Martin Zwick 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 Berlin Riesling Cup a few years ago, a blind tasting and ranking in November of what Martin Zwick considered the leading Grosses Gewächs 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.
Today, the BerlinCup is no longer just about Grosses Gewächs wines. Martin added a (1) BerlinGutsweinCup – ranking entry level dry Riesling wines, a (2) BerlinKabinettCup – ranking lightly sweet Riesling wines at the Kabinett level and (3) BerlinSpätburgunderCup – ranking German Pinot Noir wines. For more, see below.
BerlinRieslingCup
The Berlin RieslingCup is a very special annual ranking of German wines, at least for 2 reasons. First, it includes only dry ultra-premium Rieslings, mainly Grosses Gewächs wines. So, (1) the segment of fruity-sweet and noble-sweet ultra-premium wines, which are so popular in the German export markets, is excluded as is the (2) dry ultra-premium non-Riesling white wine segment, which is being pushed by many in the German wine industry. Second, and what makes this ranking so interesting, it is a very early ranking, basically the first one after the release of the wines in September.
Grosses Gewächs (GG)
What is a Grosses Gewächs wine? There is currently a bit of confusion (and there will be even more confusion in the years to come) as (1) Grosses Gewächs 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 Gewächs 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.
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, the absolutely finest vineyards are called Grosse Lage and dry wines from these super top vineyards are called Grosses Gewächs. Grosses Gewächs wines are the finest dry wines from Germany’s finest vineyards. For legal reasons, the VDP producers use the terms VDP.Grosses Gewächs and VDP.Grosse Lage, instead of just Grosses Gewächs and Grosse Lage.
To qualify for the Grosses Gewächs label, a number of criteria need to be respected. (i) The fruit has to come from a Grosse Lage vineyard. (ii) At harvest, the grapes need to be at least at Spätlese level in terms of the sugar content. (iii) Only certain – typical - grape varieties are allowed, including Riesling and Spätburgunder. Riesling is the only varietal allowed for Grosse Lage wines in the Mosel, Nahe, and Mittelrhein, but grapes like Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Lemberger, Frühburgunder, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Gewürztraminer, 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.
BerlinRieslingCup 2017
The BerlinRieslingCup 2017 included 33 wines. The overwhelming majority of the wines were GGs from VDP members. There were a few non-GG ultra-premium dry wines from non-VDP members.
By definition, the 33 wines represented a subjective selection, but I think it probably included a substantial share of the ultra-premium Rieslings that could be the grand cru top wines of the 2016 vintage. 2 bottles came on the table. It is a blind tasting.
The Jury
Michael Quentel/ WEINWISSER
Paul Truszkowski/ Wine in Black
Matthias Brandweiner/ Sommelier Sofitel
Marc Hanke/ Sommelier Bar Raval
Göran van den Brink
Michael Rauscher
Nikolai Lassmann
Charlie Gierling/ Weinlagen-info
Marc Herold
Carlo Andersen
Roman Niewodniczanski/ Weingut Van Volxem
Ranking - BerlinRieslingCup 2017
93 Points
1 Diel "Pittermännchen" GG 93
2 van Volxem "Volz" GG 93
3 Heymann-Löwenstein Uhlen „Laubach“ 93
4 van Volxem "Altenberg" GG 93
Diel
Pictures: Christian Schiller with Armin, Caroline and Anouk Diel at Schlossgut Diel in Germany. See: Tasting with Sylvain Taurisson Diel at Schlossgut Diel, Nahe– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
van Volxem
Heymann-Löwenstein
92 Points
5 Schäfer-Fröhlich Monzinger "Frühlingsplätzchen" GG 92
6 Thörle "Hölle" 92
7 Emrich-Schönleber "Halenberg" GG 92
8 Gunderloch "Pettenthal GG" 92
9 Schloss Lieser "Goldtröpfchen" GG 92
Schäfer-Fröhlich
Thörle
Emrich-Schönleber
Gunderloch
Schloss Lieser - Thomas Haag
91 Points
10 Braunewell "Teufelspfad" 91
11 Wittmann "Morstein" GG 91
12 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Ober Schäfershaus Spätlese trocken 91
13 Schwedthelm "Schwarzer Herrgott" 91
14 Carl Loewen 1896 91
Hofgut Falkenstein
Wittmann
90 Points
15 Phillipp Kuhn "Schwarzer Herrgott" GG 90
16 Flick Morstein 90
