows only from Hochheim to Rudesheim". Impressed by the quality of the Rheingau Riesling wines, he bought 100 grapevines to take back to his estate in Virginia.

The Rheingau enjoys a distinctly continental climate with cold winters and warm, but not hot, summers. The Rheingau is dominated by Riesling, accounting for 4/5 of the vineyard area. Wilhelm Weil, our host, produces only Riesling wines.

Reception

The event started with a reception, where Rheingau Charta Rieslings were served.


Gala Luncheon

6 courses in 7 hours, i.e. basically every hour one cours with 2 wines, from Weingut Weil and Weingut Dr. Loosen at our table.


Marinierte Fjordforelle, mit rettich,rucola und limonene-crème fraiche – Chef: Dirk Schroer, Burg Schwarzenstein (18 points Gault Millau)
2012 Graacher Riesling Trocken, Dr. Loosen
2011 Kiedricher Riesling Trocken, Robert Weil


Landei, mit spinat, risottoschaum, culatello, bergkaese und roestbrot – Chef: Hans Stefan Steinheuer, Steinheuers Restaurant (Bad Neuenahr Heppingen) (2 stars Michelin)
1998 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Dr. Loosen
2009 Kiedricher Klosterberg Riesling Trocken, Robert Weil


Zander und Geschmolzener Kalpskopf, an salat von geraeucherten graupen, kalbskopf und linsen im lauchsud – Chef: Rolf Straubinger, Burgrestaurant Staufeneck (Salach) (1 star Michelin)
2011 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling VDP.Grosses Gewaechs, Dr. Loosen
2008 Kiedricher Graefenberg, Riesling Trocken Erstes Gewaechs, Robert Weil


Saumagen mit Gaenseleber, auf trueffelmousseline und heller pfeffersauce – Chef: Stefan Neugebauer, Schwarzer Hahn im Deidesheimer Hof (1 star Michelin)
1990 Uerziger Wuerzgarten, Riesling Auslese, Dr. Loosen
2006 Kiedricher Turmberg, Riesling Spaetlese, Robert Weil


Faersenfilet, auf schwarzwurzel mit hummer, estragon und kuerbisnocken – Chef: Michael Ritter, Wiesbaden
2011 Uerziger Wuerzgarten, Riesling Alte Rebe, VDP. Grosses Gewaechs, Dr. Loosen
2009 Kiedricher Graefenberg, Riesling Trocken, Erstes Gewaechs, Robert Weil

Delice, von birne und piemonteser haselnuessen – Chef: Wolfgang Becker, Becker’s Restaurant (Trier) (2 stars Michelin)
1999 Uerziger Wuerzgarten, Riesling Beerenauslese, Dr. Loosen
2007 Kiedricher Graefenberg, Riesling Auslese, Robert Weil


Wilhelm Weil thanked the 6 Chefs and their teams for making this extraordinary event possible.


After Party

The event ended with an after party, where one could taste all the wines that were poured during the luncheon … but also could go for a draft beer.


schiller-wine: Related Postings

Germany’s Top 10 Winemakers (with 5 Grapes) - The Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

Hanging out with Rheingau Winemakers: Dirk Wuertz, Desiree Eser, Alexander Jakob Jung, Hansi Bausch and Christian Ress in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany

Bollinger Chef de Cave Mathieu Kauffmann Moves to Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in the Pfalz, Germany

Meeting Valckenberg Owner Wilhelm Steifensand and Tasting his Wines

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

American Whiskey Producers in Germany

German Riesling and International Grape Varieties – Top Wine Makers Wilhelm Weil and Markus Schneider at Kai Buhrfeindt’s Grand Cru in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany

The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Riesling from Germany and Pinot Noir from Oregon: A Winemaker Dinner with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen and J.Christopher Wines, at Black Salt in Washington DC.

Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA

Ernst Loosen and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World

The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA

A Riesling Guru and a Killer Guitarist cum Cult Winemaker: Ernst Loosen and Jay Somers and their J. Christopher Winery in Newberg, Oregon

Wine ratings: Two American/German wines - Eroica and Poet's Leap - on Top 100 Wines from Washington State list for 2009

German American Wines: (1) Pacific Rim Riesling (2) Eroica and (3) Woelffer's Schillerwein

The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA



Visiting a “Holy” Construction Site: Château Angélus in Saint-Emilion, France

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Château Angélus

One of the highlights of the 2013 Bordeaux Wine Tour by ombiasy was the visit of Château Angélus. It was a very unusual visit.

See here:
Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

When Annette Schiller from ombiasy had discussed the visit with Jean-Bernard Grenié, the possibility that the estate might be a construction site during the visit of the group was not even considered. But when the time of the visit came closer, it became evident that there might be a problem and cancellation of the visit was considered. But in the end, Jean-Bernard Grenié decided to pull it through. Good decision. And we had a very interesting tour.

Pictures: Jean-Bernard Grenié, Ivanhoe Johnston (Negociant), Annette Schiller, Panos Kakaviatos  and Christian G.E. Schiller in Washington DC

See: 
Owner Jean-Bernard Grenié and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos Presented the Wines of Chateau Angélus and Chateau Daugay at Black Salt Restaurant in Washington DC, USA

Laurent Benoit was our host. We also bumped into Jean-Bernard Grenié’s son, Thierry Grenié.

Château Angélus

Château Angélus is one of the only four (Angelus, Ausonne, Cheval Blanc, Pavie) wine producing estates classified as premier grand cru classé A in the Saint-Emilion appellation.

It sits in the middle of a natural amphitheatre on the south-facing hillside of the famous footslope „pieds de côtes“, just half a mile from the village of Saint-Emilion.

Pictures: Starting the Visit

Château Angélus has been owned by the de Boüard de Laforest family since 1909, when the Domaine de Mazaret was bequeathed to Comte Maurice de Boüard de Laforest.

The name refers to the three Angelus bells audible from the vineyards, coming from the chapel at Mazerat, the church in Saint-Martin de Mazeret and Saint-Émilion.

Château Angélus consists of 23.4 hectares with a grape variety of 51% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Pictures: In the Vineyard

The estate also produces a second wine, Le Carillon de l’Angelus. The annual production averages 10,000 cases of the Grand Vin and 1,000 cases of the second wine.

Pictures: In the Cellar

In June 2012, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, was named Executive Manager. The family of Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal has been making wine in Saint Emilion for nine generations.

Pictures: In the Cellar and in the Reception Hall

Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, Jean-Bernard Grenié and Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal

Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal is the daughter of Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, who joined the family business at Angélus in 1976. Until she took over, Château Angélus had been run - for several decades - by Stephanie’s father Hubert de Boüard de Laforest and her uncle Jean-Bernard Grenié, who we met in Washington DC. Initially, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest worked under his uncle, but he became the #1 in 1985.

Starting with the 1988 vintage, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest rapidly changed things at Château Angélus. He was one of the first Bordeaux wine makers to embrace fermenting in open top vats and conducting malolactic in small barrels. In the vineyard, he lowered yields. He began aging wines in new oak barrels.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Thierry Grenié

Today, fermentation takes place in a combination of temperature controlled stainless steel vats, concrete and open top, oak vats at 28 to 32° degrees Celsius. Everything in the cellar moves by gravity flow. After malolactic fermentation in barrel is completed, the wine is aged in 100% new, French oak barrels for between 18-24 months.

In addition to progressive winemaking, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest also has embraced new kinds of marketing, including movie product placement. Angélus has made appearances in three dozen films, including “Casino Royale” in 2006 and “Passion” last year.

This has helped the chateau reach new consumers in Asia, who now account for 55 percent of sales, up from 15 percent in 2005.

The de Boüard de Laforest family also owns other estates in the Right Bank including Chateau Bellevue and Chateau Daugay in St. Emilion and La Fleur de Bouard in Lalande Pomerol. In fact, the tasting took place at Chateau Bellevue, which is in walking distance from Chateau Angélus.

Prices

Wine-searcher average prices in US$ per 0.75 liter bottle:

2012 216
2011 219
2010 390
2009 406
2005 419
2000 493

Tasting

We went over to Chateau Bellevue and tasted 3 wines:

2007 Chateau Bellevue
2010 Chateau Angélus
2010 Le Carillon d’Angélus

Pictures: Leaving Chateau Angélus and Walking over to Chateau Bellevue for some Tasting

schiller-wine - Related Postings

Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France 

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Ombiasy Wine Tours: Bordeaux Trip Coming up in September 2013

Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France

The Saint Emilion 2012–2022 Classification, Bordeaux

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France

Owner Jean-Bernard Grenié and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos Presented the Wines of Chateau Angélus and Chateau Daugay at Black Salt Restaurant in Washington DC, USA

The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany

A Morning at Château Canon La Gaffeliere in Saint Emilion with Owner Count Stefan von Neipperg, Bordeaux

Vin Bio de Bordeaux - At Château Beauséjour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, France

Château Figeac, Saint-Émilion - A Profile, France

An Afternoon with François Mitjavile at his Tertre Rôtebeouf - A Saint Emilion Cult Wine Producer

Lunch at Place de L’Eglise Monolithe in Saint Emilion and Visits of 3 Châteaux: Tertre Roteboeuf, Figeac and Beausejour

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

Visiting a Stunning Winery: Bodegas Baigorri in Rioja, Spain

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Bodegas Baigorri

As part of the 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC), I had the luck and pleasure to spend an extraordinary evening at Bodegas Baigorri, an amazing winery in the Rioja Alavesa region.

The 2013 DWCC – formerly called European Wine Bloggers Conference - took place in Logroño (Spain) from Friday, October 25 to Sunday, October 27, 2013. The DWCC is a three-day event that provides a platform for the global wine community to address today's online communications opportunities. As in previous years, the 2013 conference was a highly entertaining and educational mix of workshops, lectures, tastings and winery visits with lunches/dinners.

See:
The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja
Rioja, Portugal, Austria, Italy, Turkey …. Rioja – EWBC 2013 Back in Spain

The first day ended with a winery visit and dinner at the winery. We were put randomly on 6 buses and each bus went to a different winery. I belonged to the lucky ones that were put on the bus to Bodegas Baigorri.

Picture: Bodegas Baigorri

It was an extraordinary evening, comprising 3 parts: (1) Reception on the top floor of the winery. (2) Tour of Bodegas Baigorri. (3) Dinner with tasting.

Reception

Bodegas Baigorri not only makes excellent wines, but the winery itself is a major architectural statement. Imagine an open concept home, dug into the hillside, where every level is visible from top to bottom. A striking glass atrium, through which you enter the winery, sits on top of it.

We started the evening in the glass atrium, with a white wine - Baigorri Blanco 2011 Fermentado en barrique - and some delicious hors d'oeuvres.

Pictures: Reception at Bodegas Baigorri

The glass atrium is bright and appropriately sparse with furnishings. The view from the glass atrium of the Rioja Alavesa region is amazing. The Bodegas Baigorri vineyards are all within the Rioja Alavesa region, commonly held to be the finest region within the Rioja.

Picture: The Rioja Alavesa Region, a View from Bodeags Baigorri

Tour of the Winery

We then split up into 2 groups and toured the winery. My group was led by the charming and very knowledgeable Matthias Lange. But before leaving for the tour, we bumped into the winemaker of Bodegas Baigorri, Simone Arina Robles.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Bodeags Baigorri Winemaker Simone Arina Robles

Bodegas Baigorri was founded in 1996 with the first vintage in 2002. It was designed and built by the Basque architect Iñaki Aspiazu.

“Pouring instead of pumping” was one of the visions of Iñaki Aspiazu, when he designed the winery. The winemaking process is completely gravity fed; you do not see a single pump in the winery.

Touring Bodegas Baigorri means walking down 35 meters, one level to the next, starting with the reception area, then coming to the fermentation levels and ending up at the aging and bottling levels, the lowest levels. In total, you pass through 7 levels.

