The German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) organized a Chardonnay tasting with wines from Chablis and Germany. It took place at our home and was limited to 18 people in order to fit around our large round table. GWS Secretary Joseph Aguiar was the event coordinator. Annette Schiller and Joseph Aguiar led through the evening.
Invitation
Yes, that’s right, German Chardonnay! We are excited to present another small group tasting at the home of Christian and Annette Schiller in McLean, Virginia, this time for a comparison of the classic French Chardonnays of Chablis and the up-and-coming Chardonnays of Germany.
Not much Chardonnay from Germany makes it to the United States, but Christian and Annette Schiller have brought some back with them from their recent trip to Germany. We will begin tasting at 7:00pm, Saturday 12 August 2017 and attendance will be limited to 16 people…so sign up quickly!
German Wine Society Capital Chapter Vice President, Christian Schiller, and GWS member Annette Schiller will present on the different German Chardonnays. Germany’s cool climate is well-suited to Chardonnay production, and we will have quite a few demonstrations of just how good German Chardonnay can be. We will taste through the hierarchy of Chablis (Chablis Village, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru, plus their equivalents in Germany) alongside Germany Chardonnays from familiar places: Pfalz, Baden, Rheinhessen, and Württemberg.
You are invited to stay after the tasting for socializing and are encouraged to bring an extra bottle of wine if you would like to stay.
Light refreshments of cheese and baguette will be served with the wines and we will serve an additional sparkling wine during the beginning of the tasting while attendees are arriving.
Event cost is $35 for members and non-members alike. All payment must be received by Monday 7 August.
Chardonnays around the World
The best Chardonnays in the world come from the Bourgogne in France, but Chardonnay is grown wherever wine is made, from England to New Zealand. It is one of the most widely-planted grape varieties, with over 400,000 acres (175,000 hectares) worldwide, planted in more wine regions than any other grape.
In its homeland, France, Chardonnay is the second most widely planted white grape variety just behind Ugni Blanc, which is used mainly for the production of Cognac and Armagnac. The grape first rose to prominence in the Chablis and Bourgogne regions. In Champagne, it is most often blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Champagne, Chablis and Burgundy account for more than three-fifths of all Chardonnay plantings in France.
The Bourgogne Chardonnays are considered the benchmark standard of expressing terroir through Chardonnay. In Chablis, Chardonnay is the only permitted AOC grape variety. Chablis winemakers want to emphasis the terroir of the calcareous soil and cooler climate that help maintain high acidity. The wines rarely will go through malolactic fermentation or be exposed to oak. The biting, green apple-like acidity is a trademark of Chablis.
In North America, Chardonnay found another region where it could thrive. Following Chateau Montelena's victory over Burgundy Chardonnay in the famous 1976 Paris blind tasting, Californian winemakers rushed to increase plantings of Chardonnay. In the 1980s, the popularity of Californian Chardonnay would explode so much that the number of vines planted in the State eclipsed that of France. The early trend to imitate the Bourgogne wines soon gave way to more rich buttery and oaked styles. New oak barrels were used to produce wines that were big in body and mouthfeel, and high in alcohol. In recent years, Californian winemakers have been trying to make leaner Chardonnay, using less oak and processes such as reverse osmosis and spinning cones, to bring the alcohol levels down.
In Australia, one of the first successful Chardonnays was produced by Murray Tyrrell in the Hunter Valley in 1971. The export driven Australian wine industry was well situated for the Chardonnay boom of the 1980s and 1990s. In recent years, there has been a shift in style from deep golden, oily wines to lighter, paler Chardonnays with more structure. Now being more famous for its Sauvignon Blanc production, Chardonnay was New Zealand's most widely planted grape variety until only a few years ago.
In Europe, Chardonnay has a long history in Italy; but for a large part of it, the grape was commonly confused with Pinot Blanc. It is now planted a lot in the north of Italy. In Austria, the grape varieties known as Feinburgunder in Burgenland and Vienna and Morillon in Styria were not identified as Chardonnay until the 1980s. In Germany, Chardonnay was slow to gain a footing being only officially sanctioned since 1991. In Spain, Chardonnay has been increasingly used in the sparkling wine Cava.
