At Weingut Von Hövel in Konz, Saar Valley, we were received by the energetic Maximilan von Kunow, who took over from his father in 2010. Max showed us the 1100 year old barrel cellar where still today the wine matures in wooden vats, some of them several hundred years old, to become ripe, spicy, elegant Rieslings, and led an impressive wine tasting.
Weingut von Hövel
In this region wine was already produced in Roman times. There is evidence that wine was produced at the site of the Von Hövel estate as early as 1150. In those days, the vineyards and the winery belonged to the Monastery of Saint Maximin in Trier.
Emmerich Grach (1753–1826) from the well-established Grach family in Trier bought several wineries, including in 1803 the winery of the Monastery of Saint Maximin, which had been secularized under Napoleon. In 1902, the estate was passed on to the great-granddaughter of the founder, who was married to Balduin von Hövel. Eberhard von Kunow, the father of Maximilian von Kunow and the great-grandson of Balduin von Hövel, was the proprietor of Weingut Von Hövel from 1973 until 2010. Under his leadership, Weingut Von Hövel became one of the top wine producers in Germany.
The manor house, completed in the 12th century, was initially an abbey retreat for the monastery. The old cellar is today as it was over 800 years ago.
The current owner, Maximilian von Kunow, is the 7th Graf family generation and 3rd von Kunow family generation producing outstanding wines at this estate. Max graduated from the prestigious Geisenheim University and spent a number of years consulting in Luxembourg before he returned home in 2010. While his father produced mostly fruity style wines, Max wants to produce more dry styled Rieslings. He also started the estate on the road of organic production. His 2011 Scharzhofberger Grosses Gewächs, (93 points), was one of the highest scored dry wines in the Wein-Plus, a German newsletter.
Weingut Von Hövel produces 5,000 cases and is a founding member of the Mosel VDP. Max’s father Eberhard was for many years the auctioneer for the annual VDP auction in Trier. Recently, Max took over that function.
Vineyards
The wines of Weingut Von Hövel say “Mosel” on their labels. Yet, the Von Hövel wines do not come from the Mosel Valley, but from the Saar Valley. Before 2007, the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name - Mosel - considered more consumer-friendly. The Mosel wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but is the leading region in terms of international prestige. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river.
Weingut Von Hövel has ownership in the following vineyards; all planted 100% to Riesling:
Oberemmeler Hütte – (17.5 acres) a monopole of the estate – very light soil, weathered slate, it produces some of the most delicate, subtle, yet steely Rieslings in Germany.
Scharzhofberg – (7.5 acres) deeper, heavier soil, strong weathered grey slate with high proportion of rocks and gravel (70%), it produces more masculine wines.
Oberemmeler Rosenberg – the estate owns over 6 acres of the “filet” piece also known as the Rosenkamm, which has many old vine scattered throughout. For example, the 2011 Riesling Estate Spätlese “R” was selected from only those old vines with a yield of only 10hl/ha!
Kanzemer Hörecker – (barely 1 acre) monopole – one of the smallest yet greatest vineyards in the Saar, grey green slate with a proportion clay and red soil.
The estate also owns small portions of the heavy soiled Oberemmeler Karlsberg.
The Wines Max Poured
2010 Weingut Von Hövel Scharzhofberg Riesling trocken GG
2011 Weingut Von Hövel Kanzem Riesling trocken GG
2013 Weingut Von Hövel Oberemmeler Riesling feinherb
2013 Weingut Von Hövel Hütte Oberemmel Riesling Kabinett
2010 Weingut Von Hövel Hütte Oberemmel Riesling Spätlese
2011 Weingut Von Hövel Scharzhofberg Riesling Auslese
2011 Weingut Von Hövel Scharzhofberg Riesling Auslese #33
2012 Weingut Von Hövel Hütte Oberemmel Riesling Eiswein
2012 Weingut Von Hövel Scharzhofberg Riesling Eiswein
In the USA: Rudi Wiest
Rudi Wiest Selection is the US Importer of Weingut Von Hövel. David Bowler Wine in New York is a good source for Weingut Von Hövel wines: Baron Eberhard “Adt” von Kunow is the owner and proprietor of the small but wonderful von Hovel estate. He made the wines there from 1973 to 2010; however, after a debilitating stroke (from which we are pleased to report he has largely recovered), his son Maximilian (the 7th generation) took charge of the winemaking. Max runs the estate along increasingly organic methods, and like many in his generation, also seeks to create great dry wines. But von Hovel remains a haven for the hauntingly delicate style of fruity Rieslings unique to the Saar river valley, the coolest growing area in Germany. These are crystalline, low alcohol wines from the “old school,” teeming with minerals and flowers in their youth, and often petrolly in their later years. They represent some of the finest values in the Rudi Wiest portfolio.
