Romana Echensperger

German Sekt: The Next Big Thing

2017-03-16T13:00:00Z

For centuries, German vintners have made fantastic Riesling. Spätburgunder has been excellent for 25 years now. So, what’s next? Sekt has the potential to be the next big thing for German wine, but it still has a long road to travel.

Germany’s Sparkling Wine History

“There is, in fact, not a single wine establishment in all Champagne which is not under the control, more or less, of a native of Germany,” wrote Robert Tomes in The Champagne Country, published in 1867.

Mumm, Krug, Bollinger, and other German names that still play in Champagne reveal the long-held connections between the two neighboring countries when it comes to sparkling wine. Georg Kessler of Württemberg started his career in the sparkling wine business at Veuve Clicquot. In 1826, he founded the first sparkling wine house in Germany and was later involved in the industrialization of production. Trade and the exchange of knowledge drove the development of Germany’s sparkling wine industry. Young German men went to Champagne to learn production methods from the French, then imitated them back home.

Beginning in 1850, the production of sparkling wine in Germany rose steeply, climbing to 1.5 million bottles that year, then 4 million in 1873, and 8 million in 1895. From 1903 to 1913, it was in no year under 10 million bottles. But not everyone was drinking Champagne. The choice of Champagne or Sekt reflected social class, with Sekt the cheaper alternative. Around 1900, the cost of Champagne was three, four, or even five times the cost of German Sekt. From the beginning, there was competition and constant comparison between the two.

The reputation of German Sekt as a cheap alternative wasn’t inaccurate. As sparkling winemakers met with success, others started following their lead, intent on making sparkling wine fast, which resulted in a drastic deterioration in quality. For a long time, German sparkling wine was just a cheap imitation of Champagne.

Near the end of the 19th century, a handful of producers recognized that one way out of their misery was the development of a brand. Sparkling wine producer Otto Henkell gained important insights on a tour through the US in 1892, where he saw how much easier and more lucrative it is to sell a single branded item. As a blended product, sparkling wine is a prime candidate for branding, and the idea took off. New laws that protected wineries from imitation helped to increase quality and awareness among consumers. This was the beginning of the success of many big Sekt brands like Henkell, Kupferberg, and Rotkäppchen.

The concept of mechanizing sparkling wine production would soon play a key role as well. As far back the mid-1800s, producers were experimenting with carrying out secondary fermentation in large vessels. In 1856, containers with a 3200-liter capacity were used for the first time, tentatively, in Champagne. But due to the pressure of competition and the limitations of the early technology, the idea was quickly rejected. It wasn’t until 1930, with the invention of filters under pressure, that these ideas reemerged. In 1936, the tank fermentation method was reborn in both Germany and France. With increasing competition and growing demand from all industrialized countries after World War II, the process was refined rapidly. Today, sparkling wine production has been fully automated, and it is possible to produce fairly good quality at a favorable price level.

Sekt Production Today

Germany is a world champion in sparkling wine consumption. We drink 310 million liters of sparkling wine per year and produce 260 million liters. Mass-produced Sekt dominates. The bulk of production comes from big brands like Henkell or Rotkäppchen, who make sparkling wine with the tank method. The base wine doesn’t need to be German; instead, it can be a blend from all over Europe.

However, some producers have loftier goals. Two percent of Sekt production is "premium" Sekt, priced from 15 to 30 Euro. (Sekt that is more than 30 Euro is considered "super premium.") Many examples of premium Sekt are Winzersekt (defined below), made using the traditional method. Wineries like Raumland and youngsters like the Krack brothers are brave enough to focus on sparkling wine only. Former Bollinger cellar master Mathieu Kauffmann has moved to the Pfalz and is now responsible for the prestigious Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl, where he hopes to show the world the potential of sparkling Riesling through his precise Sekt. Growers who know by heart how to make great Riesling and Pinot Noir are ready to learn new things. Within the VDP are lively discussions about the potential to add German Sekt to the classification system. There have been meetings and tastings to evaluate guidelines and think about opportunities and challenges of single-vineyard Sekt. The seed for German Sekt as the next big thing has been planted.

Photo by Stephan Gawlik for Sekthaus Raumland

Key Terms & Wine Law

The word “Sekt” originates, indirectly, from Shakespeare. As the story goes, in 1825, well-known actor Ludwig Devrient was at Berlin wine bar Lutter und Wegner. In that era’s German translations of Shakespeare, the playwright’s sack, or sherry, was translated as Sect, the German term for sweet Spanish wine. Devrient quoted Henry IV, where Falstaff demands, "Bringe er mit Sect, Schurke!" (“Give me a cup of sack, rogue!”) Since his usual drink was Champagne, the waiter served him accordingly. “Sekt” soon became a popular name for sparkling wine. In 1925, when “Champagne” could no longer be used for German wines, it became the official designation.

Sekt production follows the EU's broad regulations for sparkling wine, including its standards for sweetness levels. If labeled Deutscher Sekt (“German sparkling wine"), the wine must come entirely from Germany. Blending regulations are consistent across still and sparkling wines: grapes can be sourced from multiple regions, but when this is the case, the wine cannot be labeled with a region.

Sekt b.A. or Qualitätsschaumwein b.A.: Grapes for these wines are sourced from a specific region, noted on the label. If at least 85% of the wine comes from a specific appellation, vintage, or grape variety, this can be included on the label as well. These wines go through quality control testing.

Winzersekt: This is a sparkling wine of a single vintage and grape variety produced by a winery or cooperative (i.e., using only grapes grown by the producer) in the traditional method. Vintage, grape variety, and producer must be noted on the label. Typically, these are very high quality wines.

Perlwein: This is a sparkling wine with one to two-and-a-half atmospheres of pressure. Carbon dioxide may be produced through fermentation and/or added. If the grapes are from a single region, it may be labeled as Qualitätsperlwein b.A.

Grape Varieties

There are, of course, Sekt producers making great fizz from the classical Champagne varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. The latter grape has always been widespread in Germany, but it was often used to make light red wines, and growers are glad that Sekt offers a different possibility for the already existing plantings. However, Pinot sparkling is not rare in the world.