Picture: Model of Bodegas Baigorri

Another aim of Iñaki Aspiazu was accessibility and transparency, explained Matthias Lange. “Visitors should be able to tour the winery at any time, even during the harvest”.

Although the winery looks hi-tech at first glance, the winemaking philosophy is more of the “natural wine” approach, i.e. to make wine with minimal intervention, said Matthias Lange.

Pictures: Bodegas Baigorri

“All the grapes come from either vineyards owned by Bodegas Baigorri (20%) or long-term leased (80%)” said Matthias Lange. “We work with 12 growers currently, but our long-term goal is to have only estate grown wines”.

“Serious wine production started only 5 years ago” said Matthias Lange, after ownership of Bodegas Baigorri changed. Currently, the staff comprises 15 people.

Rigorous grape sorting is followed by a winemaking process aiming to avoid oxidation and to maximize fruit expression. Matthias Lange showed us the unique cone fermenters that have been developed by Bodegas Baigorri to provide optimal skin contact before maturation in new, one and two year oak for 12 to 18 months before extended maturation in bottle.

Dinner

The winery tour was followed by a wonderful dinner at the Bodegas Baigorri restaurant, prepared by Chef Marian Peso Beni, with beautifully set out tables and outstanding Bodegas Baigorri wines:


Black pudding delights with homemade apple chutney


Beetroot gazpacho with black sesame seeds and arbequina olive oil


Iberian pork jowl slowly cooked in BAIGORRI Maceraracion Carbonica with garnish


Panna cotta of BAIGORRI with blueberry sauce, iced vanilla gelee of Rosado and Blanco


Baigorri Crianza 2009
Baigorri Reserva 2006


Chef Marian Peso Beni

Thanks Chef Marian Peso Beni and your team for an extraordinary evening!



Facebook and Twitter

Bodegas Baigorri maintains a facebook page and twitter (@bodegasbaigorri) account. For tweets and posts related to Bodegas Baigorri, the hash tag #baigorriemotion is used.

schiller-wine: Related Posting

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The Wines of Bodegas Epifanio Rivera in Spain

Welcoming Winemaker Ruben Saenz Lopez and his Bodegas San Prudencio Wines from Rioja in Spain to Washington DC

Meeting Didier Soto and Tasting His Biodynamic Mas Estela Wines from Catalonia

Meeting Up-and-coming Winemaker Rita Ferreira Marques from the Duoro Area in Portugal at Screwtop Winebar in Clarendon, Virginia

Meeting Winemaker Yolanda Viadero from Valduero Vineyards in Ribera del Duero and in Toro, Spain, and Tasting Her Excellent Wines

Dinner with Spanish Winemaker Antonio Jose Bleda Jimenez, Bodegas Bleda, at Taberna del Alabardero in Washington DC, USA

The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja

Rioja, Portugal, Austria, Italy, Turkey …. Rioja – EWBC 2013 Back in Spain


Discover Blaufraenkisch! Top 100 Tasting in London, UK - Schiller's Favorites

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Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Austrian Wine Marketing Boss Willi Klinger in London, UK

When I was in London a few days ago for my daughter Cornelia Schiller Tremann’s defense of her PhD thesis, I bumped into Franz Raith from Weingut Umathum at the trendy bistro “10 Cases” in the Covent Garden district. He told me that he was in London because of a major tasting of 100 Blaufraenkisch wines from Austria with Jancis Robinson, Willi Klinger and Gerhard Prieler, Weingut Prieler, on the following day at the Austrian Embassy in London. Of couse, the seated tasting with Jancis Robinson was fully booked, but I was able to join the trade tasting in the afternoon, where 100 wines were poured.

Pictures: Discover Blaufraenkisch! at the Austrian Embassy in London, UK

Let me quote Jancis Robinson: “What Austria can offer, however, is a trio of truly distinctive dark-skinned grape varieties. One of them, Zweigelt, is capable of making exuberantly fruity wines that, in their usual unoaked form, can provide charming drinking for less than £10 a bottle. … Another Austrian red wine grape specialty is St Laurent, whose origins are obscure but whose wines are unusually velvety. The wines tend to lusciousness and can taste a little sweet, lacking the structure and perhaps longevity of Austria’s finest Pinot Noir. … But the grape variety that is probably most likely to put Austrian reds on the map is Blaufränkisch, known as Kékfrankos over the border in Hungary, and Lemberger in southern Germany and Washington State. It has the most attractive, and currently fashionable, combination of medium rather than full body, a refreshing aroma, and the ability to transmit quite subtle differences in terroir with precision – in Austria anyway. The greatest concentration of fascinating Blaufränkisch is in Burgenland, with the wine produced in Leithaberg on the western shore of the Neusiedlersee being so distinctively mineral-soaked that it has earned its own special appellation.”

Pictures: At the Tasting

Blaufraenkisch

Origin: Austria. This variety was first documented in the 18th century in Austria. At that time, in what was then Germany, it had the name of Lemberger or Limberger, which was derived from the town of Limberg – today Maissau – in Niederösterreich.

Parentage: Natural crossing of the Heunisch variety and an unknown grape (probably a mutation of the Blauer Groben). Blaufränkisch was used as a crossing partner for Austrian new breeds like Zweigelt, Blauburger, Roesler and Rathay. Even breeding stations abroad used the variety for crossings.

Pictures: 100 Blaufraenkisch Wines

Vineyard area: 3,225 ha, 7.0 %. An autochthone variety, Blaufränkisch is found especially in the wine-growing regions of Burgenland as well as in eastern Niederösterreich (Carnuntum).

Wine: The typical palate of this late ripening variety is characterized by deep wood berry or cherry tones, and reveals its characteristic acidity. Blaufränkisch can yield wines with dense structure and prominent tannins. The wines are often impetuous in their youth, but develop velvety facets when sufficiently ripe. Fuller, stronger versions have good ageing potential.

Importance, conditions: It is the leading variety in Mittelburgenland, which is also referred to as “Blaufränkischland”. This region delivers origin-typical wines. In fact, Blaufränkish bears DAC status in several wine-growing regions. In Niederösterreich, the area of Carnuntum is known for its excellent Blaufränkisch wines. The variety is highly demanding of its vineyard site. Coulure easily occurs if the weather is cool during the flowering period.

Schiller’s Favorites at the Tasting

It was an impressive selection of wines. The list of the wines that were shown is available on the web site of the Oesterreich Wein Marketing GmbH, under "Aktionen und Veranstaltungen im Ausland 2013" Go to "London - Discover Blaufränkisch! TOP 100 TASTING" and look for the link to the "Verkostungsliste Discover Blaufränkisch Top 100 Tasting. This takes you then to "Ausstellerkataloge 2013", which includes both the catalogue for the Discover Blaufraenkisch! Master Class and the Discover Blaufraenkisch! Top 100 Tasting (both on November 6, 2013).

Here are my favorites (in the order as they appeared in the tasting).

2010 Annita und Hans Nittnaus, Blaufraenkisch, Alte Reben, Leithaberg DAC

Picture: 2010 Annita und Hans Nittnaus, Blaufraenkisch, Alte Reben, Leithaberg DAC

On Anita und Hans Nittnaus, see:
Meeting “John” Nittnaus from Gols, Burgenland, Austria

2010 Schloss Halbturn, Blaufraenkisch, Burgenland

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Markus Sieben, General Manager of Weingut Schloss Halbturn, at Schloss Halbturn and the 2010 Schloss Halbturn, Blaufraenkisch, Burgenland

On Schloss Halbturn, see:
A Wedding and a Wine Tasting at Schloss Halbturn in Austria

2009 Wachter-Wiesler, Blaufraenkisch, Reserve Pfarrweingarten, Eisenberg DAC

Pictures: Tom Wachter and Julia Sevenich during a Wine Lunch at Wachter Wieslers Ratschen in Deutsch-Schuetzen, Suedburgenland and the 2009 Wachter-Wiesler, Blaufraenkisch, Reserve Pfarrweingarten, Eisenberg DAC

On Wachter-Wiesler, see:
Wine and Food from Burgenland at Wachter-Wieslers Ratschen, Deutsch-Schuetzen, Austria - with Tom and Christoph Wachter and Julia Sevenich

2009 Umathum, Blaufraenkisch, Joiser Kirschgarten, Burgenland

Pictures: With Franz Raith, Weingut Umathum, in London at the tasting and the 2009 Umathum, Blaufraenkisch, Joiser Kirschgarten, Burgenland

2009 Prieler, Blaufraenkisch, Goldberg, Burgenland

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, in the Restaurant Buergerhaus in Rust and with Georg Prieler at the tasting in London and the 2009 Prieler, Blaufraenkisch, Goldberg, Burgenland

For more on Weingut Prieler, see:
Lunch with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, Schuetzen am Gebirge, Austria

2009 Leo Hillinger, Blaufraenkisch, Terroir, Burgenland

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois and the2009 Leo Hillinger, Blaufraenkisch, Terroir, Burgenland

For more on Weingut Leo Hillinger, see:
Visiting Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois, Austria
Leo Hillinger Wines and Alsatian Food with Hillinger’s Michael Hoeffken and Chef Jacques E. Haeringer at L’Auberge Chez François in Virginia, USA

Schiller’s Favorites

This posting is part of the Schiller’s favorites series. Here is a full list of all Schiller’s favorites postings so far.

Discover Blaufraenkisch! Top 100 Tasting in London, UK - Schiller's Favorites

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France

Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA

Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) on North America Tour in Washington DC - Schiller’s Favorites

Schiller’s Favorites from the VDP Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru – Presentation at Kloster Eberbach, 2012, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, UK

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary

Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria (2011)

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California 

schiller-wine: Related Postings

A Wedding and a Wine Tasting at Schloss Halbturn in Austria

Wine and Food from Burgenland at Wachter-Wieslers Ratschen, Deutsch-Schuetzen, Austria - with Tom and Christoph Wachter and Julia Sevenich

Lunch with Silvia Prieler, Weingut Prieler, Schuetzen am Gebirge, Austria

Dinner with Wine Maker Gerhard Wohlmuth sen., his Wines and the Food of Steierland’s Chef Ruth Stelzer, Austria

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria

Producing Wines in Austria and Hungary - Franz and Franz Reinhard Weninger

With the WienWein Winemakers in Vienna in the Heurigen Drinking Gemischter Satz Wine

Wine Producer Austria - Not Only Gruener Veltliner

Meeting “John” Nittnaus from Gols, Burgenland, Austria

Visiting Christine, Christina and Franz Netzl in their Weingut Netzl in Carnuntum, Austria

 “Wine Ambassador” Klaus Wittauer Presented Austrian Wines at the Embassy of Austria in Washington DC, USA

Visiting Leo Hillinger, Michael Hoeffken and Edgar Brutler at the Leo Hillinger Winery in Jois, Austria

Leo Hillinger Wines and Alsatian Food with Hillinger’s Michael Hoeffken and Chef Jacques E. Haeringer at L’Auberge Chez François in Virginia, USA

At the Forefront of Biodynamic Winemaking: Visiting Werner and Angela Michlits and their Weingut Meinklang in Austria

Impressions from the 2013 VDP Rheingau Open at Schloss Johannisberg, Germany - Schiller's Favorites

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Achim von Oetinger, Weingut Achim von Oetinger, Erbach, at the 2013 VDP Rheingau Open

Once a year, after the end of the harvest, the VDP Rheingau – the elite wine producers of the Rheingau region in Germany – invites for a Jahrespraesentation (Annual Presentation) at Schloss Johannisberg. The event is called “Rheingau Open”. Each producer shows 3 to 5 wines.

See here for the 2011 presentation:
Impressions from the 2011 VDP Rheingau Open at Schloss Johannisberg, Germany

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller at Schloss Johannisberg

See more:
VDP Vineyard Illuminations at Johannisberg Castle

All VDP producers of the Rheingau – in many cases the owner and/or winemaker herself/himself - were there; in addition guests from other regions as well as non-VDP producers of the Rheingau. All in all, 70 producers and about 250 wines.