In Latin America, in the cool-climate wine regions of Argentina's Uco Valley and Chile's Casablanca, Chardonnay has started to develop a presence. In the 1990s, Chardonnay became the second most widely planted white grape variety in Argentina. In Chile, it has surpassed Sauvignon Blanc to be the most widely planted white wine grape.
In conclusion, the area planted with Chardonnay throughout the world is estimates at around 160,000 hectares, with the US and France accounting for about half of it, and Australia, Italy and Modavia for another quarter.
Styles of Chardonnay Wines
Chardonnay lends itself to almost any style of wine making from dry still wines, to sparkling wines, to sweet late harvest and even botrytized wines. The two winemaking decisions that most widely affect the end result of a Chardonnay wine is whether or not to use malolactic fermentation and the degree of oak influence used for the wine.
First, with malolactic fermentation, the harder malic acid gets converted into the softer lactic acid, which creates the "buttery-ness" that is associated with some styles of Chardonnay. The wines that do not go though malolactic fermentation will have more green apple like flavors. Second, oak can be introduced during fermentation or after in the form of the barrel aging. Depending on the amount of charring that the oak was treated with, this can introduce a "toastiness" and flavors that many wine drinkers mistake as a characteristic of the grape itself. These flavors can include caramel, cream, smoke, spice, coconut, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla.
Other important winemaking decisions include the temperature of fermentation and what time, if any, that the wine is allowed to spend aging on the lees. Burgundian winemaking tends to favor extended contact on the lees and even "stirring up" the lees within the wine while it is aging in the barrel. Colder fermentation temperatures produce more "tropical" fruit flavors.
The time of harvesting is a crucial decision because the grape quickly begins to lose acidity as it ripens. For sparkling wine production, the grapes are harvested early and slightly unripe to maintain the acid levels.
Salon Tasting at Schiller's Home
We were 18 around our dining room table. We had 6 Germany versus Chablis fligths, followed by an aged Chablis flight and 3 other Chardonnays that guests provided. In total, including the reception, we opened 19 bottles.
Tasting List
Chardonnay: Chablis versus Germany
NV Val de Mer Brut Non Dosé (Methode Champenoise) (aka “sparkling Chablis”)
2012 Weingut Jülg Chardonnay brut (Methode Champenoise) - Pfalz
2014 Domaine Seguinot-Bordet Chablis AOC
2015 Weingut Kruger Rumpf Chardonnay trocken - Nahe
2013 Domaine Jean Marc Brocard Chablis AOC 1er Cru Montmains
2015 Weingut Franz Keller Chardonnay Oberbergener Bassgeige VDP:Erste Lage - Baden
2012 Domaine Philippe Charlopin Chablis AOC “Vieilles Vignes”
2015 Weingut Martin Schwarz Chardonnay - Sachsen
2014 Domaine Servin Chablis AOC 1er Cru Montee De Tonnerre
2015 Weingut Fürst Hohenlohe Oehringen Chardonnay HADES - Württemberg
2012 Domaine Servin Chablis AOC Grand Cru Les Clos
2014 Weingut Bernhard Huber Bienenberg Chardonnay GG - Baden
Aged Chablis
2006 Domaine Louis Michel &Fils Chablis AOC Grand Cru Vaudesir
2010 Domaine Pinson Chablis AOC Grand Cru Les Clos
Chardonnays from Italy, Kazakhstan and California
2014 Assa Valley Almaty Chardonnay Kazakhstan
2016 Di Lenardo Chardonnay IGT Italy
2014 Grgich Hills Estate Carneros Chardonnay Napa Valley
The German Chardonnays
None of the 6 German Chardonnays included in the tasting is available in the USA. I bought all of them in Germany and checked them with my luggage.
2012 Weingut Jülg Chardonnay brut Sekt Methode Champenoise - Pfalz
Weingut Jülg is in Schweigen, the southernmost village in the Pfalz region, right at the border to France. The winery was founded in 1961. Today, Werner Jülg is in charge of the overall management of the winery. Since 2010, his oldest son Johannes has been responsible for the winemaking.
The vineyard area totals 18 hectares in the Einzellage (single vineyard) Sonnenberg (of which 40% is in France) and the Gewanne (lieu-dit) Springberg, Pfarrwingert, St. Paul und Wormberg.