Riesling Sekt, however, is unique, and the grape variety, with its refreshing acid, shows great potential for sparkling wine production. It is still an emerging category, though a very exciting one. Many growers are concerned about petrol notes in Riesling Sekt, and their concern is not unfounded. I have tasted examples with cloying kerosene notes overlaying the refined yeast aromas. Mathieu Kauffmann believes this is more a problem of too-severe pressing.

According to the German Wine Institute, around 50% of premium sparkling wine is made from Riesling, around 30% is made from Pinot varieties, and the rest is made with other varieties. Aromatic grapes like Scheurebe, Muskatelle, Mukattrollinger, Gewürztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc fill an interesting niche market. However, the wide range of varieties being used make it difficult to establish a clear image of the category of German Sekt.

The Opportunities

Earlier this year, I participated in a Sekt tasting organized by the German Wine Institute for sparkling wine expert Tom Stevenson. Tasting 290 Sekt allowed me to evaluate the status of Sekt production today. Quality has improved immensely in the past decade, and producers are experimenting with everything from grape varieties to extended lees aging. I’m convinced that German Sekt is a raw diamond just waiting to be polished.

The following are the categories of Sekt that sommeliers should understand, notable for their quality and/or the innovation within the style that they reflect.

Echoing Champagne

Outstanding examples of Sekt are made using the grapes and styles of Champagne. Sekthaus Raumland is one of the best producers, and Volker Raumland is a principal authority for Sekt. He was one of the first vintners to focus on sparkling wine production only. His 2009 IX Triumvirat Sekt Brut (37 Euro retail) is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier aged for six years on the lees. It has lovely toast aromas and a perfumed palate. Other examples like the 2010 Blanc de Blancs from Weingut Huber in Baden (25 Euro) and the 2010 Weingut Aldinger Brut Nature out of Württemberg (50 Euro) exemplify that oak aging base wine is being mastered by German producers.

Spotlight on Riesling

I am most excited about the sparkling wines being made from Riesling, as they are unique in the wine world. Mathieu Kauffmann is also convinced about the quality and marketing potential of these wines. For him, Riesling stands alongside Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as a grape variety that shows the right balance between ripeness and acidity, even at the traditional early harvest for base wines. He noted, “While you must touch Pinot Noir with velvet gloves, just to get no color, Riesling with its pH of 3.0 is as uncomplicated as Chardonnay in the production.”

Within the category of Riesling Sekt, there are a variety of convincing styles. One is the crowd-pleasing style that fits with German consumer expectations: not too dry, fruity, not too much acidity, a delicate and frothy mousse. There are many good examples of Winzersekt in this category. Most of these are aged on the lees for 15 to 18 months, long enough to produce a sophisticated wine without overpowering the fruit with autolytic notes. Mid-priced (about 10 to 20 Euro), these are a great entry point to Sekt, a perfect style to pour by the glass in restaurants and bars.

There are also examples of Riesling Sekt inspired by Champagne. Germany’s cool climate provides winemakers with the opportunity to emulate the lean structure mastered in Champagne, achieved through the combination of ripeness and low potential alcohol. Excellent examples come from the Krack brothers of Sekthaus Krack in the Pfalz, who carry on the tradition started by their father, and Niko Brandner of Sekthaus Griesel in Hessische Bergstrasse. (Both producers focus only on sparkling wine.) These wines are driven by a lean structure and the fine perfume of autolytic notes from extended lees aging, combined with delicate Riesling aromatics. Look for the 2013 Sekthaus Krack Riesling Brut (12.90 Euro) and the 2013 Griesel & Compagnie Riesling Prestige Extra Brut (20.50 Euro).

Also within the category of Riesling Sekt are producers exploring the terroir differences between the Rheingau and the Mosel, suggesting the potential of single-vineyard sparkling. Producers are still working to understand how sites and soils, combined with winemaking decisions, may result in distinct wines. This is promising for Kauffmann, who has in the cellar a sparkling wine from the famous vineyard Forster Pechstein, which he wants to release after four or five years of lees aging. Even within the Mosel, Riesling Sekt from the warmer Terrassenmosel tends to have riper, more exotic fruit expression and flinty slate aromatics, while examples from the Middle Mosel are often driven by floral and citrus flavors, with more pungent acidity. Consider the differences yourself with the 2009 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Riesling Brut Schieferterrassen from the Terrassenmosel (21 Euro) and the Middle Mosel’s 2008 Weingut Markus Molitor Riesling Sekt Zero Dosage (34 Euro).

Unique Grape Varieties

German Sekt is being made from every grape imaginable. Aromatic varieties can be compelling, and elegant Silvaner styles are a real surprise. However, these wines play only a marginal role. The 2015 Graf Adelmann Muskateller Sekt Trocken, made in the traditional method, is the most convincing example I’ve encountered of Sekt made with an aromatic grape variety.

The Challenges

Most premium Sekt is made by vintners as an additional product to add to their portfolios, typically with no more than 10,000 bottles produced. In general, premium Sekt production is a service business, wherein vintners deliver their base wine to a Sekt producer, who makes the finished wine. This isn’t inherently problematic, but most vintners simply don’t know how to make a base wine that can be used to produce a great sparkling wine.

The tasting demonstrated not just the potential of Sekt but also the problems. It seems that winemakers are not yet confident with the preparation of Sekt. Issues include high alcohol (81 of the 290 had over 12.5%), high levels of phenolics, botrytis flavors, underripe grapes, excess yeast and yeast nutrients in the tirage, spraying residues in the base wine, and unbalanced acidity.

An exaggerated, cloying smell of old bread crumbs was notable in several of the wines. There are several possible explanations for this. One is bad nitrogen management. Producers should carefully manage cover crops, avoid botrytis (which limits the nitrogen supply), and use nitrogen-saving cultured yeasts for the first fermentation. Yeast could also be the culprit. It is tempting to use too much yeast and yeast nutrients in the tirage for a “safe” fermentation, but this typically results in very broad, dull wines.

