The annual “New German Vintage Tasting" of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) around February/March/April, led by Phil Bernstein, is always a highlight for the German wine aficionados in the Washington DC area. Phil Bernstein is very entertaining and knowledgeable about German wine. He is in charge of German wines at MacArthur Beverages, one of the best German wine retailers in the country.
This year again, we had a full house, with 71 people having signed up and paid US45/ US$55 (members/ non-members) for the tasting. Thank you very much Phil for a great event.
Invitation
Phil Bernstein, German wine buyer, MacArthur Beverages: I'd like to invite you to attend my yearly new vintage tasting with the German Wine Society. We've selected some of the best wines of the vintage and for those of you that haven't attended; this is always a fun event. We keep it light and have lots of great back and forth banter. The wines are the stars of the show, and if you're not too familiar with German wine, this will be a great learning opportunity. If you haven't already heard, 2016 is a fantastic vintage for the great Rieslings of Germany-you do not want to miss this! -Phil Bernstein, German wine buyer, MacArthur Beverages
German Wine Society: Dear German Wine Society Members and Guests, Every year we host a tasting to try wines from the new vintage, with a focus on Riesling. Our host is Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages, one of the leading retailers of German Riesling in the country. The new vintage is 2016, which David Schildknecht found “deliciously drinkable” and Terry Theise describes as “nearly perfect”, providing “repeated inputs of joy, sheer joy, and grinning, giddy, animal joy.” Please join us as we try the wines and write our own reviews.
Sekt, Grosses Gewächs (GG), Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese
MacArthur's German wine portfolio represents very well the traditional, classic German wine selection in the US market: Heavy on wines from the Mosel region, heavy on Riesling and heavy on wines with residual sweetness. Accordingly, except for the Sekt, all the wines we tasted were Rieslings, 6 of the 12 wines were from the Mosel region. 8 fruity-sweet Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese wines were at the center of the tasting. Preceeding the Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese flights, Phil poured a Sekt and a Grosses Gewächs (GG) flight. The 2 GGs were by far the most expensive wines of the tasting.
As in previous years, Phil Bernstein did not present any red wines. Indeed, the MacArthur portfolio includes only a negligible number of red wines. Yet, about 1/3 of the Germany’s wine output is red wine. Germany has become one of the leading Pinot Noir producers in the world. At a recent Decanter (the British wine journal) tasting of Pinot Noirs around the world excluding Burgundy, a German Pinot Noir from the Ahr region (Weingut Jean Stodden) was selected as the best wine. But the US market is very slow in discovering what Germany now has to offer in terms of premium and ultra-premium red wines. German red wines are difficult to find in the US. Hopefully, this will change.
As in previous years, Phil Bernstein showed only Rieslings. Yet, Riesling accounts for only 1/3 of the German white wine production. 2/3 is accounted for by other grape varieties. Among the non-Riesling grape varieties, Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) are increasingly being planted. Why bother with these other grape varieties, many German wine lovers in the US say. But Germany has become the #1 Pinot Blanc producer in the world and the #2 Pinot Gris producer in the world (as well as the #3 Pinot Noir producer in the world).
Stephen Bitterolf contra Phil Bernstein, New York contra Washington DC, and German Wines in the 21 Century
A few weeks ago, at Stephen Bitterolf's Rieslingfeier Vintage 2016 Grand Tasting in New York, the 44 wines poured were quite different from the wines Phil Bernstein poured: The large majority were dry wines (27 wines). Only 17 wines were fruity-sweet Kabinett and Spätlese wines. 6 of the 13 winemakers present poured only dry wines. See: Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner
World class Mosel producer Constantin Richter says: "NYC is not DC. As Germany is a predominantly dry country with a few emerging sweet spots, the US remains a predominantly sweet country with a few emerging dry spots (mainly the New York, Chicago and San Francisco areas)".
A few months ago, at the Annual Meeting of the American Wine Society, Annette Schiller led a tasting seminar that she called "German Wines in the 21st Century" (See: German Wines in the 21st Century - A Tasting Seminar at the 2017 American Wine Society National Conference in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, led by Annette Schiller (ombiasyPR & WineTours)). At this tasting, she poured 4 German wines: 2 red wines and 4 white wines, all dry and only one a Riesling.
ombiasy WineTours
Most of the winemakers presented by Phil Bernstein I know personally and have visited their wineries on an ombiasy Germany wine tour. Annette Schiller offers 3 wine tours to Germany: Germany-North, Germany-East and Germany-South. See:
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (March 1, 2018)
Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017
Picture: Annette Schiller, Phil Bernstein and Christian Schiller. See: The Annual “New German Vintage” Tasting of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) led by Phil Bernstein - 2012 Vintage, Germany/USA
Tasting
Most of the wines were available at the tasting for a special price, which I put in parentheses.