Kabinett Estate 2011
”Redolent of ripe peaches and cream, this features lightly spiced notes of dried apricot and pear. Pastry accents grace the soft finish. Drink now.” -WS
Plump, easy-going and friendly, like a puppy that wants to play with you and your food. Sourced from across von Hovel’s 13ha+ of estate holdings, it offers peaches, floral notes and a whiff of slate with the gentle sweetness typical of 2011 Kabs.
Kabinett Oberemmeler Hutte 2011
Springy and precisely mineral-driven with gorgeous yellow plum fruit and some exotic character. Approximately 55-60g RS, a vivid 8.5g acid and 94 degrees oechsle (practically Auslese ripeness)! How does this remain so light and ethereal in the mouth with those numbers? This is benchmark Saar wine from a great year, a bottling with a long future and a glorious present.
Review: Ripe, offering open-textured flavors of apple, green peach and baked pear, with savory accents and a spicy finish. Drink now through 2018. 1,000 cases made. 88pts Wine Spectator, Kim Marcus April 30, 2013
Spätlese Dry "R" 2012
A connoisseur’s choice. One risks sounding pompous saying that, but the fact is, this is a big, crunchy, bone-dry wine in a developing stage, teeming with perfumey aromatics like rose hips and talcum, and structured in a clean and refreshing style like cold mineral water with a slice of lemon. The giveaway of the terroir is the incredibly dense, almost tactile sense of slate that coats the mouth at the finish—and JUST WON’T LET GO! An attention-grabbing wine that displays Max von Kunow’s promise as a young winemaker who wants to explore the potential of dry wines at his estate.
Bye-bye
Thank you very much Maximilian for a wonderful tasting.
schiller-wine: Related Postings
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux
Coming-up: Wine & Art Tour to Saale-Unstrut - Saxony - Franken - Württemberg: Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (June 11 - June 20, 2015)
Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
Weingut Pawis (Saale Unstrut): Estate Tour and Wine Tasting with Kerstin Pawis– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Weingut Kloster Pforta: Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting with Managing Director Christian Kloss – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Winzerhof Gussek in the Saale Unstrut Region: Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting with Owner and Winemaker André Gussek – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Tour and Tasting at the Historic Weingut Juliusspital in Würzburg, Franken– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Weingut Bickel-Stumpf in Franken: Vineyard Walk and Wine Tasting with Reimund Stumpf, Matthias Stumpf and Melanie Stumpf-Kröger - Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Kiedrich: Visit of the Basilica of Saint Valentine and of Weingut Robert Weil - Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau: Tour and Wine Tasting - Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Wining in the Steinberg Vineyard– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Visit: Winzerhof Thörle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Wine Tasting at Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Bodenheim: Kühling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Künstler– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
One of the Bio-dynamic Stars in Germany: Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn in Östrich, Winkel– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
In the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Vineyard Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Clemens Busch– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Selbach-Oster in Zeltingen, Mosel, with Johannes Selbach – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
schiller-wine: Related Postings (Weingut von Hövel)
Special Wine Event on March 18, 2014, in Washington DC with "Wurzelwerk": 3 Terroirs, 3 Winemakers and 9 Wines
"Wurzelwerk" Goes America: 3 Vineyards, 3 Winemakers and 9 Wines
Weingut von Hoevel – The New Generation: Max von Kunow in Washington DC, US