17 Schäfer-Fröhlich "Stromberg" GG 90
18 Wagner-Stempel "Scharlachberg" GG 90
Wagner-Stempel
89 Points
19 Breuer "Schlossberg" 89
20 F.E. Huff Pettenthal 89
21 Maximin Grünhaus "Abtsberg" GG 89
22 RR von Buhl Kieselberg GG 89
23 v. Othegraven "Altenberg" GG 89
24 P. Lauer "Schonfels" GG89
25 Keller Hubacker GG 89
Maximin Grünhaus
Keller
P. Lauer
88/ 87/ 86/ 85/ Without Points
26 Kühling-Gillot Pettenthal GG 88
27 P. Lauer Feils 88
28 Battenfeld-Spanier "Frauenberg" GG 88
29 Hofgut Falkenstein Krettnacher Altenberg Spätlese trocken 87
30 Katharina Wechsler "Benn" 85
31 St. Antony Pettenthal GG
32 Dautel "Steingrüben" GG
33 Säckinger Kieselberg
schiller-wine: Related Postings (Berlin Cups)
Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2017, Germany
Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2017 (2016), Germany
Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2015, Germany
Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2014, Germany
Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2013, Germany
Germany’s Ultra Premium Dry Riesling Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2012
Germany’s Top Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2011 Ranking
Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2016 - Rating Dry Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2015 - Rating Dry Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2014 - Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2013– Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany
Berlin Gutsriesling Cup 2012, Germany
Martin Zwick's BerlinKabinettCup 2017: Germany's Best 2016 Riesling Kabinett Wines
Martin Zwick's BerlinKabinettCup 2016: Germany's Best 2015 Riesling Kabinett Wines
Martin Zwick's BerlinKabinettCup 2015: Germany's Best 2014 Riesling Kabinett Wines
Martin Zwick's BerlinKabinettCup 2014, Germany
BerlinKabinettCup 2013 - Kabinett 2012, Germany
Germany's Best Pinot Noir Wines - BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015
Germany's Best Pinot Noir Wines - BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2012/2014
BerlinSpaetburgunderCup 2011/2013, Germany
schiller-wine - Related Postings
Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir
Tasting with Sylvain Taurisson Diel at Schlossgut Diel, Nahe– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Tasting at Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich in Bockenau, Nahe - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch, Tasting and Vineyard Walk at Weingut Van Volxem with Owner Roman Niewodniczanski– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein in Winningen, Mosel, with Reinhard Löwenstein - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Thomas Haag, Weingut Schloss Lieser, Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2015
Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Philipp Wittmann and Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann at Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Germany’s Best Winemakers and Wines – Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 Awards: The Award Ceremony in Mainz, Germany
Tasting at Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich in Bockenau, Nahe - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting with Johannes and Christoph Thoerle, Weingut Thoerle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen
Wine Tasting at Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim, with Owners and Winemaker Fritz Hasselbach and Agnes Hasselbach-Usinger – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA
A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA
A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2016, USA
Germany’s Best Winemakers and Wines – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2016 Awards: The Awards Ceremony in Mainz, Germany
Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Philipp Wittmann and Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann at Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
VDP.Rheinhessen Invited to a Gala Dinner: The World Class Wines of the VDP.Rheinhessen Winemakers and the World Class Food of Philipp Stein (1 Star Michelin, Favorite), with Klaus Peter Keller, Philipp Wittmann, H.O.Spanier, Caroline Gillot-Spanier and Other Rheinhessen Stars