White grape varieties account for 70% of the production, with Riesling, Weißburgunder and Grauburgunder dominating. Red grape varities account for 30% of the production, with Pinot Noir and St. Laurent in the lead.
Total production is 9.000 cases. Most of the wine is sold at the estate – in the wine tavern, the garden restaurant and directly to consumers. 20% of the wine is exported, including to the USA (5%).
Leberknödel, Saumagen, Wurst, Schnitzel and Rippchen are all home-made as is the cheese.
See also: Wine Lunch at Weingut Jülg with Johannes Jülg– Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
2015 Weingut Kruger Rumpf Chardonnay trocken - Nahe
“In our family, viniculture has been tradition since 1708 - a tradition that we have been cultivating in our vineyards as well as in our manor house which was built back in 1830” said Georg Rumpf. Stefan Rumpf, Georg’s father, brought Weingut Kruger-Rumpf up to where it is today: After completing his studies in agricultural sciences, including stints in Californian wineries, and conducting research at the Geisenheim research institute, Stefan Rumpf took over the estate from his parents in 1984. Up until then, the wines were sold almost entirely in bulk. Stefan Rumpf changed this and started to bottle his wines and to market the bottles himself. Less than 10 years later, in 1992, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf was invited to join the VDP, the about 200 German elite winemakers, a clear sign of what Stefan Rumpf had achieved over the course of just 8 years.
Today, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf has 3 (of 5) grapes in the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland. The vineyard area totals 22 hectares and the annual production is 14.000 cases. The top sites are: Münsterer Dautenpflänzer (slate with sandy loam); Münsterer Pittersberg (slate); Münsterer Rheinberg (weathered quartzite and sandy loam); Binger Scharlachberg Rheinhessen (Rotliegend and porphyry).
Grape varieties: 65% Riesling, 10% each of Silvaner and Weissburgunder, 5% each of Chardonnay, Grauburgunder and Spätburgunder. In fact, Kruger-Rumpf was the first estate in the Nahe region to plant Chardonnay.
Georg Rumpf has taken over the winemaking aspect of Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, while his father is now more focusing on sales and general management.
See also: Wine Dinner with Tour at Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe, with Georg Rumpf – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany
2015 Weingut Franz Keller Chardonnay Oberbergener Bassgeige VDP.Erste Lage - Baden
The founder of the Keller Empire is the late Franz Keller. Franz Keller (1927 – 2007) probably was Germany’s most important early proponent of fully-fermented, dry wines and the use of barriques. He had 2 sons. One of them – Franz Keller - was initially the Chef of Restaurant Schwarzer Adler, but eventually moved to Hattenheim in the Rheingau, where he is the owner and chef at the Adlerwirtschaft. The other one – Fritz Keller – took over from his father in the 1980s and expanded the empire further.
Today, the Keller empire comprises a luxury hotel (Hotel Schwarzer Adler in Oberbergen), 3 restaurants (the Michelin starred Schwarzer Adler, the more basic Rebstock, just across the street, and the KellerWirtschaft, which is part of the new winery), a fine wine trading company, focusing on Bordeaux and Bourgogne, Weingut Franz Keller (recently joined the VDP, the association of about 200 elite winemakers in Germany) and the Edition Fritz Keller project, a very successful trademark wine project with the discount chain Aldi.
Fritz Keller, in addition to his activity as winemaker, wine trader and restaurateur, is also president of the German football club SC Freiburg.
See also: Weingut Franz Keller in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Fritz Keller– Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
2015 Weingut Martin Schwarz Chardonnay - Sachsen
Martin Schwarz belongs to the group of young, ambitious, up-and coming winemakers in Sachsen. Back in the days when sipping a 1975 Château Margaux on a park bench while skipping Latin classes at school he got hooked to the world of wine, and decided to make wine his profession. He interned at the VDP winery Dr. Heger in Baden to get some practical experiences under his belt. In 1996 he graduated from the famous Geisenheim Oenological University in the Rheingau. A prominent winery in Sachsen was looking for a cellar master and Martin took on that challenge. For 16 years he worked as winemaker at the VDP winery Schloss Proschwitz before he started out on his own in 2013. Today he owns 5 acres in one the best vineyards sites on the steep slopes of the Elbe river. His wines show a very individual character and convince with their complexity and finesse.