Bitterness and high levels of phenolics are problematic as well, indicating botrytis, which resolves phenolics into the base wine. Additionally, techniques like whole-bunch pressing and the separation of press fractions such as cuvée and taille haven’t been universally adopted; without them, rough CO2 development is common.

Producers are still figuring out sulfur, too. “German vintners love to sulfur,” said Wolfgang Pfeifer, Sekt specialist at Geisenheim University, laconically. “They sulfur the base wine like still wine,” explained Kauffmann. This can result in a piercing sulfur note in the nose and an abrasive mouthfeel. Sulfur is highly effective with lower pH levels, and the high CO2 pressure means re-fermentation of the dosage is unlikely, so sulfur should be used more fastidiously. One approach might be to use a more oxidative handling to accustom the wine to oxygen, potentially reducing the need for a higher level of sulfur.

The lack of self-confidence in the sparkling wine production is also evident with the exaggerated lees aging of some super-premium Sekt. There were good examples, but for many in the tasting, years of lees aging didn’t enhance the taste. If the base wine is bitter and unbalanced, aging won’t help. This idea of exaggerated lees aging is comparable with the “more is better” mindset of the 1990s, when German growers started to use new barrique barrels for their Pinot Noir. We know it takes more courage to do less, but the necessary confidence seems to be lacking here.

Concerning dosage levels, a sweeter style is very popular among German consumers. Of the presented Sekt, around 10% had over 15 grams per liter of sugar. Around 25% of the samples were adjusted with more than 10 grams per liter of dosage. This high level of dosage can be perfectly balanced and a useful stylistic device. However, some examples showed that sugar was used as makeup to balance bitterness and very unripe acidity, resulting in an obnoxious sweet-sour taste.

To make great sparkling wines in the future, winegrowers must think more about production techniques. The leading universities should take on the topic, too. As Niko Brandner of Sekthaus Griesel explained, “I was taught only rudimentary, basic knowledge about Sekt production. I had to learn everything myself. This topic is far from adequately dealt with in German universities.”

Beyond winemaking, marketing must also be improved. The price point of Sekt is a challenge, especially in a price-sensitive market like Germany. Like many other sparkling wines, German Sekt is trapped between Champagne on one end and Prosecco on the other. Sekt from big producers can be found in supermarkets for 5.80 Euro or cheaper, but these aren’t high-quality examples. While many consumers recognize the value of quality in still wines, they haven’t extended the concept to sparkling wine. Marketing boards, producers, and professionals in the industry should invest more in consumer education. Better label design, packaging, and brand building would help further the appeal of Sekt as well.

Looking Ahead

Germany has a long history of sparkling wine and enormous potential for authentic, distinctive, first-class Sekt. With winemakers increasingly concerned with the quality of their Sekt and Riesling poised to become the hallmark for German Sekt, the future looks bright. For Sekt to fulfill its potential, however, winemakers must continue focusing on quality, German wine universities must improve their education around sparkling wine production, and marketing and branding must be refined. But the foundation is solid. Here we go!

In Search of Silvaner

2014-05-28T09:02:00Z

There is a reason why most indigenous grape varieties will never became international successes. Some of those hyped varieties are niche products and will never reach a wider audience. But there are a few Cinderella varieties, waiting for their grand entrance—and one of them could be Silvaner. Silvaner is one of the most underrated grape varieties in the world; however, it is not a victim—there are reasons why it is in that situation. But winegrowers in Franken (Germany) and some nerds in Alsace and Alto Adige are committed to the variety, and may be able to restore Silvaner’s place on the global wine list.

Where Silvaner Grows
Franken	1,380 ha	22.6% of regional vineyard area
Rheinhessen	2,405 ha	9.1% of regional vineyard area
Baden	139 ha	0.9% of regional vineyard area
Alsace	1,200 ha	7.5% of regional vineyard area
Alto Adige	67 ha	1.3% of regional vineyard area

Transylvania was perhaps the home of Dracula, but it is definitely not the place of origin for Silvaner. DNA-profiling has proven that Silvaner is an Austrian native, a natural cross of Traminer x Österreichisch Weiß, and it has been documented there since medieval times. In the 17th century it found its way to Franken, where Silvaner today plays a major role. While Franken has a winegrowing history dating to Roman times, its vineyards were heavily devastated after the Thirty Years War in the 17th century. To revive winegrowing, the Chieftain of Castell bought 25 so-called Österreicher (Austrian) cuttings, and planted them alongside other varieties in his vineyard in the year 1659. In the year 1665 the Cistercian Abbot Alberich Degen of Würzburg likewise planted Österreicher cuttings in the famous Würzburger Stein vineyard in Franken. Alberich Degen, apparently a humanist, gave the variety a brand new name, derived from “Sylvanus,” the Roman god of shepherds and forests, who is portrayed on ancient statues as farmer with a vintner’s knife in his hand.

In the 1960s Silvaner occupied about 30% of the total vineyard area in Germany, and it was the most widely planted grape variety in the country through 1968, with significant plantings in both the Pfalz and Rheinhessen. In the latter two it was replaced in the 1970s by new crossings like Huxelrebe and Bacchus, for the production of sweet and cheap Spätlese-styles. Only in Franken did the proportion of acreage remain consistent. Today only 5% of the total vineyard area in Germany is still dedicated to Silvaner. In Alsace the acreage dedicated to Silvaner declined from 2240 ha in 1964 to around 1200 ha in 2013. In Alto Adige, where Silvaner has its home in the Isarco Valley, the acreage has remained stable over the last decades. Small quantities of Silvaner can also be found in Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Croatia and the Czech Republic, but none of them have a reputation for that variety.

Green, Yellow, Red or Blue? Silvaner in the Vineyard and the old/new Clonal Selections.

In Germany, France or Italy the common Silvaner is “Green Silvaner.” As Silvaner was so important economically in the 19th century, grapevine breeders took care to enhance yield levels. While there are four different Silvaner types—green, yellow, blue and red—the most popular was a reliably high-yielding clone of the sub-variety Green Silvaner, which has a slightly thicker skin, rendering it less vulnerable to rot. These reliable characteristics made Green Silvaner the preference for a lot of grape breeders in Germany, and it became a parent of Rieslaner (Silvaner X Riesling), Morio-Muskat (Silvaner X Weißer Burgunder), Bacchus ((Silvaner X Riesling) X Müller-Thurgau) and Regent ((Silvaner X Müller-Thurgau) X Chambourcin).