The VDP

The VDP is the oldest association of wine estates in the world. In fact, it is the only one of its kind worldwide. No other country has a national organization of the top wine makers of the entire country.

In 1910, four regional wine-growers’ associations joined forces to form the Verband Deutscher Naturweinversteigerer (i.e. estates that sold their “natural” [unchaptalized] wines at auction). These organizations – from the Rheingau and Rheinhessen, founded in 1897 and 1900, respectively, and their counterparts in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and Pfalz regions, both founded in 1908 – were the forerunners of today’s VDP. At this time, fine German wines enjoyed a heyday. They were among the most expensive wines, on the tables of imperial houses as well as leading hotels and restaurants.

Throughout the past century, the quality-driven goals and strict standards of the VDP have played no small part in shaping the viticultural and winemaking practices in Germany. With their stringent statutes and their establishment of a German vineyard classification, the 200 members of the VDP have served as role models and justifiably can be viewed as the vanguard of the nation’s producers of top-quality wines.

Picture: The Crowd

On the VDP, see:
Germany's VDP Wine Estates Celebrate 100th Anniversary in Berlin
The VDP - the Powerful Group of German Elite Winemakers - Refines its Classification System, Germany
Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach
Video: How to Pronounce German Wine - Simon Woods' Enhanced Version

The Rheingau

It is remarkable: For its entire length of nearly 560 miles, the Rhine flows north with one exception – a 28-mile stretch where the river changes its course. Here, it flows to the west, thereby enabling both the river and the vineyards facing it to bask in the warmth of the sun all day long. This is the Rheingau, one of the medium-size German wine regions. It is a quietly beautiful region, rich in tradition. Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for Hochheim's wines contributed to their popularity in England, where they, and ultimately, Rhine wines in general, were referred to as Hock.

The third President of the USA - and notable bon viveur - Thomas Jefferson visited the Rheingau in 1788 and wrote that the wine of the "Abbaye of Johnsberg is the best made on the Rhine without comparison … That of the year 1775 is the best." He also referred to the Rheingau’s Riesling as the "small and delicate Rhysslin which grows only from Hochheim to Rudesheim". Impressed by the quality of the Rheingau Riesling wines, he bought 100 grapevines to take back to his estate in Virginia.


Picture: The Rheingau

Although the Rheingau is one of Germany’s smaller wine-growing regions, its 3,100 ha (7,660 acres) of vineyards are vastly diverse in their geological makeup. The soil varies from stony slate at the western part near the villages of Assmannshausen and Rudesheim to loess, sand and marl in the lower central villages of Geisenheim, Johannisberg, Winkel, Oestrich and Hattenheim. Soil reverts to stony phyllite in the higher central and eastern villages of Hallgarten, Kiedrich and Hochheim. Generally, wines from the lower slopes where the soil is heavier—sandy loam and loess—produce fuller wines, while at the higher slopes where it is more stony and slatey, the wines reflect more minerality, elegance and concentration.

The Rheingau enjoys a distinctly continental climate with cold winters and warm, but not hot, summers. The Rheingau is dominated by Riesling, accounting for 4/5 of the vineyard area. Pinot Noir accounts for 1/10 and is concentrated around Assmannshausen.

Schiller’s Favorites

Here are some of my favorites, in the order as they appeared at the tasting. The Rheingau Open took place on a Saturday and was followed by the Rheingau Riesling Gala on the next day, in which I also participated. Some of the pictures are from the Rheingau Riesling Gala.

Weingut Chat Sauvage

The Gault Millau Weinguide 2014 Rising Star Michael Staedter presented 3 Bourgogne wines, made in the Rheingau.

For more, see:
Weingut Chat Sauvage – Bourgogne in the Middle of the Rheingau: Meeting Chat Sauvage’s Winemaker and General Manager Michael Staedter, Germany

Weingut Fritz Allendorf

4 wines. My favorite: 2012 Winkel Jesuitengarten Riesling VDP.Grosses Gewaechs

For more see:
Lighting and the Flavor of Wine - With Winemaker Ulrich Allendorf in his Aroma Vineyard and Color Room at Weingut Allendorf in Oestrich Winkel, Rheingau, Germany

Wein- und Sektgut Barth

The 2009 Barth Primus Sekt was just amazing.

For more see:
Barth Primus is Germany’s First Sekt Made with an Erstes Gewaechs Wine

Picture: Norbert Barth pouring at the 2013 VDP Rheingau Open

Weingut Emrich-Schoenleber (Nahe)

A guest from the Nahe, who is one of the best German Riesling producer.

See more:
Germany’s Top 10 Winemakers (with 5 Grapes) - The Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Werner Schoenleber, Weingut Emrich-Schoenleber, at the 2013 Rheingau Riesling Gala

Weingut August Eser

Desiree Eser is now running this family-owned winery with a long tradition. I like her entry-level wine, the 10. Generation "my way"

Picture: Desiree Eser at the 2013 Rheingau Open

For more, see:
Meeting Winemaker/Owner Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser, on the Banks of the Rhein River in the Rheingau in Germany

Weingut Joachim Flick

A FairChoice-certified winemaker in the Rheingau.

See also:
FairChoice Certified Wine in Germany: Weingut Joachim Flick in the Rheingau

Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung

I liked the 2011 Hattenheimer Engelmannsberg Spaetburgunder trocken, Erste Lage. Th estate is also a (modern) art gallery.

See more:
A Painted Winetasting at Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung in Hattenheim (Eltville), Rheingau, Germany

Weingut JJ Pruem (Mosel)

A guest from the Mosel - producer of legendary fruity sweet wines.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Katharina Pruem at the 2013 Rheingau Open

See also:
JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

Weingut Jakob Jung

Alexander Johannes Jung is somebody to watch. The impromptu tasting with him during the 2013 German Culture and Wine Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours was one of the highlights of the tour, see:

Impromptu Winetasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Erbach, Rheingau, Germany

Picture: Alexander Jung and Annette Schiller, ombiasy PR and WineTours, at the 2013 Rheingau Open

Weingut Doennhoff (Nahe)

A guest from the Nahe, a world class Riesling producer. Doennhoff presented an entry level wine and a dry and a fruity-sweet premium wine. 

See also:
An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

Weingut August Kesseler

August Kesseler from the western corner of the Rheingau prsented 3 Rieslings, all dry, and only one Pinot Noir, although he is the leading red wine producer in the Rheingau

Picture: August Kesseler at the 2013 Rheingau Open

See also:
A Pinot Noir Star: Visiting August Kesseler and his Weingut August Kesseler in Assmannshausen, Germany

Weingut Heymann-Loewenstein

A guest from the Mosel, a "terroir" legend. Reinhard and Cornelia Heymann-Loewenstein presented 5 wines, including 3 VDP.Grosses Gewaechs wines.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Reinhard Loewenstein at the 2013 Rheingau Riesling Gala

Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn

A bio-dynamic star winemaker from the Rheingau. I liked his entry level wine 2012 JACOBUS Riesling trocken, VDP.Gutswein. The tasting at Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn was one of the highlights of the 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours, see more:
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Picture: Annette Schiller and Klaus Peter Kuehn, with Peter Bernhard Kuehn, at the 2013 Rheingau Open

Weingut Fred Loimer (Austria)

A guest from Austria.

See more:
Austria at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Picture: Fred Loimer and Christian G.E. Schiller at the 2013 Rheingai Open

Weingut Kuenstler

Weingut Kuenstler presented 4 wines. The 2011 Ruedesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Auslese was impressive.

See:
Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel, Wirsching – Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Weingut Josef Leitz

The 2011 Gault and Milla Winemaker of the Year presented 4 wines, including a delicious 2012 Ruedesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Spaetlese.

See:
Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

Picture: Werner Schoenleber, Weingut Emrich-Schoenleber, and Josef Leitz, Weingut Leitz, at the 2013 Riesling Gala

Weingut Achim von Oetinger

Another winemaker to watch. Achim von Oetinger presented 3 wines: 2012 von Oetinger Loesslehm (Gutswein), 2012 Erbach Siegelsberg (VDP.Grosses Gewaechs) and 2009 von Oetinger "Edition" (Spaetburgunder trocken), all very convincing.

Weingut Querbach

Peter Querbach is one of those VDP winemakers you do not hear much about in the wine blogger scene. But he makes excellent wines, as he demonstrated at this year's Riesling Gala again.

See also:
Chat Sauvage Versus Peter Querbach– An Impromptu Pinot Noir Wine Tasting with Kai Buhrfeind at His Grand Cru Wine Bar in Frankfurt, Germany

Picture: Peter Querbach at the 2013  Rheingau Open

Weingut Balthasar Ress

The "Von Unserm" is available at Total in the US and one of our house wines when we are in McLean, Virginia. The tasting with Stefan Ress was very much appreciated by the participants of the 2013 German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours

See also:
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013 
Dirk Wuertz Presented the 2012 Grosses Gewaechs Wines of Weingut Balthasar Ress, Germany

Picture: Annette Schiller, Fred Elleman and Stefan Ress, Weingut Balthasar Ress, at the 2013 Rheingau Open

Weingut Wittmann

A prominent guest from Rheinhessen, the 2014 Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland Winemaker of the Year. He brought with him his legendary 2012 Westhofen Morsein Riesling trocken VDP.Grosses Geaechs

Picture: Philipp Wittmann, Weingut Wittmann, and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil, at the 2013 Rheingau Riesling Gala

Domaene Schloss Johannisberg

The host. Managing Director Christian Witte presented 3 "Schloss Johannisberger" wines, a Riesling Gelblack trocken, VDP.Gutswein, a Riesling Silberlack, VDP.Grosses Gewaechs, and a Riesling Rosalack Auslese, all 2012 and all very strong wines.

Picture: Christian Witte, Schloss Johannisberg, and Ulrich Allendorf, Weingut Fritz Allendorf at the table of Katharina Pruem, Weingut JJ Pruem, at the 2013 Rheingau Open

Weingut Robert Weil

The only Rheingau producer with 5 grapes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland prsented 3 excellent wines, all 2012 Riesling: Robert Weil, Riesling trocken VDP.Gutswein, Kiedricher Graefenberg Riesling trocken VDP.Grosses Gewaechs and Kiedricher Graefenberg Riesling Spaetlese

See also:
Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany
Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany
The German Winemakers at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller, Martina Weil, Annette Schiller, Wilhelm Weil at the 2013 Rheingau Riesling Gala

Weingut Dr. Loosen (Mosel)

A prominent guest from the Mosel. Ernst Loosen brought 5 wines, including a 2012 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling trocken VDP.Grosses Gewaechs and a 2012 Uerziger Wuerzgarten Alte Reben Riesling trocken VDP.Grosses Gewaechs, which were both stunning. Chapeau!