Vintage 2016 in Germany (Terry Theise)
Terry Theise (See: Therry Theise’s Best German Wines and Winemakers– Vintage 2016): ... 2016 does not appear to have a dark side. At least where I tasted, it is almost never not delicious, almost never ungainly, unbalanced or unappealing. I can hardly remember a more adorable vintage. I don’t know where I’d place it on some grid of profundity or Solemn Importance. Neither do I care. I was too blasted by repeated inputs of joy, sheer joy, grinning, giddy, animal joy. But, not merely animal. Because this vintage can address the most humane, civilized, decent and grateful parts of us. It never clamors or fusses for our attention. It never preens or puts on some gaudy show. It doesn’t get its freak on because it doesn’t seem to have a freak at all. It is, instead, calmly and serenely delicious. Actually, fucking delicious. It is a medium-weight vintage and its weight is elegantly and gracefully dispersed. It is graceful overall, and also lithe, limber and lissome. It is strong when it needs to be, but it measures its strength judiciously and with restraint. It shows every aspect of superb German Riesling, but doesn’t emphasize any at the expense of the others....
Starter: Sekt - Messmer Rosé Brut
2010 Messmer Spätburgunder Sekt Rosé Brut (US$42)
Weingut Herbert Messmer
Pfalz
28 hectares
40% Riesling, 20% Spätburgunder, 10% Pinot Blanc, 10% Pinot Gris
All dry
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 3/5 grapes
VDP
Sekt in Germany: Germany is one of the largest sparkling wine markets in the world. One out of four bottles of sparkling wine is consumed in Germany. Sparkling wine produced in Germany is called Sekt.
Sekt is made in all German wine regions, both in the méthode traditionnelle and charmat method. There are three groups of Sekt makers: (i) large and (ii) smaller Sekt Houses that only make Sekt and (iii) wine makers, who make predominantly wine, but complement their wine selection by a few Sekts. The Sekts produced by large Sekt Houses tend to be in the demy-sweet and sweet range, while the Sekts of smaller estates and the wine makers are mostly in the brut and extra brut range.
See also: German Wine Basics: Sekt
Weingut Messmer was founded in 1960 when Herbert Messmer purchased the historical estate and took over the vineyards and winery. In 1984, the winery was taken over by son Gregor Messmer. Weingut Messmer is nestled in the forested slopes of the Haardt Mountains in the southern Pfalz. Vineyard area: 25 hectares. Annual production: 26,700 cases.
Picture: Martin Messmer, Wei ngut Herbert Messmer,in Berlin. See: Chinese Food and German Wine at the Hot Spot in Berlin: 5 VDP Winemakers Pour their Wines Terry Theise: Without question the most wacked-out gorgeous weirdo-wine in this offering. The base wine ferments in used barrique and ages six months before tirage. It spends three-plus years on the lees and emerges as a serious wine that tastes for all the world like a Vilmart Cuvée Rubis, without quite the elegance and polish of the Champagne. Hibiscus and rhubarb jelly, echoes of wood, a finishing kiss of rosewater. Defeat even the most cocky blind taster! Amaze your somm pals! Put something on your list that no one else has, or even dreamed of! And finally, serve a three-eyed alien wine that’s not only without flaws: it also tastes good! As the wine is disgorged as-needed every few months, this final contingent has had really long lees time— four-plus years. We bought all the rest of it; the wine is indelible and amazing.
Flight #1: Two of the vintage’s best dry wines - Schäfer Fröhlich Felseneck Grosses Gewächs (GG) and Rebholz Kastanienbusch Grosses Gewächs (GG)
Like last year, a Grosses Gewächs (GG) flight figured prominently in Phil Bernstein’s tasting. GGs is the new category of ultra-premium wines dry wines of VDP producers, the association of about 200 elite wine producers in Germany.
What is a GG? 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 2012, 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.
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. (iv) Further restrictions apply: there are yield restrictions; only hand picking of grapes is permitted and harvest must be late in the autumn.
2016 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz, Kastanienbusch, Riesling, trocken, GG (US$97)
Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz
Pfalz
23 hectares
40% Riesling, 20% Spätburgunder, 15% Pinot Blanc
All dry
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 5/5 grapes (18 producers)
VDP
2016 Weingut Schäfer Fröhlich, Felseneck, Riesling, trocken, GG (US$80)
Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich
Nahe
21 hectares
85% Riesling
Both dry and sweet-style wines
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 5/5 grapes (18 producers)
VDP
Flight #2: Two of Germany’s top young guns - Carl Loewen Maximiner Herrenberg Kabinett and Dönnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Kabinett
2016 Weingut Carl Loewen Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Kabinett (US$22)
Weingut Carl Loewen
Mosel
15 hectares
96% Riesling
Mainly sweet-style wines
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 3/5 grapes
Terry Theise: Ungrafted, planted 1903—terribly young, I know—and it sits upslope from the Maximiner Herrenberg, whence the 1896 bottlings arise. It reminds me of a Merkelbach wine only richer, or like Christoffel but not so glossy, not so formed. Ginger and quince, an endless call-and-response among Spring flowers, wild herbs, licorice and key lime. I know you won’t mind my pointing out that if you were offered a wine from a great vineyard from ungrafted 113-year old vines, and that wine came from France, Italy or Spain, you would pay a fuckload more money for it. You don’t mind if I say that, do you?