In times of climate change and increasing temperatures, these clones yield even more fruit if growers don’t hit the brakes. While Riesling can keep its varietal character even at higher yield levels, the more restrained aromatics of Silvaner, in combination with over-cropping, result in watery and characterless wines. Over-cropped Silvaner wines were a major part of the European wine lake in the 1970s and ‘80s, and a main ingredient of generic bottlings like Alsatian Edelzwicker or German Liebfraumilch. Its damaged reputation at the time led the Alsatians to omit the grape from Grand Cru consideration.

The demand for better clonal selection to consolidate and raise the image of Silvaner in Franken informed the research center at Veitzhöchheim in Bavaria. In old vineyards they isolated the sub-varieties Red, Yellow and Blue Silvaner, as well as a low-yielding clone of Green Silvaner. The Yellow Silvaner is especially suited for quality winemaking; it is low-yielding with very small berries and a riper aromatic profile of yellow fruits like quince, pear and honey. Green Silvaner is driven by vegetal aromatics like gooseberries and grass. Blue Silvaner has the same aromatic profile as Green Silvaner, with a complement of herbal notes and a higher level of bitter phenols. Red Silvaner, on the other hand, mutates easily and no one has yet made a varietal wine with it. In the last ten years the research center has collected more than 200 different clones. These old/new clones are of high interest for quality producers, who are slowly replacing the higher-yielding clones of the paste with a mix of new clones and sub-varieties.

Top: Green (Grüner) Silvaner has the largest bunches and berry size. Aromatics are driven by vegetative notes.
Bottom: Yellow (Gelber) Silvaner has looser, smaller berries, and is lower-yielding and less susceptible to bunch rot. Aromatic profile is driven by yellow fruits.

Silvaner ripens around two weeks earlier than Riesling and has different requirements for soil. While Riesling achieves good results in very poor soils, Silvaner needs richer soils with a good water and nutrient supply. Furthermore, Silvaner generally has about two fewer grams per liter of acidity than Riesling. For these reasons it is so often planted in less gifted vineyards—especially in Rheinhessen, where the best vineyards are dedicated to Riesling. In Franken, however, the macroclimate is a little bit cooler, and Riesling often tastes too harsh. Furthermore, the best vineyards in Franken have soils of chalky marl or gypsum, which Silvaner loves. Therefore it is not surprising that Silvaner found its real home in this region.

Big Horse on Small Hooves

A challenge for growers working with Silvaner is to overcome the super-technical—and incredibly boring—winemaking paradigm of the last 20 years. Temperature controlled fermentation of highly clarified musts in stainless steel tanks with cultured yeasts brings reliable, over-cropped Silvaner aromatics. But, as we know, reliable is the sister of incredibly insipid! However, the techniques of post-modern winemaking have to be sensitively introduced. The restrained aromatics are susceptible to overzealous winemaking, giving wine drinkers the feeling that they have a very big horse on very small hooves in the glass.

Riesling with its high acidity and low pH is microbiologically very stable. One could almost put the juice of a Mosel Riesling in a big wooden cask and leave on holiday for one year without too many worries! Silvaner has much lower acidity and higher pH, and therefore has to be treated with more care. Furthermore, Riesling can cope with some residual sugar; therefore its not a problem when an indigenous ferment stops. Silvaner with more than 5-6 g/l of residual sugar tastes very dull indeed.

Growers are experimenting; besides lower crop levels it would seem that a little bit of skin maceration brings some phenolic interest to the wine. Starting fermentation with indigenous yeasts at higher temperatures creates a more complex bouquet, but adding cultured yeasts to ensure the wine ferments to dryness is very common. Lees aging to enhance the mid-palate weight is popular—but vintners must take care that malolactic fermentation doesn’t intrude and further reduce the acidity level. Overall a bit more oxidative handling (of course without any new oak treatment) reduces one-dimensional primary fruit. If treated correctly, Silvaner is a great prism for terroir with a lot of ageing potential.

Regional map of Franken. To the west is Mainviereck (the rectangular river shape); Maindreieck is in the center (where the river's course appears to form a triangle), and to the east is Steigerwald, in the area south of Bamberg and Schweinfurt.

As already mentioned, there is a great tradition in of Silvaner in Franken, where the grape is perfectly suited to the soil and climate. Franken is dominated by the course of the river Main, and there are three sub-regions within it. The first is called Mainviereck (“Main Rectangle”) because the course of the river forms a rectangle—here the soils are dominated by sandstone and you find good but not outstanding Silvaner. Here Paul Fürst makes outstanding Pinot Noir.

The other two sub-regions are home of some of the best terroir for Silvaner in the world: Maindreieck” (“Main Triangle”—the river’s course through here forms a triangle) with its limestone soils and Steigerwald (“wald” means forest), dominated by gypsum soils. All these different soil types were formed during the Triassic period.

Top Silvaner Vineyards in Franken

Homburger Kallmuth: This southwest-facing, steep slope is terraced and crossed by 12 kilometers of dry walls. Kallmuth is located in the village of Homburg, where the soil type changes from sandstone to limestone. The microclimate is so hot, it can reach up to 50°C in summer and remains relatively dry. Wild orchids grow next to the vines. The best winery here is Fürst Löwenstein. They enforce the already luscious character of their Silvaner wines by harvesting quite late and playing with a little bit of botrytis. The best wines are highly concentrated, driven by yellow fruit, honey, flint and Mediterranean herbal notes. They have a creamy texture and a soft acid structure combined with high level of extract and full body.