See also:
Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA
Ernst Loosen and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World
The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA

Picture: Annette Schiller, Ernst Loosen and Christian G.E. Schiller at the 2013 Rheingau Riesling Gala

Domdechant Werner’sches Weingut

The other star from Hochheim, Franz W. Michel of  Domdechant Werner'sches Weingut. In the US well known for its fruity-sweet wines, Franz W. Michel brought only one fruity-sweet wine and 3 dry wines to the tasting: 2012 Domdechant Werner Riesling trocken VDP.Gutswein, 2012 Hochheimer Kirchenstueck, Riesling trocken, VDP.Grosses Gewaechs and a 2011 Hochheimer Fruehburgunder trocken, VDP.Ortswein

See also:
Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany

Picture: Annette Schiller and Franz W. Michel, Domdechant Werner'sches Weingut, at the 2013 Rheingau Riesling Gala

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Germany’s Top 10 Winemakers (with 5 Grapes) - The Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

Impressions from the 2011 VDP Rheingau Open at Schloss Johannisberg, Germany

JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany

Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA

Ernst Loosen and Dr. L. Riesling - His Hugely Popular Entry-level Wine Sold Throughout the World

The Doctor Made a House Call - A Tasting with Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at MacArthur Beverages in Washington DC, USA

VDP Vineyard Illuminations at Johannisberg Castle

Germany's VDP Wine Estates Celebrate 100th Anniversary in Berlin

The VDP - the Powerful Group of German Elite Winemakers - Refines its Classification System, Germany

Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach

Video: How to Pronounce German Wine - Simon Woods' Enhanced Version

Weingut Chat Sauvage – Bourgogne in the Middle of the Rheingau: Meeting Chat Sauvage’s Winemaker and General Manager Michael Staedter, Germany 

Lighting and the Flavor of Wine - With Winemaker Ulrich Allendorf in his Aroma Vineyard and Color Room at Weingut Allendorf in Oestrich Winkel, Rheingau, Germany

Barth Primus is Germany’s First Sekt Made with an Erstes Gewaechs Wine

Meeting Winemaker/Owner Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser, on the Banks of the Rhein River in the Rheingau in Germany

FairChoice Certified Wine in Germany: Weingut Joachim Flick in the Rheingau

A Painted Winetasting at Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung in Hattenheim (Eltville), Rheingau, Germany

Impromptu Winetasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Erbach, Rheingau, Germany

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

A Pinot Noir Star: Visiting August Kesseler and his Weingut August Kesseler in Assmannshausen, Germany

Austria at the 4th Riesling Rendezvous in Seattle, USA

Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel, Wirsching – Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

Chat Sauvage Versus Peter Querbach– An Impromptu Pinot Noir Wine Tasting with Kai Buhrfeind at His Grand Cru Wine Bar in Frankfurt, Germany

Dirk Wuertz Presented the 2012 Grosses Gewaechs Wines of Weingut Balthasar Ress, Germany

Five Hochheim (Rheingau) Winemakers Presented their Vintage 2011 Wines in Hochheim, Germany



#DWCC : Comunicatore Digitale della settimana – Wine Blogger of the Week: Christian Schiller

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Cantina Sociale de Soave Winemaker Giancarlo Piubelli at the BYOB Night at 2013 Digitale Wine Commncations Conference in Spain

Last week, I was Cantina Sociale de Soave’s Wine Blogger of the Week. Cantina Sociale de Soave released the following posting on its blog, including my video assessment of a vertical of Rocca Sveva Soave Classico Superiore, which had been taped during the Digitale Wine Communications Conference in Logroño, Rioja.

Here is the video.

And here is the text: "Christian Schiller è un wine writer, ha un blog che si chiama schiller-wine.blogspot.it e fa parte della FIJEV (International Federation of Wine and Spirits Journalists and Writers)... Prima di diventare un #winelover era un economista al Fondo Monetario Internazionale.

Christian G.E. Schiller and Cantina Sociale de Soave Winemaker Giancarlo Piubelli  at 2013 Digitale Wine Commncations Conference in Spain

Giancarlo Piubelli at Cantina Sociale de Soave

Giancarlo Piubelli is one of the winemakers of Cantina Sociale di Soave. In particular, he is in charge of the Rocca Sveva Soave Classico Superiore, one of Cantina Sociale di Soave’s premium wines. I was happy to meet Giancarlo again in Logroño, after our first encounter in 2011 during a visit of Cantina Sociale di Soave, following the EWBC 2011 in Brescia.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Winemaker Giancarlo Piubelli at Cantina Sociale de Soave
For the 2013 Digitale Wine Communications Conference, see:
The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain

For the 2011 European Wine Bloggers Conference, see:
A Visit of Cantina di Soave, Soave, Italy
Blogging, Wining and Dining at the European Wine Bloggers Conference (#EWBC) October 2011 in Brescia, Italy – A Tour D’ Horizont
Wining and Blogging in the Soave Region, Italy

schiller-wine: Related Postings

The Wines of the 2010 Giro d'Italia

Meeting Winemaker and Owner Massimo “Max” di Lenardo from Friuli, Italy and Tasting His di Lenardo Vineyards Wines

In the Glass: 3 Easy Drinking Wines from the Soave Region in Italy

Kobrand’s Impressive Tour d'Italia 2011 in Washington DC, USA

The 2010 European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC) in Vienna

Blogging, Wining and Dining at the European Wine Bloggers Conference (#EWBC) October 2011 in Brescia, Italy – A Tour D’ Horizont

Wining and Blogging in the Soave Region, Italy

Visiting Balestri Valda in Soave, Italy

Meeting the Winemakers of the Soavecru Association in the Palazzo Vescovile in Monteforte d’Alpone, Soave, Italy

The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain 

A Douro Valley Tour from Porto Upstream to the Upper Douro Region, Portugal

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Picture: Annette and Christian G.E. Schiller in the Upper Douro Valley

This was an amazing tour. Starting in Porto, we travelled up the Douro Valley and into Spain. We spent 2 nights in Porto, 1 night in the Vinho Verde region and 1 night in the Upper Douro Valley, close to the Spanish border. We enjoyed 4 very special winemaker dinners and 3 outstanding tastings in Portugal.

The tour was a sponsored pre-conference trip of the 2013 Digitale Wine Communications Conference in Logroño, Rioja, Spain: 
The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain

Wine Producer Portugal

Portugal is a wine producer with a long history that is well known for its Port wines and the Mateus label. With 250.000 hectares of vineyard area, it is the 7th largest wine producer in the world, compared with the US with 400.000 hectares. Portugal possesses a large number of native varietals, many of them little known in the rest of the world.

Vinho Verde, in the northwestern corner of the country, where we spent one night, is the only region of Portugal where white wine dominates. Douro is the region where port wine is produced, but increasingly also (non-fortified) table wine. Continuing south of the Duoro into north-central Portugal is the Dao region, known for big, full bodied reds.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Celeste Pereira from Greengrape Geral, who organized and led the tour, jointly with Ana Primitivo

In the terms of classification, wines from the top regions are labeled D.O.C. (Denominação de Origem Controlada). Below that are the categories of Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR, Indication of Regulated Provenance), regional wine - Vinho Regional Carries and table wines - Vinho de Mesa.

Port, Sherry and Madeira

Port, Sherry and Madeira are fortified wines produced in Portugal and Spain. Sherry, produced in southern Spain, can either be sweet or dry, unlike Port. Port wine is made sweet by adding alcohol to the fermenting must so the fermentation stops and the sugar of the grapes remains in the wine. What you get is a wine with lots of alcohol and remaining sweetness in the wine. Sherry, on the other hand, is made by letting the fermentation go its full way so that a dry wine emerges. Then, alcohol is added to boost the alcohol level. If the winemaker stops there, you get a dry Sherry. If he also adds sterilized juice, you get a sweet Sherry. Thus, Sherry can be sweet or dry, while Port is always sweet. Madeira is a fortified Portuguese wine made in the Madeira Islands, using the port wine approach. Madeira is noted for its unique winemaking process which involves heating the wine up to temperatures as high as 60 °C (140 °F) for an extended period of time. Furthermore, Madeira is deliberately exposed to air, causing it to oxidize.

Douro DOC

While the Douro region is associated primarily with Port wine production, it produces just as much table wine as it does fortified wine. While table wine has always been produced in the region, for a long time little of it was seen outside the region itself. A few Douro wines made their appearance on the international market from the 1970s, but it was not until the 1990s when a large number of wines made their appearance. Douro is classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2011.

Picture: Celeste Pereira fand Ana Primitivo from Greengrape Geral at the Digital Wine Communication Conference in Rioja

Vinho Verde occupies a large zone of Northern Portugal, between Douro and the Atlantic coast. Its wines are known for its freshness.

October 19

Porto

Annette Schiller and arrived in Porto and walked around in the city. We then took the tram #1 to the beach (Foz Vehla, with its picturesque back streets, designer boutiques and impressive contemporary architecture) and had dinner there. Before going back to the hotel, we had a drink at the Majestic.

Porto was built along the hills overlooking the Douro river estuary, and its historical center was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO in 1996.

Pictures: In Porto

The city is quite varied architecturally, with medieval as well as modern living side by side. Porto's geography is hard on the feet, but pleasant to the eye, despite the incredible number of dilapidated buildings. Across the river from Porto proper is the City of Vila Nova de Gaia, where you could find the Port Wine Cellars, such as Cálem, Fonseca, Sandemans, and Kopke. The luxury Yeatman Hotel is also in Vila Nova de Gaia.

October 20

11h00 Food Tour of Porto

We did a 3.5 hours food tour through Porto with 6 stops. The guide Andre was an engaging and knowledgeable ambassador for Porto. His high energy tour was great fun. Each stop featured an interesting food experience - from pastries to sandwiches to coffee to wine. Mix in a little history, architecture and great views and photo opportunities and you have a tour that will remain a top highlight of your trip to Portugal.

Pictures: On the Taste Porto Tour with Andre Apolinario

Dinner at Bacalhau, Muro dos Bacalhoeiros 153 -155

Pictures: Dinner with Ryan and Gabriella Opaz (and the Baby)

October 21

12h00 Visit of and Lunch at the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP)

The Port and Douro Wines Institute is an official body belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture and is a key institution in promoting, regulating and controlling the industry.

Pictures: At the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP) with Manuel de Novaes Cabral, President

15h00 Visit of and Tasting at Calem Port Wine Cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia

Tour of and tasting at one of the major port wine houses in Portugal.

Pictures: At Calem

Port

Port is produced exclusively in the Douro Valley. Port’s wine style was 'invented' by the British wine merchants for the British market in the 1600-1700s. They added brandy to the still wine to help preserve it on its trip by sea from Portugal to the British market. Typically, grapes are picked with about 13.5% - 14% potential alcohol and then fermented to about 7%, when brandy is added. This brings the fermentation to a halt, while retaining between 80 to 110 g/l of natural sugar in the wine.

Port is divided into different styles, according to different categories: Made from white or from red grapes; aged or not aged; if aged, aged in wood or aged in bottle.

Bottle matured Ports spend a relatively short time in the barrel and mature in the bottle for many years. These are the wines that have made Port one of the greatest wines of the world. Wines that have matured in sealed glass bottles, with no exposure to air, have experienced what is known as "reductive" aging. This process leads to the wine losing its color very slowly and produces a wine which is smoother on the palate and less tannic.

Barrel matured Ports Wines experience what is known as "oxidative" aging, as the barrels allow some exposure to oxygen. Wood matured Ports are bottled when ready for drinking and are not intended for further ageing.

Ruby Port is the basic red Port wine, a blend of several harvests that have been aged in wooden barrels for up to 3 years before being bottled, and ready to drink on release.

Tawny Port is a basic blended Port, like Ruby, which is given more ageing in the barrel before being bottled. The extra ageing, which can be anything from 3 to 40 years, causes the wine to take on a red-brown color and develops a dry nutty flavor with raisin overtones. The stated age - usually 10, 20 or 40 years - is always the average age of the different components. The 10 and 20 year wines provide the best value and deliver the mellow elegance and complex fragrant bouquet so prized by port lovers. The Portuguese consider the 20 year Tawny the ultimate expression of the port making art.

Vintage Port is the most famous of all Port categories. See below.

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port is wine from a single specific harvest, the year being stated on the label, which has been aged in the barrel for between 4 and 6 years. These are high quality ports from a single year that are not quite up to 'Vintage' standards. The best are not filtered and are capable of aging.

Single Quinta Port is Port made from a specific Quinta. Single Quinta Vintage Port is Port coming from a specific Quinta and made from a single specific harvest.

Colheita is essentially a Tawny Port but made from a single specific harvest, unlike the Tawny which is a blend of several different years. The year of harvest will be stated on the label along with the year of bottling and a statement that the wine has been given extended ageing in wood. Colheitas are aged in the barrel for a minimum of seven years.