2016 Weingut Dönnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Kabinett (US$25)
Weingut Dönnhoff
Nahe
28 hectares
80% Riesling, 20% Pinot Blanc and Gris
Both dry and sweet-style wines
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 5/5 grapes (18 producers)
VDP
Flight #3: Two of the vintage’s best Kabinetts - AJ Adam Hofberg Kabinett and Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Kabinett
2016 Weingut AJ Adam Dhron Hofberg Kabinett (US$30)
Weingut AJ Adam
Mosel
5 hectares
100% Riesling
Both dry and sweet-style wines
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 3/5 grapes
2016 Weingut Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Kabinett (US25)
Weingut Vollenweider
Mosel
5 hectares
100% Riesling
Both dry and sweet-style wines
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 4/5 grapes
Flight #4: JJ Prum ‘nuff said! - JJ Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett and JJ Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese
2016 Weingut JJ Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett (US$33)
2016 Weingut JJ Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese (US$40)
Weingut JJ Prüm
Mosel
20 hectares
100% Riesling
Only sweet-style wines
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 5/5 grapes (18 producers)
VDP
Justerini and Brooks (UK): Manfred Prüm runs one of the Mosel’s, if not the whole of Germany’s, most revered and respected Estates. It is also amongst the most enigmatic as no-one has yet made it down to his mysterious cellars. Manfred is certainly one of the world’s more eccentric wine producers and a tasting in his drawing room with him is always enjoyable and entertaining. In the Sonnenuhr of Wehlen he owns a portion of one of the Mittel Mosel’s top vineyards. Its steep south-facing dark slate slopes tend to result in deeply flavoured, mineral yet rich and smoky wines. In addition, he manipulates some plots in the next door Himmelreich of Graacher which produces engaging wines with fresh acidities that are slightly softer and earlier maturing. These are unashamedly classic, exciting and long-lived wines produced predominantly in stainless tanks to avoid the addition of too much sulphur, though a small proportion of wooden casks are retained, however, depending on the vintage. They are bottled later than most Mosel and often take a few years in bottle before showing the true character, but patience will be rewarded!
Picture: Christian Schiller with Katharina Pruem at Wegmans in Virginia. See: JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans
Flight #5: Super Spatlese - Schäfer Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Spätlese GK and Keller Abtserde Spätlese
2016 Weingut Schäfer Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Spätlese GK (US$50)
Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich
Nahe
21 hectares
85% Riesling
Both dry and sweet-style wines
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 5/5 grapes (18 producers)
VDP
2016 Weingut Keller Abtserde Spätlese
Weingut Keller
Rheinhessen
16 hectares
60% Riesling, 30% Pinot Noir, Blanc and Gris
Riesling G-Max is the most expensive dry white wine in Germany
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 5/5 grapes (18 producers)
VDP
Flight #6: Yet another Selbach masterpiece - Selbach Oster Schlossberg Riesling Schmitt
2016 Weingut Selbach Oster Schlossberg Riesling Schmitt (US$53)
Weingut Selbach Oster
Mosel
22 hectares
97% Riesling
Mainly sweet-style wines
Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: 4/5 grapes
Previous Years'“New German Vintage” Tastings of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)
For previous years, see:
The German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) Presented: 2015 German Vintage Tasting with Phil Bernstein, USA
Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages Presents the new Vintage (2014) to the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter), USA/ Germany
German Riesling - What the American Market Wants: Vintage 2013 Tasting with German Wine Expert Phil Bernstein, MacArthur Beverages, Washington DC
The Annual “New German Vintage” Tasting of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) led by Phil Bernstein - 2012 Vintage, Germany/USA
German Wine: Tasting with Phil Bernstein of MacArthur Beverages the 2011 Vintage in Washington DC, USA
The 2010 Vintage Tasting of the German Wine Society (Aaron Nix-Gomez)
Phil Bernstein’s Third Annual German Riesling Tasting with the German Wine Society, Washington DC Chapter - Rieslings With a Touch of Sweetness
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (March 1, 2018)
Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017
Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner
German Wines in the 21st Century - A Tasting Seminar at the 2017 American Wine Society National Conference in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, led by Annette Schiller (ombiasyPR & WineTours)
Rieslingfeier 2018 in New York City: Gränd Tasting and Gala Dinner
German Wine Basics: Sekt
A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2016, USA
Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz in Siebeldingen, Pfalz – Germany-South by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Tasting at Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich in Bockenau, Nahe - Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
An Afternoon with Riesling Star Winemaker Helmut Doennhoff at Weingut Doennhoff in Oberhausen in the Nahe Valley, Germany
Tasting at the Legendary Weingut J.J. Prüm with Amei Prüm– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016
JJ Pruem Goes Supermarket: Meeting Katharina Pruem and Tasting the Incredible JJ Pruem Wines at Wegmans
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
A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA
Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Selbach-Oster in Zeltingen, Mosel, with Johannes Selbach – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Schiller’s Favorites at the 2013 Riesling and Co Tasting in New York City, USA
Chinese Food and German Wine at the Hot Spot in Berlin: 5 VDP Winemakers Pour their Wines