Würzburger Stein: Vines have been growing here for more than 1300 years. The Stein was always regarded as one of the best single vineyards in Germany; its fame is legendary. However, not all of the 83 ha named Stein are as good as the legends suggest. The slope is south-southwest facing and its proximity to the big city results in very small diurnal temperature shifts. On these chalky limestone soils, Silvaner is driven by clearly defined varietal character with aromas of yellow fruits (quince and apricots), hay and almonds. The wines have the perfect balance between ripeness and acidity, and showcase a typically smoky finish. In the past people thought this came from steam locomotives crossing the vineyards on the way to Würzburg main station! Many winegrowers hold a stake in the Würzburger Stein. Very clean and clear wines are made from the Juliusspital, while Ludwig Knoll from the Weingut am Stein has a more fearless approach in winemaking. He experiments with big wooden vats as well as concrete eggs and presents edgier wines.

Escherndorfer Lump: This very steep, south- to southwest-facing slope has deep limestone soil mixed with marl. The soil is fatter than in Würzburg and the steepness (up to 75%) is responsible for good thermal circulation. Here you have a higher diurnal temperature shift than in Würzburg. The winery Horst Sauer is famous for its crystal-clear Silvaners. The wines show aromas of pear, quince and dried apricots as well as exotic fruits in ripe years. They are full-bodied, with a long finish and juicy acidity. Compared to the Silvaner from Würzburg, the Escherndorfer Lump shows more expressive fruit. Furthermore, Horst Sauer is known for his great sweet wines, also made from Silvaner. The best wines, concentrated by noble rot, don’t have to fear the comparison with noble sweet Riesling.

Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg: This vineyard is located in the sub-region Steigerwald, where the soil type is dominated by greenish/grey gypsum, which has a soft texture. This soil type developed as tectonic movements changed the ancestral sea into flat lagoons. The evaporation of seawater, 230 million years ago, led to the precipitation of gypsum and anhydrite. These bright layers are sandwiched between clay and marl. Not far away from the great vineyard is a quarry that prepares gypsum for industrial use. The Julius-Echter-Berg is a very well-protected, south-facing vineyard, but it lies at a higher altitude. Here the Silvaner is totally different to those from limestone soils. It has a much more austere and profound character. The aromatics are spicy, more vegetal and earthy. The wines are balanced at a high alcohol level, the acidity is a bit more present, and in the finish you find a delicate bitter tone combined with spice and flintstone notes. Weingut Hans Wirsching and Weingut Hans Ruck make textbook examples.

Clockwise from top left: Kallmuth, Stein, gypsum soil at Julius Echter-Berg, Lump

Silvaner in Other Areas

Germany: Rheinhessen is the largest wine region in Germany, and it has more Silvaner than any other region as well. While the grape in the past was heavily over-cropped, the best growers today are producing solid, easy-to-drink, dry and quaffable styles at reasonable prices. In Baden Silvaner is cultivated on a very low scale; however, here the grape is actually planted in very good vineyards. The best examples come from the volcanic soils of Ihringer Winklerberg in the south of Germany. Powerful, earthy and spicy… the only soft thing in these wines is their acidity. Weingut Dr. Heger makes a very good example.

Alsace: In France, Alsace is the only region where one can find Sylvaner. 40 years ago, Sylvaner was one of the main grape varieties in Alsace, and was especially popular in the Bas-Rhin. Until the 1970s, Sylvaner was over-cropped and simple, thin wines found their way to the consumer as components of cheap Edelzwicker blends. Today, Sylvaner plays a minor role in the region since it is not authorized for use in crémant and it is not a “noble” variety in the Grand Cru system. However, the village of Mittelbergheim is an ambitious enclave in otherwise hostile-to-Sylvaner surroundings. Here, the Zotzenberg vineyard, with its perfect soils of limestone mixed with marl, merited Grand Cru status for Sylvaner in the year 2005: growers fought hard for their long Sylvaner tradition and finally won the battle. Jean-Daniel Boeckel is the owner of some very old vines in the Grand Cru Zotzenberg, and his complex wines show rounded acidity with restrained aromatics of herbs, quince, earth and hazelnut. As in all wines from Alsace, Zotzenberg Sylvaner lives through its structure rather than primary fruit aromatics.

Alto Adige: In Alto Adige Sylvaner is planted almost exclusively at high elevation (500-700 m) in the Valle Isarco, on terraced slopes with gravelly soils. The wines get sufficient sunshine but the high altitude ensures a cool climate and therefore ripe wines with fresh acidity. The Sylvaner is salty and zippy with a crystal-clear varietal expression. The biodynamic winery Pacherhof makes a good example from old vines, as do Köfererhof and Kuenhof.

Left: Alto Adige; Right: Zotzenberg in Alsace

Does Silvaner have what it takes to become more appreciated among wine lovers? Well, it has a common characteristic shared by the best Germanic white varieties: a lot of structure without any weight. This differentiates the variety from a plethora of more featureless indigenous varieties. Its restrained aromatics of vegetal and yellow fruit notes combined with lower acidity and the always-dry style makes it a good complement to Riesling. Silvaner in the right hands, on the right soil, is a great transmitter of terroir with aging potential, ensuring authenticity. All these possible characteristics make this variety a great match for modern styles of lighter, herbal and complex cuisines. And this is Silvaner’s biggest trump card.

Pinot Noir with an Umlaut: German Spätburgunder

2013-07-26T14:29:00Z

German Pinot Noir is a grotesque and ghastly wine that tastes akin to a defective, sweet, faded, diluted red Burgundy from an incompetent producer.
-Robert Parker, 2002.

Do you still have this picture in your mind when it comes to German Pinot Noir? Then it is time for an update, because even in 2002 our dear friend Mr. Robert Parker was out of date concerning German Pinot Noir.

The Spread of Spätburgunder

First of all, the acreage of Spätburgunder in Germany is rising. After France and the United States, Germany is the third largest producer of Pinot Noir in the world – ahead of New Zealand and Switzerland. Plantations of Pinot Noir in Germany have doubled since 1990 to 11,758 hectares today, and Spätburgunder is the third most-planted grape variety in Germany, after Riesling and Müller-Thurgau.