Garrafeira - These 'reserve' ports have a long tradition but are rare today. They are from a single vintage, aged a short time in cask and then aged in 5-10 liter glass demijohns for 20, 30 or 40 years from which they are decanted into 750 ml. bottles.

White Ports - Made from white grapes, mostly Malvasia. Usually served chilled as an aperitif, often with a twist of citrus fruit and/or a splash of tonic. A few see some wood aging.

17h30 Train Trip to Quinta de Covela (Baião, Vinhos Verdes Region)

Dating from the 1500s, the ruins of the Casa de Covela bear witness to the centuries-old agricultural and cultural importance of the estate. After a period of neglect, Quinta de Covela was purchased in 2011 and brought back to life by two impassioned wine lovers, one from Brazil and one from England. The latter, Tony Smith, was there and orchestrated our visit.

Mindful of the prestige the Covela wines enjoyed for years among connoisseurs, the partners decided to rebuild the estate’s old team, starting with enologist Rui Cunha, who had been involved in the original Covela project since 1992 and was head winemaker from 1998 onward.

Pixtures: Leaving Porto (at the Railway Station)

20h30 Wine tasting and dinner at Quinta de Covela

We started with a wine tasting in the cellar.

Pictures: Cellar Tasting at  Quinta de Covela with Winemaker Rui Cunha and Co-owner Tony Smith

We then had a wonderful dinner with Tony Smith and Rui Cunha, with more wine tasting.

Pictures: Dinner at Quinta de Covela

Night at Quinta de Covela

In addition to the estate's main house and winery, redesigned and extended by the director in the 1950s, Covela today also has three contemporary villas whose geometric lines are the work of José Paulo dos Santos, one of Portugal's most admired contemporary architects. With their stylish interiors, the villas offer sensational views over the vineyards and the Douro valley.

Pictures: Morning View from Quinta de Covela

October 22

10h30 Visit of the Douro Museum

12h30 Vintage Port (2011) Tasting with 4 Port Producers at Quinta da Boavista

Vintage Port: The product of a single harvest, the wine is aged in barrel for between 2 and 3 years and is bottled un-filtered, and needs to be laid down for a considerable number of years so that it can age in bottle. After ageing in bottle Vintage Port develops into a very big wine. Because they are aged in barrels for only a short time, they retain their dark ruby color and fresh fruit flavors. Vintage Port is only made when the harvest is exceptional - about 3 times a decade. While it is by far the most renowned type of port, vintage port actually makes up only a small percentage of production.

We tasted 4 vintage ports (2011).

Pictures: Vintage Port (2011) Tasting

Pocas Junior (Maria Manue Maja, winemaker)

Picture: Annette Schiller and Maria Manue Maja

Dona Matilde (Filipe Barros, owner)

Picture: Annette and Christian G.E. Schiller with Filipe Barros

Alves de Sousa (Tiago Alves de Sousa, and Domingos Alves de Sousa, both owners)

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Tiago Alves de Sousa, and Domingos Alves de Sousa

Quevedo (Oscar Quevedo, owner)

Picture: Annette and Christian G.E. Schiller with Oscar Quevedo

13h30 Lunch at Quinta da Boavista

We had a superb lunch with the 4 Port producers, in the cellar of Quinta da Boavista.

Pictures: Lunch at Quinta da Boavista

16h00 Boat Trip on the Douro River

Pictures: On the Douro River

18h00 Douro DOC Tasting at Casa Morgadio da Calcada (in Provezende) with Douro DOC Producers

In the early evening, we had a wonderful tasting of Douro DAC wines at  Casa Morgadio da Calcada

Pictures: Douro DOC Tasting at Casa Morgadio da Calcada (in Provezende) with Douro DOC Producers

20h00 Dinner at Casa Morgadio da Calcada

Following the tasting, we moved to the dining room of Casa Morgadio da Calcada and had a wonderful dinner there.

Pictures: Dinner at Casa Morgadio da Calcada

Night at a Charming Guest House, Casa de Vilarinho de S. Romao

Pictures: At Casa de Vilarinho de S. Romao

October 23

11h00 Departure towards the Upper Douro Region

11h30 Visit of Coa Rock Art Museum

13h00 Tour of Quinta da Leda

Owned by Sogrape - the biggest Portuguese producer – Quinta da Leda belongs to Casa Ferreirinha, the winery with the greatest historical weight in the Douro, as well as being one of the most dynamic.

Pictures: At Quinta da Leda

14h00 Lunch at Quinta da Leda with Star Winemaker Luis Sottomayor

We had a memorable lunch, right in the middle of the wine cellar of Quinta da Leda, with the fermentation tanks hanging over us.

Luis Sottomayor entered the Sogrape winemaker team in 1989. Today, he heads the Œnology team for Casa Ferreirinha and all Sogrape Port Wine brands, a responsibility he assumed in January 2003.

Pictures: Lunch at Quinta da Leda

16h30 Off to DWCC in Rioja (Spain)

Picture: Good-bye

Lothar Matthaeus

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Lothar Matthaeus at Frankfurt am Main Airport, before flying to Porto

schiller-wine: Related Posting

Meeting Up-and-coming Winemaker Rita Ferreira Marques from the Douro Area in Portugal at Screwtop Winebar in Clarendon, Virginia

Meeting Rupert Symington from the Symington Family - One of the Oldest Families of Port Producers

The 2013 Digital Wine Communications Conference (DWCC) in Logroño, Rioja, Spain 

Germany’s 2012 VDP.Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru - Wines Released. Notes from the Pre-release Tasting in Wiesbaden, Germany

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Picture: Grosses Gewaechs Pre-release Tasting 2013 in Wiesbaden, Germany

Germany’s 2012 VDP.Grosse Gewaechs – Grand Cru - white wines were released on September 1, 2013. These are the ultra-premium dry wines from the very best vineyard sites made by some of the best producers in Germany.

At this annual occasion, a number of presentations by the VDP – the association of German elite winemakers - take place in Germany, including one in Berlin during the first days of September and one later in the month in Frankfurt am Main.

Pre-release Tasting in Wiesbaden

One presentation that clearly stands out is the pre-release tasting for a group of about 120 wine journalists, sommeliers, retailers, importers, etc from all over the world, but mainly from Germany, in the old Kurhaus in the stately German spa town of Wiesbaden, which is 45 minutes drive from Frankfurt. It is a seated, very well organized tasting where you have the chance to go through the VDP Grosses Gewaechs wines during 2 days. The invitations for this event are highly sought after. This year, I was happy to get again invited by the VDP and to participate in the event. Others I saw at the event were US wine importer Rudi Wiest, Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland editor Joel B. Payne, winemaker, blogger and internet-TV star Dirk Wuertz and Riesling guru and wine journalist Stuart Pigott.

Pictures: Monday Evening Party, Sponsored by the VDP Nahe - Christian G.E. Schiller with Christopher S. Miller, MS, Spago Beverly Hills, Rudi Wiest, California, Martin Tesch, Weingut Tesch, Tim Froehlich, Weingut Schaefer-Froehlich and Karsten Peter, Weingut Gut Hermannsberg

420 Grosse Gewächse wines were poured. Notable absentees were Weingut Leitz, Weingut Breuer (as Weingut Breuer is no longer member of the VDP) and Weingut Peter Jakob Kuehn (Peter Jakob feels that late August is still too early to present his Grosse Gewaechs wines).

See here for last year's tasting:
Germany’s 2011 VDP Grosses Gewaechs – Grand Cru - Wines Released. Notes from the Pre-release Tasting in Wiesbaden, Germany

Grosses Gewaechs

What is a VDP.Grosses Gewaechs wine? There is currently a bit of confusion (and there will be even more confusion in the years to come) as (1) Grosses Gewaechs was a term that was created by the VDP only a few years ago and (2) the VDP has created a new classification for German wines that differs radically from the German standard classification (and is still in the process of refining and implementing it). The latest revisions were those that came into effect with the vintage 2012.

Grosses Gewaechs and the new German Wine Classification

Although many people think that there is only one wine classification system in Germany – the classification system of the Law of 1971 – this is not correct. True, the classification system of the Law of 1971 is the standard classification system in Germany and the vast majority of winemakers in Germany use this approach. A large number of winemakers, however, have moved away from the standard, in particular the VDP producers.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller at the Tasting

In a nutshell, the VDP is moving to a classification system that resembles very much the classification system in the Bourgogne. The classification of the VDP puts the terroir principle at the center of its classification approach.

With the latest modifications of earlier this year, the absolutely finest vineyards are called Grosse Lage (for the 2011 vintage still called Erste Lage) and dry wines from these super top vineyards are called Grosses Gewaechs. Grosses Gewächs wines are the finest dry wines from Germany’s finest vineyards.

To qualify for the Grosses Gewaechs label, a number of criteria need to be respected. (i) The fruit has to come from a Grosse Lage (for the 2011 vintage still called Erste Lage) vineyard. (ii) At harvest, the grapes need to be at least at Spaetlese level in terms of the sugar content. (iii) Only certain – typical - grape varieties are allowed, including Riesling and Spaetburgunder. Riesling is the only varietal allowed for Grosse Lage wines in the Mosel, Nahe, and Mittelrhein, but grapes like Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Lemberger, Fruehburgunder, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Gewuerztraminer, and Silvaner are included in other regions. (iv) Further restrictions apply: there are yield restrictions; only hand picking of grapes is permitted and harvest must be late in the autumn.

Pictures: The Efficient VDP Service Team

This is what we had in the glass in Wiesbaden: White Grosses Gewaechs wines from 2012 and red Grosses Gewaechs wines from 2011 as well as a few white Grosse Lage wines that exceeded the sweetness limit of Grosses Gewaechs wines just a bit, but were still presented. The tasting covers most of the winegrowing regions in Germany, and not just Riesling. GG status has been approved for Silvaner, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), and Lemberger, plus even a Chardonnay was included this year. But the majority of the wines are, of course, Riesling wines, and each region’s wines are grouped together for comparison.

The VDP

The VDP is the world’s oldest association of wine estates in the world. In fact, it is the only one of its kind worldwide. No other country has a national organization of the top wine makers of the entire country.

Throughout the past century, the quality-driven goals and strict standards of the VDP have played no small part in shaping the viticultural and winemaking practices in Germany. With their stringent statutes and their establishment of a German vineyard classification, the 200 members of the VDP have served as role models and justifiably can be viewed as the vanguard of the nation’s producers of top-quality wines.

Pictures: Co-tasters Rudi Wiest (US Importer), Martin Koessler (K and U Weinhalle in Nuernberg), Ralf Kaiser, Martin Zwick, Helmuth O. Knall, Dirk Wuertz and Giuseppe Lauria

The Tasting Notes

Silvaner

Franken

The tasting list started with 20 Silvaner from Franken – wines which I liked very much but which are difficult to find outside of Germany. I liked in particular the wines of Wirsching from Iphofen, the Kronsberg with strong mineral notes and the Julius Echter Berg which was smoother and more approachable at this point.

Riesling

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

The Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Grosses Gewaechs wines came in 2 groups: (1) Here, at the beginning, wines within the dryness limits of the VDP and (2) then at the end again a few wines from a Grosse Lage vineyard, that were kind of dry, but slightly above the dryness limit and thus did not qualify as a Grosses Gewaechs

With regard to the first group, although I know that my fellow colleagues at the German Wine Society Board (Washington DC Chapter) all love the fruity sweet wines of Ernst Loosen, Dr. Loosen put on a very strong performance with his ultra premium Grosses Gewaechs wines from Himmelreich, Wuerzgarten, Praelat, Sonnenuhr and Treppchen. In particular the 2012 Praelat is a sensational wine. Treppchen is more withdrawn. The Graacher Himmelreich shows a lot of tropical notes.

