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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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