Pinot Noir in the World (2011)
France	26,337 ha
USA	15,802 ha
Germany	11,756 ha
New Zealand	4,650 ha
Switzerland	4,449 ha
Australia	4,254 ha
Italy	3,300 ha
Argentina	1,441 ha
Chile	1,382 ha
Austria	409 ha

Development of Pinot Noir Acreage in Germany
1964	1,839 ha
1979	3,573 ha
1991	6,449 ha
2000	9,255 ha
2009	11,733 ha
2011	11,756 ha

A little bit of history

Spätburgunder has a long tradition in German vineyards, especially in Baden where it was first documented in the year 884 at Lake Constance. The emperor Charles III, better known as “Charles the fat,” a great-grandchild of Charlemagne, brought the variety from Burgundy, where it is most probably native, to the south of Germany. In comparison, Riesling was first documented in Germany much later, in the year 1435. Furthermore, Pinot Noir was starting to become widely spread from the 15th century onwards, thanks to Cistercian monasteries like Kloster Eberbach.

German Clones – the key to a unique taste

Since Pinot Noir is a grape variety that is prone to mutation, it is not surprising that during the long history of growing in Germany a unique clonal selection of Pinot Noir took place. In the 1930s, the first clonal selections were made in Assmannshausen in the Rheingau. In those times, Pinot Noir was deemed to be a degenerated grape variety. The plants were infected with viruses and therefore yielding unreliably. The second wave of clonal selection came after the Second World War in the 1950s, with targets that mirrored the preoccupations of the age: must weight and yield were the most important parameters, resulting in high-yielding vines with high must weights, yet compact, so-called “standard” clones.

The “standard” clones are in several ways a negative thing. Pinot Noir is one of the grape varieties where yield really matters. While one can easily make great Cabernet Sauvignon with a yield of 50-60 hl/hectare, Pinot Noir is good only when less then 40 hl/hectare are harvested, and really great wines are made with about 30 hl/hectare. Furthermore, Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape variety. Since color and flavor are located in the skin, the big berries of the “standard” clones have a bad skin-to-pulp/juice ratio, and it is nearly impossible to make a structured wine out of those bunches. Furthermore, the compacted berries are more susceptible to botrytis. While noble rot is welcomed with Riesling, in red wine it is a disaster because the fungus develops an enzyme called laccase, which destroys all color. The only way to overcome the problem is to heat up the must (if one doesn’t want to have orange-colored wine after a few months). Nowadays, most of the growers who still have those clones in their vineyards divide the bunches after flowering. As a result, clusters grow longer and the berries are therefore less compacted. However, from the 1950s until the 1970s growers preferred high yields, and thermo-vinification was widely used. I assume Robert Parker tasted one of those German “reds” when he described German Pinot Noir as “grotesque and ghastly."

Rot-susceptibility of those “standard” clones and the efforts of a new generation of wine growers to increase quality have led to research and selection of new clones. Today a plethora of German clones are registered, and the new generation of small and mixed-berried clones with loose bunches, like the Geisenheim “20-13 Gm” or the Freiburg “FR 1801,” are in favor. Equally popular is the planting of the famous French “Dijon” clones. Wine made from German Spätburgunder clones shows more upfront red fruit, with a hint of lovage, and some of these clones are known for keeping high acidity levels. Wine made from French clones, on the other hand, has a darker fruit expression in general and very often has an earthy aromatic core. It is important to know the history of Pinot Noir in Germany to understand why Spätburgunder very often tastes so typically German.

However, there is not ONE right clone and most of the growers prefer to plant a mix of clones. Furthermore, it became clear that the famous “Dijon” clones are not suited to warmer climates, such as the sub-region Kaiserstuhl in Baden. The “Dijon” clones were selected for many traits, most significantly their ability to ripen relatively early in the Côte d’Or. In some warmer sites this means a tendency towards a very rapid sugar accumulation. Here some German clones, such as the "Mariafeld" clones from Freiburg (like the FR 13L), are known to retain high acidity and have an advantage.

The so-called “standard” clone (left picture), developed in the 1950s, with the selection target of high must-weight and high yield. Big, compact bunches and therefore increased risk of botrytis infection was the result. On the right is an example of the latest clonal development in Germany: clone “Gm 20-13” from the research centre in Geisenheim, Rheingau. The selection target was more intense varietal character, more color, higher extract, lower yield as well as smaller and mixed berries within one cluster, so as to be less susceptible to rot.

Climate Change

Research at the famous Humboldt University in Berlin shows that average air temperature in Germany has increased with 1.4°C over the last 40 years. Red winemaking in this marginal climate is a new ball game.

Winemaking Techniques

Pioneers like Bernhard Huber from Baden or the Knipser brothers from the Pfalz region learned the secrets of Spätburgunder winemaking by trial and error, as well as through trips to Burgundy and discussions with the French Pinot Noir masters. The new generation of growers has self-evidently studied oenology and most of them have had the opportunity to do an internship abroad. Nowadays you rarely see thermo-vinification anymore (except perhaps in big-scale cooperatives). Most of the producers are mastering the art of Spätburgunder production from the vineyard to the cellar.

Widespread nowadays is the practice of pre-fermentation cold-maceration, aiding colour/aroma extraction for premium wines. Whole-bunch-fermentation was first adopted by pioneers like Rudolf Fürst (winery Paul Fürst / Franken) and is now practiced on a broader scale. This indicates better ripening due to climate change and better clonal selection, encouragement of intra-cellular fermentation for increased aromatics as well as tannin extraction for longevity and structure. On a very low scale must concentration (i.e. reverse osmosis) is used, although it was more prominent 15 years ago (experience shows that this was not supportive to the overall quality). However, since Pinot Noir is known to be anything but a “sugar factory” in the vineyard, chaptalisation is still widely used. Even high-class growers like Bernhard Huber admit, that they sometimes need an extra of a ½% alcohol to enforce balance and mouthfeel.

Whether it is the use of stems during fermentation, cold-maceration à la Henri Jayer, or the decision about which and how much new oak to use, today's highly educated and experienced growers make reasoned decisions regarding the appropriate pathways to take through all the possible winemaking opportunities regarding Pinot Noir. Today they can better express their ideas of what high-quality Spätburgunder should be about.