I would also like to mention the impressive Marienburg collection of Clemens Busch, the non-conventional winemaker from Puenderich. Clemens Busch shows year after year what is possible in the Mosel Valley, following biodynamic practices. The Grosses Gewaechs from the Marienburg "Rothenpfad" vineyard is a very elegant and pure wine.

The Top 10 Mosel wines of my New York colleague Justin Christoph were:

1. Himmelreich Willi Schaefer
2. Saarfeilser Peter Lauer
3. Scharzhofberger "Pergensknopp" van Volxem
4. Rausch Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken
5. Karthäuserhofberg Karthäuserhof
6. Laurentiuslay St. Urbans-Hof
7. Schonfels Peter Lauer
8. Prälat Dr. Loosen
9. Juffer-Sonnenuhr Fritz Haag
10.Marienburg "Falkenlay" Clemens Busch

Saale-Unstrut

1 wine – the Edelacker of Weingut Pawis is a wine that I always like: clear, juicy and animating – good.

Mittelrhein

4 wines.

Rheingau

56 wines, up from 42 wines last year.

There was again a lot of – in my view undeserved – Rheingau bashing, as in previous years. Clearly, the Rheingau winemakers are not the darlings of the wine writers currently. Sommelier Jan Wilhelm Burmann went as far as saying that the Rheingau has reached a new low point. I strongly disagree with Jan Wilhelm. Kuenstler, for example, presented wines from Ruedesheim (Berg Rottland and Berg Schlossberg), Hochheim (Hoelle and Kirchenstueck) and Kostheim (Weiss Erd) and all 5 of them were in the top league, as far as I am concerned.

As expected, the Graefenberg of world class producer Robert Weil was an Ambassador for German Riesling, a wine very popular among wine connesseurs around the world.

There was less talk this year about the wines of Balthasar Ress, but all agreed that wine blogger and wine maker Dirk Wuertz continues to lead Weingut Balthasar Ress to new hights. Another name that came up in this connection was Theresa Breuer, Weingut Breuer, who did not present her wines, as Weingut Breuer is not a member of the VDP.

Few people had Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser (who sells predominantly in the domestic market), on their list, but I think she is a young, promising winemaker. Her Siegelsberg showed fine herbal notes.

Another producer that sells predominatly on the domestic market and that is someboday to watch is Weingut Jakob Jung. Alexander Jung presented 2 wines, the Siegelsberg and the Hohenrein, both steely, with a vibrant acidity.

Mark Barth is also one of the “Jungen Wilden”. Weingut Barth had 3 wines in the presentation: Schönhell, Hassel and Wisselbrunnen, all highly interesting wines.

The Nonnberg (Wicker) and Königin Victoriaberg (Hochheim) of Joachim Flick were the only FairChoice certified wines at the tasting, combining excellency and sustainability.

The Rheingau is also experimenting with wood. Weingut Allendorf presented with the Winkeler
Hasensprung an excellent example of how it should be done.

In Erbach, von Oetinger showed 3 wines that were extremely good. In particular, Siegelsberg showed good fruit intensity and a round character, supported by good acidity.

The Top 10 of my New York colleague Justin Christopher were:

1. Doosberg F.B. Schönleber
2. Lenchen August Eser
3. Lenchen "Rosengarten" Spreitzer
4. Kirchenstück Künstler
5. Rothenberg Wegeler
6. St. Nikolaus Spreitzer
7. St. Nikolaus F.B. Schönleber
8. Marcobrunn Knyphausen
9. Weiß Erd Künstler
10.Berg Rottland Künstler

Nahe

23 wines, down from 26 wines last year.

There were just 4 flights of Nahe Rieslings this year, but it goes without saying that there were a lot of excellent wines on hand. For many I talked to, the Nahe and the Pfalz were battling for the top position in this tasting. In the Nahe region, the leading trio is Dönnhoff/Emrich-Schönleber/Schäfer-Fröhlich. Close behind is Caroline Diel, Schlossgut Diel; I was also very much impressed by the 2 wines Georg Rumpf, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, presented.

Schäfer-Fröhlich presented 6 wines. All of these were excellent and had a distinct “sponti” scent on the nose. Clearly, 2012 was a spectacular year for Tim Fröhlich.

In a rather different style, the wines from Dönnhoff were also excellent: More pure fruit and no sponti aromas. Doennhoff offered 3 wines – Dellchen, Hermannshöhle and Felsenberg, with the latter showing a superb balance of fruit and acid with some minerality and a very long finish.

Schlossgut Diel showed 3 excellent wines, all from Dorsheim - Pittermännchen, Goldloch and Burgberg. My personal favorite was Goldloch, with vibrant acidity and a long finish.

Kruger-Rumpf is generally viewed as a second tier top producer in the Nahe, but I must say, the Pittersberg was an impressive wine: Fresh acidity, fruity and elegant, quite lively, good length. Georg Rumpf is clearly somebaod to watch.

Rheinhessen

32 wines, up from 26 wines last year. Keller and Wittmann are the acknowledged leaders, widely regarded as among the greatest producers of dry Rieslings Germany, and their wines did not disappoint in 2012. Close behind the leading duo is H.O. Spanier with his Battenfeld-Spanier and Kuehling-Gillot wines. Gunderloch also showed excellent wines.

Keller only showed two of his numerous GG and high-end dry wines this year. No Kirchspiel, Morstein, Absterde or G-Max, but the two wines he did show – Hubacker and Pettenthal - were outstanding. As to the latter, for the first time this year he presented a wine from the “Roter Hang”, which showed a touch of sponti on the nose, but also great depth and minerality.

The other big name in Rheinhessen is Wittman, the 2014 Gault Millau Winemaker of the Year. Interestingly, Philip Wittmann was awarded the winemaker of the year title, but was not promoted to the top group of 5 grapes winemakers. Wittmann showed 4 wines, all from Westhofen, and many considered these 4 wines as the stars of the event: Aulerde, Kirchspiel, Brunnenhäuschen and, last but not least, Morstein.

There is no need to introduce the wines of H.O. Spanier. Perhaps not yet so well known is the fact that he is responsible for the wines of both Battenfeld-Spanier (his estate) and for Kuehling Gillot (the estate of his wife Caroline Spanier Gillot). There was general agreement among the various tasters I talked to during the breaks that H.O. Spanier is closely behind Wittmann and Keller.

Flight 33 – Morstein (Wittmann), Hubacker (Keller), Am Schwarzen Herrgott, Frauenberg, Kirchenstueck (all Battenfeld-Spanier) was arguably the strongest flight of the tasting.

Pfalz

60 Rieslings, up from 53 last year.

With 11 flights, the Pfalz showed that it is one of the largest and most important producers of GG Rieslings. While all the regions have a number of vineyards with perhaps two or three Grosses Gewaechs producers, there were several flights in the Pfalz tasting with 6 or 5 wines from the same vineryard and different producers, including Pechstein, Jesuitengarten, Kirchenstueck and Ungeheuer.

The star and the most controversial Pfalz producer was von Winning, because many of the von Winning wines have a toasty/savory component from exposure to new oak barrels. According to Terry Theise, the von Wiining wines are not aged in barriques, but in new large oak casks which von Winning did not steam to reduce their new oak character. Also, I was told that some of von Winning’s wines are put though malolactic fermentation, although I could not taste it. Overall, von Winning wines tend to be different from the other wines. I found the wood too dominant in the Kirchenstück, but well integrated in the Kalkofen. Also, I liked von Winning’s Riesling most in the Pechstein flight. Dirk Wuertz: “von Winning plays in a different league. So much authentity and absolute will for his own style are unique.”

Christmann’s wines, by contrast, are the wines of a President, like the wines of Weil in the Rheingau – Ambassadors for the Pfalz. They show very well what the world can expect from the Pfalz and what the Pfalz is abel to delivery – world class crisp and fresh Riesling. I liked 2012 Christmann Idig Riesling GG: Hints of floral and orange peel notes on the nose, fruity, elegant and lively on the palate, good length. 89

Von Buhl is going through some difficult times, but the 5 GG wines von Buhl presented showed all very well. The Pechstein was fruity, elegant, with a lively palate and long.

The Top 10 of my New York Colleague Justin Christopher were:

1. "Ganz Horn" Im Sonnenschein Rebholz
2. Pechstein Bassermann-Jordan
3. Jesuitengarten Mosbacher
4. Im Sonnenschein Rebholz
5. Jesuitengarten von Buhl
6. Kalkofen Bürklin-Wolf
7. Mandelgarten Christmann
8. Kastanienbusch Rebholz
9. Idig Christmann
10. Gaisböhl Bürklin-Wolf

Franken

20 wines.

A surprisingly large number of Rieslings from Franken

Baden

While the focus of the wines from Baden was red wines, Baden also presented 14 Riesling wines, up from 6 last year.

Württemberg

Again, another German wine region that is not known for its Rieslings. I must admit I almost never drink Rieslings from Wuerttemberg. 14 wines, up from 12 last year. Ernst Dautel’s “Gruebenstein” Sonnenberg was my favorite.

Weisser Burgunder (Pinot Blanc)

Sachsen

2 wines.

Saale-Unstrut

1 wine (of Pawis).

Franken

3 wines.

Pfalz

11 wines.

Baden

11 wines.

Wuerttemberg

3 wines.

Grauer Burgunder (Pinot Gris)

Saale-Unstrut

1 wine.

Wuerttemberg

2 wines.

Baden

11 wines

Chardonnay

Baden

1 wine.

Frueburgunder (Pinot Noir Précoce)

Pinot Noir Précoce is a form or mutation of Pinot Noir which differs essentially by ripening earlier than normal (thus the use of the descriptive nomination 'précoce').

All the red wines were 2011.

Ahr

2 wines.

Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir)

There is a red wine revolution going on in Germany and the world increasingly takes note of it. Of course, given its location, the red wines of Germany tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse. 30 years ago, the share of red wine in total German wine output was not more than 10 percent; in the international wine scene, people would not talk about German red wine. But this is changing. Germany now produces red wines that can compete with the best of the world; the share of red wines in terms of production has increased to about 35 percent now in Germany and increasingly the international market takes note of what is happening in Germany.

Today, Germany is the third biggest producer of Pinot Noir (called Spaetburgunder in Germany), after France and the US, with more planted than Australia and New Zealand combined. However, despite being the world’s third largest producer of Pinot Noir, the country exports just over 1% of its production.

Ahr

14 wines, up from 2 wines last year.

My favorites were the 3 wines of Meyer-Naekel: Sonnenberg, Kraeuterberg and Pfarrwingert. The Sonnenberg had a long, tarry finish.

Sachsen

1 wine.

Rheingau

6 wines, up from 3 last year: Kuenstler (2), Georg Mueller Stiftung, August Kesseler (2), Fritz Allendorf.

Rheinhessen

4 wines. Was not represented a year ago.

Pfalz

13 wines, unchanged from last year.

My favorites: Idig A. Christmann, Kammerberg, Friedrich Becker and the 3 Knipser wines: Kirschgarten, Mandelpfad, Burgweg.

Franken

5 wines, up from 4 last year.

Baden

12 wines, down from 19 wines last year.

My favorites: the 3 wines of Bernhard Huber – Bienenberg, Schlossberg, Sommerhalde – and the 2 wines of Dr. Heger – Schlossberg, Winklerberg “Haeuslerboden”.

Württemberg

10 wines, down from 11 last year.

Lemberger

Wuerttemberg

11 wines.

All interesting wines. The Austrians a currently showing the world what the Lemberger variety (called Blaufraenkisch in Austria) can produce. Again, Graf Neipperg was my #1.

Off-dry Riesling

Mosel Saar Ruwer

6 wines, down from 13 wines last year.

As referred to above, these were wines that exceeded somewhat the limit for dryness and thus can not be sold as Grosses Gewaechs.

5 of these wines came from van Volxem and 1 wine from Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken.