See also: Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History
2015 Weingut Fürst Hohenlohe Oehringen Chardonnay HADES - Württemberg
As one of Germany’s oldest family owned businesses the Hohenlohe-Öhringen family can look back to the year 1253 as the founding year of their viticulture history. The 27th generation is now at the helm and today they manage 42 acres of the solely owned site Verrenberger Verrenberg. The vineyard is panted with the traditional Württemberg varietals Lemberger, and Riesling, and also with Spätburgunder, some Weissburgunder and Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Since 2008 the vineyards have been cultivated according to organic guidelines. The goal is to produce distinctive wines that not only expresses varietal character, but also that of their origin. Their 2013 Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese was awarded the Gold Medal at the 2015 Decanter World Wine Awards.
This estate was the pioneer in creating cuvées in Württemberg. More than 20 years ago Siegfried Röll, their winemaker in those days, toured Bordeaux and on the long drive back home he began wondering why they did not produce a Bordeaux type blend at home. He blended the local variety Lemberger with traditional Bordeaux grapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and voilà this cuvée came out beautifully. This was in 1986. They named the cuvée "Ex Flammis Orior" after the inscription on the family coat of arms.
See also: Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History
2014 Weingut Bernhard Huber Bienenberg Chardonnay GG - Baden
The Huber Estate is located in Malterdingen in the Breisgau area. More than 700 years ago, Cistercian monks came to Malterdingen, and found the same terroir as in Burgundy and thus started to plant Pinot Noir grapes. Still today, in many reference books on grape varieties, “Malterdinger” is used as a synonym for Pinot Noir. In 1987 Bernhard Huber and his wife Barbara started their own estate, leaving the co-operative where they produced wine before. They now own 65 acres of vineyards of which 70% is planted with Pinot Noir and the rest with Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, a little bit of Muskateller, Riesling, and Müller-Thurgau. All Huber wines are dry. Bernhard Huber does not produce any botrytised noble sweet wines or ice wines, nor does he chaptalize or add sweet reserve (Suessreserve) to generate sweetness in the finished wine. All his wines are fully fermented, dry and at around 13.5 percent alcohol. Bernhard regularly received the highest awards for his Pinot Noir and became something of a legend for producing top Pinot Noirs that can compete with the best of Burgundy. Bernhard Huber, only 53 years old, died in June after a battle with cancer. His wife Barbara wrote me in a moving email that she and their children try to keep Bernhard Huber's vision of wine making alive and that they will continue to produce top quality wines.
See also: Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser and Julian Huber – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
The French Chardonnays: Chablis
Chablis is part of the Bourgogne wine region, one of the most famous wine regions in the world, but wines from Chablis are usually referred to by their own name. Chablis is up in the north, a separate wine region. Some way south of Chablis is the Côte d'Or, where Burgundy's most famous wines originate. All Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy (except for Chablis Grand Cru) are here. The Côte d'Or is split into two parts: the Côte de Nuits in the north and the Côte de Beaune in the south. The wine-growing area is just 40 kilometers long, and in most places less than 2 kilometers wide; the area is made up of tiny villages. Further south is the Côte Chalonnaise, where a mix of mostly red and white wines are produced. Below the Côte Chalonnaise is the Mâconnais region, known for producing easy-drinking and more affordable white wine. Further south again is the Beaujolais region. The Bourgogne (including Chablis but excluding Beaujolais) covers a total of 28,000 hectares.
Burgundy is the most terroir-oriented region in France. Immense attention is paid to the area of origin, as opposed to Bordeaux, where classifications are producer-driven and awarded to individual chateaux. In Burgundy, a specific vineyard or region will bear a given classification, regardless of the wine producer.
The main levels in the Chablis classifications, in descending order of quality, are:
(1) At the top of the classification are the Grand Cru vineyards, which are all located on a single hillside near the town of Chablis. The Grand Cru vineyards cover a 106 hectare area, made up of 7 “Climats” (Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur and Vaudersir) and account for around 3% of Chablis’ production.
(2) Second in quality are the Premier Cru vineyards, covering an area of 750 hectares, gathered together into 40 “Climats”.
(3) Next is the generic AOC Chablis, the largest appellation.