Different Terroirs

While the famous Pinot Noirs of Burgundy stem from limestone soils of the Jurassic age, like the fossil-rich Bajocian found in the northern Côte de Nuits or the Argovian limestone more prone to erosion in the Côte de Beaune, Spätburgunder in Germany is planted on very different soils. Since the 1980s growers returned to the concept of terroir and away from the German quality classification wherein only sugar level counts.

Since Riesling mirrors terroir perfectly, Pinot Noir is the perfect completion as THE terroir-driven red grape for cool climates.

Below are a few examples of very good Pinot Noir terroirs in Germany:

Copyright jancisrobinson.com

1: The Ahr Valley

With 548 hectares, the Ahr Valley is one of the smallest wine regions in Germany. Although it is one of the northernmost areas, 90% is planted with red varieties. With 60% of the vineyard area, Spätburgunder is the most important one. The preference for red varieties is due to the very sheltered microclimate and the soil type: the Ahr valley is a slate and graywacke canyon, protected from too much precipitation and wind by the Eifel ridge. Most of the terroirs in that region are based on slate and graywacke, which heat up easily and store heat. Only a few exceptions exist in the lower Ahr valley, between the villages Bad Neuenahr and Heimersheim, where deeper soils like loamy loess can be found. This terroir, combined with predominantly German clones, are responsible for a very distinctive character: upfront ripe, very cassis-like fruit mingled with smoky and flinty tones. Furthermore, the wines are very juicy, with smooth tannins but nevertheless holding ageing potential. The issue here is the strong domestic market due to the proximity of the wealthy metropolitan area around Cologne, and prices are therefore sometimes ridiculously high.

Best Producers: Jean Stodden, Meyer-Näkel, Adeneuer, and Deutzerhof

Single vineyard Pfarrwingert in the village Dernau (left picture) shows the typicity of the Ahr region: steep slopes with poor soils made of slate and greywacke. Meike Näkel of the winery Meyer-Näkel (right picture) makes textbook Ahr Spätburgunder known for an upfront, almost Cassis-like fruit expression.

2: Assmannshausen in the Rheingau

The village of Assmannshausen lies at the point where the river Rhine returns to its normal direction of flow from south to north. Pinot Noir has been cultivated in this area for more than 500 years. The south- and southwest-facing slope is made of predominantly slate, with loamy loess on the lower slope. Some of the growers are taking care of tradition, maturing their Pinot Noir wines in big old barrels and producing an overall lighter and filigreed red wine, while others like the famous August Kessler follow a more international stylebook by reducing their yields and using barriques for their best wines. Kesseler’s wines show immense ageing potential and very dense black fruit, underlined with freshness and spicy slate tones as well as a silky, elegant texture and long finish. He is in my opinion the best red wine producer in Assmannshausen.

The single vineyard “Höllenberg” in the village Assmannshausen is the only red-wine village in the Riesling-dominated region Rheingau (left picture). Bon vivant August Kesseler is the most important grower in Assmannshausen (right picture).

3: Bürgstadt and Klingenberg in Franken

Around the village of Bürgstadt, one can find the single vineyards Centgrafenberg and Hundsrück, and around Klingenberg are the very steep slopes of the single vineyard Schlossberg. They all face south, and are composed of Trias sandstone with different levels of loam. The most shallow soils in each are planted with Pinot Noir. Of course, other wineries are located here too, but the most important one (available in various export markets) is Fürst. Paul Fürst has planted a mix of German and French clones in his vineyards and since he is one of THE Spätburgunder pioneers in Germany, he truly masters the art of winemaking. He was one of the first who used stems during fermentation. The wines are very often quite tight in their youth, but they develop a very complex, fragrant bouquet. While lighter and more reddish in color, the wines are precise, pristine and more restrained, with fresh red fruit character and floral and earthy notes, fresh but balanced acidity and structured, powerful but integrated tannins, with a tremendous aging potential.

When it comes down to German Pinot Noir, the wines from Paul Fürst (left picture) have a big role to play. He brought the villages Bürgstadt and Klingenberg onto the wine lists of the world. ). Bernhard Huber (right picture) is one of THE Pinot Noir pioneers. His vineyards in Breisgau are planted predominantly with French clones.

4: Southern Pfalz: The Villages of Birkweiler, Siebeldingen, and Schweigen

Here you find a plethora of great growers producing fabulous Pinot Noir grown on chalky soils. Warm microclimates, protected from winds by the Palatinate forest, are the secret behind vineyards like Kastanienbusch in Birkweiler, where Pinot Noir grows on the chalky parts. The same is true for Im Sonnenschein in Siebeldingen. The wines show a mineral impression with a more austere and firm tannin structure. The best wineries are the VDP members Ökonomierat Rebholz, Dr. Wehrheim, and the newcomer Gies-Düppel. Futher south, on the French border, is the village of Schweigen with its south-facing single vineyard Kammerberg, made of heavier, chalky marl soils. It produces full-bodied Pinots, with ripe dark fruits and rounded tannin structure. The best winery here is without doubt Friedrich Becker.

5: Breisgau sub-region in Baden: Malterdingen, Bombach, and Hecklingen

700 years ago, Cistercian monks brought Pinot Noir to this region, where yellowish limestone soils are prevalent. The sub-region Breisgau is a bit cooler then the sub-region Kaiserstuhl in the south, which results, together with its soil type, in pure and elegant wine styles. Bernhard Huber is the most important wine grower and he produces the perfect interpretation of this terroir. His wines are made in the best Burgundian tradition, where hidden power and elegance are key, as well as ethereal complexity, which you can only find in the best Pinot Noirs of the world.

The Kaiserstuhl (right picture), the famous sub-region in Baden, is based on an extinct volcano. Volcanic soils surface in the western parts around the villages Ihringen, Burkheim and Oberrotweil. In the northeast, around the villages Endingen or Königschaffhausen, loess is prevalent, brought by the easterly winds from the chalky alps during the ice age. The single vineyard Winklerberg in Ihringen (left picture) is supposed to be the hottest vineyard in Germany. Cacti grow on its summit.