Summary Assessments

Fallstaff

97 Riesling 2012 Gottesfuß, Wiltingen VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut van Volxem Wiltingen Mosel
96 Riesling 2012 Hubacker, Dalsheim VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut Keller Flörsheim-Dalsheim Rheinhessen
95 Riesling 2012 Goldtröpfchen, Piesport VDP Grosses Gewächs Reinhold Haart Piesport Mosel
95 Riesling 2012 Altenberg, Kanzem VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut van Volxem Wiltingen Mosel
95 Riesling 2012 Schonfels, Ayl VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut Peter Lauer Ayl Mosel
95 Riesling 2012 Ohligsberg, Wintrich VDP Grosses Gewächs Reinhold Haart Piesport Mosel
95 Riesling 2012 Hölle, Hochheim VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut Künstler Hochheim am Main Rheingau
95 Riesling 2012 Hermannshöhle Niederhausen VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut Dönnhoff Oberhausen Nahe
95 Riesling 2012 Halenberg, Monzingen VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut Emrich-Schönleber Monzingen Nahe
95 Riesling 2012 Morstein, Westhofen VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut Wittmann Westhofen bei Worms Rheinhessen
95 Riesling 2012 Pechstein, Forst VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut von Winning Deidesheim Pfalz
95 Riesling 2012 Ungeheuer, Forst VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut von Winning Deidesheim Pfalz
95 Spätburgunder 2011 Sankt Paul Schweigen VDP Grosses Gewächs Weingut Friedrich Becker Schweigen Pfalz

Mario Scheuermann

96
2012 Van Volxem Riesling Scharzhofberger “Pergensknopp” (Saar)
95
2012 von Winning Kirchenstück (Pfalz)
2012 Van Volxem Riesling Gottesfuss (Saar)
94
2012 Heymann-Löwenstein Uhlen “Blaufüßer Lay” (Saar)
2012 von Winnning Pechstein (Pfalz)
2012 von Winning Ungeheuer (Pfalz)
2012 von Winning Kieselberg (Pfalz)
2012 Künstler Hölle (Rheingau)
2012 Van Volxem Riesling Volz (Saar)
2012 Van Volxem Riesling Goldberg (Saar)
93
2012 Heymann-Löwenstein Uhlen “Laubach” (Mosel)
2012 Heymann-Löwenstein Röttgen (Mosel)
2012 Schlossgut Diel Goldloch (Nahe)
2012 Dr. Wehrheim Weissburgunder Mandelberg (Pfalz)
2012 Bernhart Weissburgunder Sonnenberg “Redling” (Pfalz)
2012 von Winning Langenmorgen (Pfalz)
2012 von Winning Kalkofen (Pfalz)
2012 Mosbacher Freundstück (Pfalz)
2012 Bassermann-Jordan Kalkofen (Pfalz)
2012 von Buhl Kirchenstück (Pfalz)
2012 Künstler Kirchenstück (Rheingau)
2012 Langwerth von Simmern Mannberg (Rheingau)
2012 Balthasar Ress Wisselbrunnen (Rheingau)
2012 Van Volxem Riesling Altenberg (Saar)

Kaufempfehlung (Buy!) (Martin Zwick, Berlin)

2012 Keller “Pettenthal” GG
2012 Schäfer-Föhlich “Stromberg” + “Frühlingsplätzchen” GG
2012 Battenfeld-Spanier “Frauenberg” GG
2012 Bürklin-Wolf “Pechstein” + “Kalkofen” + “Gaisböhl” GG
2012 Wittmann “Morstein” + “Brunnenhäuschen” GG
2012 Emrich-Schönleber “Halenberg” GG
2012 von Winning “Ungeheuer” GG
2012 A. Christimann “Idig” + “Mandelgarten” GG
2012 Dr. Loosen “Prälat” GG
2012 Clemens Busch “Falkenlay”
2012 von Othegraven “Altenberg”+”Bockstein” GG
2012 Wagner-Stempel “Höllberg” + “Heerkretz” GG
2012 Toni Jost “Hahn” GG
2012 Heymann-Löwenstein “Röttgen” GG
2012 Diel “Pittermännchen” + “Burgberg” GG
2012 Dönnhoff “Dellchen” + “Felsenberg” GG
2012 Kranz “Kalmit” GG
2012 Kühling-Gillot “Rothenberg” GG
2012 von Buhl “Kirchenstück” GG
2012 van Volxem “Altenberg” + “Scharzhofberg Pergensknopp” GG

Top 25 Grosses Gewachs Rieslings tasted in Wiesbaden this week (Justin Christoph, New York)

1. Felseneck, Schäfer-Fröhlich (Nahe)
2. Pettenthal, Keller (Rheinhessen)
3. Ölberg, Kühling-Gillot (Rheinhessen)
4. Pettenthal, Kühling-Gillot (Rheinhessen)
5. Heerkretz, Wagner-Stempel (Rheinhessen)
6. Hermannshöhle, Dönnhoff (Nahe)
7. Halenberg, Emrich-Schönleber (Nahe)
8. Frauenberg, Battenfeld-Spanier (Rheinhessen)
9. "Ganz Horn" Im Sonnenschein, Rebholz (Pfalz)
10. Himmelreich, W. Schaefer (Mosel)
11. Pittersberg, Kruger-Rumpf (Nahe)
12. Morstein, Keller (Rheinhessen)
13. Kirchspiel, K. F. Groebe (Rheinhessen)
14. Saarfeilser, Peter Lauer (Mosel)
15. Doosberg, F.B. Schönleber (Rheingau)
16. Scharzhofberger "Pergensknopp", van Volxem (Mosel)
17. Goldenes Loch, Schloss Neuweier (Baden)
18. Sackträger, Rappenhof (Rheinhessen)
19. Kupfergrube, Schäfer-Fröhlich (Nahe)
20. Felsenberg, Dönnhoff (Nahe)
21. Pettenthal, St. Antony (Rheinhessen)
21. Pechstein, Bassermann-Jordan (Pfalz)
23. Frühlingsplätzchen, Schäfer-Fröhlich (Nahe)
24. Frühlingsplätzchen, Emrich-Schönleber (Nahe)
25. Jesuitengarten, Georg Mosbacher (Pfalz)
Also in the running:
Höllberg, Wagner-Stempel (Rheinhessen)
Geyersberg, Winter (Rheinhessen)
Im Sonnenschein , Rebholz (Pfalz)
Lenchen, August Eser (Rheingau)
Lenchen "Rosengarten", Spreitzer (Rheingau)
Kirchenstück, Künstler (Rheingau)
Dautenpflänzer, Kruger-Rumpf (Nahe)
Stromberg, Schäfer-Fröhlich (Nahe)
Dellchen, Dönnhoff (Nahe)
Jesuitengarten, von Buhl (Pfalz)
Kalkofen, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf (Pfalz)
Mandelgarten, A. Christmann (Pfalz)
Idig, A. Chrimann (Pfalz)
Kastanienbusch, Rebholz (Pfalz)
Karthäuserhofberg, Karthäuserhof (Mosel)
Plauelrain, Andreas Laible (Baden)

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Germany’s Top 10 Winemakers (with 5 Grapes) - The Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013

German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.

Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011

JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

Visiting Wilhelm Weil at his Weingut Robert Weil in Kiedrich, Germany

Tasting with Wilhelm Weil the 2010 Weingut Weil Wines in Kiedrich, Germany

Riesling, Pinot Noir and Indian Cuisine: A tête-à-tête Dinner with Winemaker Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen, at Rasika in Washington DC, USA

Germany's VDP Wine Estates Celebrate 100th Anniversary in Berlin

The VDP - the Powerful Group of German Elite Winemakers - Refines its Classification System, Germany

Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach

Lighting and the Flavor of Wine - With Winemaker Ulrich Allendorf in his Aroma Vineyard and Color Room at Weingut Allendorf in Oestrich Winkel, Rheingau, Germany

Barth Primus is Germany’s First Sekt Made with an Erstes Gewaechs Wine

Meeting Winemaker/Owner Desiree Eser, Weingut August Eser, on the Banks of the Rhein River in the Rheingau in Germany

FairChoice Certified Wine in Germany: Weingut Joachim Flick in the Rheingau

A Painted Winetasting at Weingut Georg Mueller Stiftung in Hattenheim (Eltville), Rheingau, Germany

Impromptu Winetasting with Alexander Jung, Weingut Jakob Jung, Erbach, Rheingau, Germany

An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany

A Pinot Noir Star: Visiting August Kesseler and his Weingut August Kesseler in Assmannshausen, Germany

Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel, Wirsching – Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Chat Sauvage Versus Peter Querbach– An Impromptu Pinot Noir Wine Tasting with Kai Buhrfeind at His Grand Cru Wine Bar in Frankfurt, Germany

Dirk Wuertz Presented the 2012 Grosses Gewaechs Wines of Weingut Balthasar Ress, Germany

Rheingau Riesling Gala 2013 at Kloster Eberbach, Germany

Impressions from the Riesling and Co World Tour 2010 in New York

The Wines of Franz Kuenstler from Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany

Hanging out with Rheingau Winemakers: Dirk Wuertz, Desiree Eser, Alexander Jakob Jung, Hansi Bausch and Christian Ress in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Headwind (Gegenwind) – A Protest Wine against the Unbridled Exploitation of Culture and Nature

The VDP - the Powerful Group of German Elite Winemakers - Refines its Classification System, Germany

Visiting Armin and Caroline Diel and their Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in Germany

A Pinot Noir Star: Visiting August Kesseler and his Weingut August Kesseler in Assmannshausen, Germany

Visiting Agnes and Fritz Hasselbach at their Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim, Rheinhessen, Germany

BerlinSpaetburgunderCup 2011/2013, Germany

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Caroline Diel, Schlossgut Diel. Her "Caroline" came in as #7. See here for more on Caroline Diel: Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany

Martin Zwick, the wine blogger from Berlin, is rapidly building up a reputation as being a mover and shaker in the German wine scene. This is due to the various Berlin Cups that he is organizing. It all started with the BerlinRieslingCup a few years ago, a blindtasting and ranking in November of what Martin Ziwck considered the leading Grosses Gewaechs wines - the ultra-premium dry wines of the VDP producers, Germany’s elite wine makers - that were released on September 1 of the same year. Initially, people did not pay much attention to the BerlinRieslingCup, but this has clearly changed over the years. This year’s flights were put together by David Schildknecht and tasted and rated a few weeks ago by a group of experts. I will report about the results in due course.

Picture: Martin Zwick and Christian G.E. Schiller in Wiesbaden

But the BerlinCup is no longer just about Grosses Gewaechs wines, Martin has added a (1) BerlinGutsweinCup – ranking entry level wines, a (2) BerlinKabinettCup – ranking lightly sweet wines at the Kabinett level and recently for the first time a (3) BerlinSpaetburgunderCup – ranking German Pinot Noir wines.

For more, see:
BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2013– Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany
BerlinKabinettCup 2013 - Kabinett 2012, Germany
Germany’s Ultra Premium Dry Riesling Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2012

Red Wine Revolution in Germany

There is a red wine revolution going on in Germany and the world increasingly takes note of it. Of course, given its location, the red wines of Germany tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse. 30 years ago, the share of red wine in total German wine output was not more than 10 percent; in the international wine scene, people would not talk about German red wine. But this is changing. Germany now produces red wines that can compete with the best of the world; the share of red wines in terms of production has increased to about 35 percent now in Germany and increasingly the international market takes note of what is happening in Germany.

Pinot Noir in Germany

Today, Germany is the third biggest producer of Pinot Noir (called Spaetburgunder in Germany), after France and the US, with more planted than Australia and New Zealand combined. However, despite being the world’s third largest producer of Pinot Noir, the country exports just over 1% of its production.