(4) At the lowest end of the classification is Petit Chablis, which comprises the outlying land.
Chablis wines are almost all Chardonnay, bone-dry and fresh, with good acidity. Compared with the whites from the rest of Burgundy, Chablis tends to have much less influence of oak. Typically, Chablis is completely unoaked, vinified in stainless steel tanks, although many Grand Cru and Premier Cru wines receive some maturation in oak barrels. But aging time in the barrel and the share of new wood tends to be much smaller than for white wines of the Cote d’Or.
See also:
Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Reims - Wine, Food, Culture and History
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and other Wine Venues in Chablis, France
The 8 Chablis
NV (Methode Champenoise) Val de Mer Brut Non Dosé (aka “sparkling Chablis”)
2014 Domaine Seguinot-Bordet Chablis AOC
Domaine Séguinot-Bordet dates from 1590, having been passed down through the generations until now, with Jean-François Bordet in control, who took over from his grandfather. Jean-Francois Bordet has established his own name after an apprenticeship with his grandfather. Whereas most of his vineyards are Petit Chablis or Chablis, he is lucky enough to own a slice of Fourchaume, felt by many to be the finest of the Premier Cru vineyards.
The wines are made in a modern winery, with vinification in stainless steel vats to preserve freshness. Jean-François places particular emphasis on obtaining the best fruit possible, through careful pruning, debudding and harvesting. Jean-François Bordet practices cool fermentation and allows his wines to mature for 3-5 months on their lees; this maximizes the contact and promotes a luscious style to the wines.
Jean-François Bordet makes 10,000 cases of wine.
See also: Domaine Séguinot-Bordet in Maligny, Chablis: Tour and Tasting with Owner and Winemaker Jean-François Bordet – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
2012 Domaine Philippe Charlopin Chablis “Vieilles Vignes” AOC
2013 Domaine Jean Marc Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Montmains AOC
This domaine is a fruit of love. JeanMarc Brocard is from the Côte d’Or region of Burgundy and fell in love with the daughter of a winemaker in Chablis. As a wedding gift, the couple got 2.5 acres of a vineyard near the church of Saint Claire in Préhy, in the vicinity of the town of Chablis. In 1973 JeanMarc established the domaine JeanMarc Brocard and developed the estate into a domaine with over 200 acres under vine. He had no prior connection with wine and trained with his father inlaw to learn everything about winemaking. In 1996, Julien Brocard joined his father with the goal to convert to organic and biodynamic farming. The process is still ongoing. ‘La Boissonneuse’ vineyard was the first one to start with the transition process in 1997 and ‘Vielles Vignes’ followed in 2001. Today, Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard is run by the ‘fatherson’ team and stands for the upper echelon of Chablis wines.
See also: Wine Pairing Lunch, Cellar Visit, Vineyard Tour and Tasting a Domaine Jean Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France
2014 Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru Montee De Tonnerre AOC
2012 Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru AOC Les Clos
2006 Domaine Louis Michel &Fils Chablis Grand Cru AOC Vaudesir
2010 Domaine Pinson Chablis Grand Cru AOCLes Clos
Previous Salon Tastings at Schiller's Home
Chardonnay: Germany versus Chablis - Salon Tasting at Schiller's Home
Salon Tasting at Schiller's Home: Sparkling Wines of the World
Salon Tasting at Schiller‘s Home: Domaine Weinbach, Alsace, Vintage 2014 (2017)
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Heads up for the 2017 Tours - to Germany and France - by ombiasy WineTours
Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Reims - Wine, Food, Culture and History
Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History
Salon Tasting at Schiller's Home: Sparkling Wines of the World
Salon Tasting at Schiller‘s Home: Domaine Weinbach, Alsace, Vintage 2014 (2017)
Wine Lunch at Weingut Jülg with Johannes Jülg– Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Wine Dinner with Tour at Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe, with Georg Rumpf – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany
Weingut Franz Keller in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden: Cellar Tour and Tasting with Fritz Keller– Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser and Julian Huber – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and other Wine Venues in Chablis, France
Domaine Séguinot-Bordet in Maligny, Chablis: Tour and Tasting with Owner and Winemaker Jean-François Bordet – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Wine Pairing Lunch, Cellar Visit, Vineyard Tour and Tasting a Domaine Jean Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France