BerlinSpaetburgunderCup 2011/2013

The BerlinSpaetburgunderCup 2011/2013 took place in 2013, tasted and ranked were wines from mostly 2011, but also some from 2010 and 2009. Master of Wine Caro Maurer from Bonn put together the flights. 34 wines were in the competition. A group of sommeliers, wine retailers, wine bloggers, wine marketing people and Pinot Noir lovers tasted and ranked 34 wines. Und als special guest die Winzerin Melanie Bickel-Stumpf. These were all ultra-premium wines, but not only VDP.Grosses Gewaechs wines.

The Ranking

1. 2011 Rings "Saumagen"
2. 2010 Gutzler "Morstein"
3. 2011 Huber "Schlossberg"
4. 2011 Meyer-Näkel "Pfarrwingert"
5. 2011 Stadt Klingenberg-B. Baltes "Schlossberg"
6. 2011 F. Becker "St. Paul"
7. 2011 Diel "Caroline"
8. 2011 Huber "Bienenberg"
9. 2011 Thörle "Hölle"
10. 2011 Wöhrwag "Kreidenstein"
11. 2011 Keller "Bürgel"
12. 2011 Krebs "Musikantenbuckel"
13. 2010 Knipser "Burgweg"
14. 2011 Ziereisen "Jaspis" PN
15. 2011 Keller "Frauenberg"
16. 2011 Aldinger "Marienglas"
17. 2011 Stodden "Rosenthal"
18. 2011 Kesseler "Schlossberg"
19. 2011 Fürst "Hundsrück"
20. 2011 Stodden "Herrenberg"
21. 2010 R&C Schneider "Engelsberg"
22. 2011 Kesseler "Höllenberg"
23. 2011 Jülg PN
24. 2011 Dr Heger "Schlossberg"
25. 2011 Chat Sauvage "Kapellenberg"
26. 2009 Duijn SD
27. 2011 Enderle&Moll "Muschelkalk"
28. 2011 Enderle&Moll "Buntsandstein"
29. 2011 Chat Sauvage Schlossberg
30. 2011 Fürst "Schlossberg"
31. 2011 Keller "S"
32. 2011 Steinmetz "Paulinsberg"
33. 2011 Ziereisen Jaspis Spätburgunder AR

2010 Christmann "Idig" (off-bottle)

Schiller Wine - Related Postings

Visiting Armin and Caroline Diel and their Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in Germany

President Obama Serves a “German” Riesling at State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao

Visiting Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington State - Where Armin Diel’s Poet’s Leap Riesling is Made, USA

Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany

Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel, Wirsching– Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

A Pinot Noir Star: Visiting August Kesseler and his Weingut August Kesseler in Assmannshausen, Germany 

The Wines of Up and Coming Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen

Surprising the World with their Pinot Noir: Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Winzerhof Thoerle, Rheinhessen, Germany

Chat Sauvage Versus Peter Querbach– An Impromptu Pinot Noir Wine Tasting with Kai Buhrfeind at His Grand Cru Wine Bar in Frankfurt, Germany 

BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2013– Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany

BerlinKabinettCup 2013 - Kabinett 2012, Germany

Germany’s Ultra Premium Dry Riesling Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2012

Bordeaux Tasting with Philippe Castéja, President of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855, in Washington DC, USA

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Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Philippe Castéja, President of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855, in Washington DC

Earlier this month in Washington DC, the French-American Cultural Foundation organized a fundraising gala and a Bordeaux winetasting, on the occasion of its 15th anniversary,. The French-American Cultural Foundation is a nonprofit organization that fosters cultural and educational exchanges between France and the United States. His Excellency, François Delattre, Ambassador of France to the United States, presided over the gala.

On the day after the fundraising gala, Constance Milstein, owner of The Jefferson Hotel in Washington DC and a member of the gala committee, opened her lovely salons to gala guests, some wine professionals, diplomats from the French Embassy and some members of the Congressional French Caucus for a special tasting of wines from the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. I was graciously invited by Karen Taylor, the editor of France Magazine, whom I met earlier in the year at a dinner with Henri Lurton of Chateau Brane-Cantenac.

See here:
Tête-à-tête Dinner with Henri Lurton, Owner of Château Brane-Cantenac, a Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe en 1855 in Margaux, at CityZen in Washington DC, USA 

Picture: Bérénice Lurton, Chateau Climens, and Karen Taylor, Editor of France Magazine

Philippe Castéja

Philippe Castéja was the star of the tasting. He wears several hats. He is the President of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855. He is the Managing Director of Borie – Manoux, a négociant house since 1882 and one of the last to be family owned and run independently in Bordeaux. He is the owner and/or CEO of a number of Bordeaux chateaux both on the left and right bank. He is the President of French association of wine and spirit exporters (FEVS). Around ten years ago, he was also president of the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB).

Pictures: At the Tasting

Another branch of the family owns the wine merchants Joanne and Chateau Doisy Vedrines in Sauternes, and the Castejas been involved in wine in the region for several centuries.

Philippe Casteja owns or manages: Chateau Batailley, Pauillac, Chateau Beau Site, St Estephe Cru Bourgeois, Chateau Trotte Vielle, St Emilion 1ere Grand Cru Classé, Chateau Bergat, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, Chateau Domaine de L’Eglise, Pomerol, Chateau Pignon Lalande, Pomerol, Chateau Lynch Moussas, Pauillac, Chateau Haut Bages Monpelou, Pauillac, Chateau Baret, Pessac Leognan (manages), Chateau La Croix Ducasse, Pomerol (manages), plus brands: Cuvee Borie, Beauroy, Beau Rivage, Port Royal, Chevalier de Lynch. Berry Bros’ Good Ordinary Claret is made by Borie Manoux.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller, Wine Writer Ben Gilberti, Bérénice Lurton and Mark Wessel (MacArthur Beverages)

Bérénice Lurton

Bérénice Lurton, who owns and manages Chateau Climens, was pouring the noble-sweet Bordeaux wines, including her own.

Château Climens was first mentioned in 1547. Since then only five families called Climens their home, with the Lurton family being the last owner when Lucien Lurton bought the estate in 1971. In 1992 Bérénice Lurton, Lucien Lurton’s youngest daughter took over the reins at Château Climens. The estate sits on the highest point in the Barsac appellation and is surrounded by 75 acres of vineyard. The vineyard is entirely planted with Semillion - unusual for a Sauterne – which gives the Climens wines its racy complexity and freshness. Work in the vineyard is based on biodynamic principles and in 2011 Château Climens received the biodyvin certification.

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller and Bérénice Lurton in Washington DC and at Château Climens, Appellation Barsac-Sauterne, Premier Grand Cru Classé

A tour and tasting at Château Climens, Appellation Barsac-Sauterne, Premier Grand Cru Classé, was one of the highlights of the 2013 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy PR and WineTours.

See here:
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
 
David Ludovic

David Ludovic is the Director General of Château Marquis de Terme, a 4th growth in the 1855 classification.

Pierre-Louis and Philippe Sénéclauze own the estate that their father, a wine barrel merchant in Algeria, bought in 1935. During the Algerian war, the Sénéclauzes settled in Marseille and built up a wine empire in France, hiring Bordeaux specialists to run their Margaux property.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and David Ludovic, Director General of Château Marquis de Terme, a 4th growth in the 1855 classification.

Château Marquis de Terme was once part of the vast Rauzan estate owned by Pierre de Mesures de Rauzan in the mid-17th century. Over time, this estate was divided, and by the time of the 1855 Classification, had been separated into the estates of Château Rauzan-Gassies, Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Desmirail, and Château Marquis de Terme.

The vineyard at Marquis de Terme is 100 acres in size and is made up mostly of gravel-soil over clay. The vines average 30 years and are made up of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon,35% Merlot,7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Production is 180,000 bottles. The average wine searcher price for the 2011 vintage is US$ 40.

Before joining Marquis de Terme in 2009, David Ludovic worked for 9 years at Chateau Bonalgue/Clos du Clocher in Pomerol and for 5 years as Technical Director with Bernard Magrez.

Aaron Nix-Gomez’s Tasting Notes

Last but not least, Aaron Nix-Gomez was among the wine bloggers that were invited and he has already issued his excellent tasting notes, which I am re-issuing below.

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Aaron Nix-Gomez at the Tasting

Aaron Nix-Gomez: “Please find my brief tasting notes arranged in the order presented by the tasting sheet. The wines classified by Jefferson in 1787 are marked with a star. I was particularly taken by the 2009 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 2000 Chateau Montrose, 1990 Chateau Boyd Cantenac, and 2005 Chateau Climens.

1990 Chateau Boyd Cantenac, Margaux

The nose bore mature aromas and wood box. In the mouth were mature but surprisingly ripe berries which expanded in the mouth. There was lots of berry grip towards the finish which was followed by a good aftertaste. The juicy acidity mixed well with black minerals in the finish and an earthy note. Drinking well now with plenty of life ahead.

2010 Chateau Boyd Cantenac, Margaux

In the mouth the flavors began with a vanilla note, toast, and a round personality. It maintained concentration with smokey graphite, flavors, and strong, drying, citric, tannins in the finish.

2007 Chateau Branaire Ducru, Saint-Julien

There was a good, rich nose of cherries, red berries. In the mouth was round red fruit, minerally acidity, then black fruit with some weight. There were some greenhouse tannins, integrated acidity, and blacker fruit in the finish. The wine left some tannins on the teeth which were a little spicy. Drinking well.

2006 Chateau Lagrange, Saint-Julien

There was an earthy, berry nose with hints of maturity. There was bright acidity, vigor, and a wood note. Will age.

2007 Chateau Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien

This wine played it close at first with a hint of salivating acidity. It showed more structure, drying flavors, and will clearly last for some time.

2007 Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Saint-Julien

There was a grapey nose which finished with earthy aromas. In the mouth was concentrated red fruit followed by black fruit and drying tannins. The finish was firmer.

2009 Chateau Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien

There was a slightly earthy nose with aromas of blue berries. In the mouth were red and black fruit with the acidity and tannins building into a firm structure of ripe tannins.

2005 Chateau Batailley, Pauillac

The nose had hints of maturity. In the mouth the wine was more austere before building in flavor to reveal hard red fruit.

2009 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac

The round nose was perfumed and young. There was young red fruit in the mouth, tart acidity, and gentle integration with the very fine, ripe tannins persisting through the perfumed aftertaste. Built for long development.

2006 Chateau Pontet Canet, Pauillac

There was cassis on the nose followed by tart, red fruit in the mouth. The drying structure and acidity was present but the wine is very young with graphite and black fruit in the finish. It was a little spicy.

2000 Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe

There was a classic nose with a mature aspect. In the mouth there were fresh flavors, ripeness, expansion, and a controlled, classic structure for further development. Nice but will continue development.

2009 Chateau Filhot, Sauternes

There was higher toned flavors followed by honied, yellow fruit which builds to add moderate spice. There was a rich, creamy, apricot aftertaste. The wine has underlying acidity.

2005 Chateau Guiraud, Sauternes

The nose was nutty with the flavors in the mouth evocative of a mature Bordeaux. There were spices, creme brulee, and a cola hint. The acidity was noticeable on the sides of the tongue. The aftertaste was spicy.

2005 Chateau Climens, Barsac

There was a good, complex nose. The mouth followed the nose with balance, a glycerine mouth feel, acidity, and complex spices. The yellow fruit mixed with frangipane. The flavors were big and mouthfilling. Hard to resist now but it has a long future ahead.

2007 Chateau Coutet, Barsac

The nose revealed marmalade and peach aromas. In the mouth there was rich weight to the yellow fruit. There was a hint of spices, underlying acidity, and a honied, sticky aftertaste. Tastes like a lot of residual sugar.

2010 Chateau Nairac, Barsac

The nose was light with more white than yellow fruit aromas. In the mouth the wine was heavier and much thicker than the nose suggested. There were yellow fruit flavors, brighter acidity towards the end, and a little salivating aspect in the aftertaste.

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