6: Kaiserstuhl sub-region in Baden

The Kaiserstuhl is the hottest wine-growing area in Germany, and for Spätburgunder mostly German clones are planted. Pinot Noirs from volcanic soils on the Kaiserstuhl are powerful with a rustic edge, and with very ripe red fruit mingled with herbaceous notes as well as with smokiness. The structure is powerful with sinewy tannins and a mineral impression. Some of the best growers are Dr. Heger, Salwey, Freiherr von Gleichenstein, and Bercher. Wines grown on loess soils are more elegant, juicy and less smoky. Some of the best growers on these soils include R. u. C. Schneider and Knab.

7: Markgräflerland sub-region in Baden: Efringen-Kirchen

The winery Ziereisen brought the Markgräflerland on stage. His vineyard Oelberg is located in the neighborhood of a stone quarry, and soils are made of Jurassic limestone, similar to what one finds in Burgundy. The vineyard is sheltered within a dell and planted with a mix of German, Swiss and French clones. His wines pair the elegance of Burgundy with the typical fruit expression of German Spätburgunder, combined with concentration and freshness. Hanspeter Ziereisen is a rising star, and when you taste his wines it is surprising that his parents were still focused on the other agricultural pursuits this region is known for.

A stone quarry in the neighborhood shows the Jurassic limestone soil in the area around the village Efringen-Kirchen (left picture). Hanspeter Ziereisen (right picture) is the Spätburgunder star.

Conclusions

The tremendous increase in quality of German Pinot Noir has to do with several factors. Better clonal selection, knowing which clones are best suited for which single vineyard, high standards in education, a profound knowledge about viticultural and vinification techniques, climate change, and the return to the “terroir” idea (and away from sugar levels as the sole quality determinant), are driving a new classification of quality. But in the end it is the rising self-confidence of the growers that is responsible for Germany's emergence: they no longer want to simply copy Burgundy and have started to define their own unique interpretations of German Pinot Noir. The target is to provide a distinctive contribution to the world of Pinot Noir and we are definitely on the right track.

Mainzer Weinbörse 2012: Notes on the Vintage and Clarification on the VDP

2013-05-23T14:16:00Z

The 2012 Vintage (and Style) in Germany: The View from Mainzer Weinbörse

As a German, you taste the wines of the world in March during the Düsseldorf trade fair “ProWine," but you have the opportunity to taste the new domestic vintage at the end of April in Mainz, when the VDP presents their wines during the “Mainzer Weinbörse.” It makes sense, because the wines need time to develop anyway, and every added day after bottling makes them more pleasant to taste and easier to judge.

My first impression of the 2012 vintage was that it is one for my taste. 2012 is not one of these blockbuster vintages like 2005 or 2009, with ripe fruit and broad texture. This vintage brought lighter and slimmer wines, even lighter than 2011. The alcohol for the base wines is around 1% less than the year before, and in general the wines show a more vibrant, pronounced but well-integrated acidity. Furthermore, they show a fair intensity of aromatics; while not as focused and complex as in 2011, the wines were already quite open, and they will develop faster than the wines from the year before. It is an overall good but not exceptional vintage.

2012 in Germany started with a wet and relatively mild winter, but with strong frost during February. Spring was dry, with warmth and sunshine, but cool and rainy conditions during flowering in many regions resulted in diminished yield due to coulure and millerandage. It was an overall cooler and dry ripening period, which led to a harvest of healthy grapes, albeit it two to three weeks later than normal.

For Riesling, there was almost no development of botrytis in all regions, and most of the producers skipped the production of very late harvest wines like Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. “It was the total opposite of 2011, when we had so much noble sweet wines that we could ferment the Beerenauslese in a “Stückfass” (old oak barrel with 1,200-liter content) and a Trockenbeerenauslese in an old 330-liter barrel,” says Gerd Ritter, cellar master of the famous Schloss Johannisberg in the Rheingau area.

Max von Kunow from the winery von Hövel in the Saar region proudly presents his fabulous ice wine from the vineyard “Wiltinger Scharzhofberg.” Agnes Hasselbach from the winery Gunderloch in Rheinhessen explains that they could harvest great ice wine in November from higher altitude vineyards.

Early frost in some areas (the villages Oberemmel and Wiltingen in the Saar region, or high altitude vineyard sites in Rheinhessen) made it possible to harvest unbelievably clear ice wines as early as October or November. Max von Kunow of the von Hövel proudly presented his ice wine: “It is one of the real ice wines. When the frost came at the end of October the grapes were absolutely healthy. So there is this concentration of fruit expression which makes a true ice wine so special.” And he is right. The botrytis fungus destroys all the aromatics coming from the grape variety itself (e.g. terpenes in the case of Riesling, responsible for the stone-fruit character). The unique character of ice wine is the concentration of those primary fruit aromatics in contrast to the noble rot characteristics the botrytis fungus develops (more honeyed tones). It is also the reason that you should drink ice wine relatively young. Of course it can age, but after 6 to 8 years the delicious primary fruit is gone and the characteristics become more reminiscent of a noble rot wine.

For ice wine, it was definitely an advantage this year to have vineyards in the slightly cooler villages like Oberemmel and Wiltingen, because they were surprised by the frost. In the other villages of the Mosel valley a second wave of frost came only in November, which made the harvest of ice wine possible in theory (it has to be -7°C). However, because of the reduced yields due to the bad weather conditions during flowering, many growers didn’t want to take the risk to produce ice wine, and instead harvested the grapes beforehand.

Happy with the vintage 2012 – Dr. Uwe Mattheus from Wirsching in Franken. He is proud of the Silvaner from the top vineyard sites in the village Iphofen like “Julius-Echter-Berg” and “Kronsberg.”

Franken had more luck than the other regions concerning flowering conditions. This was more than fair, because the region suffered from hail and spring frost during the last two years, which resulted in very low yields. In Franken, 2012 was finally a normal year in terms of yield. Here you see medium-bodied wines, with vibrant acidity and pure fruit expression, and without any botrytis influence. It is a great year for the most underrated grape variety in the world: Silvaner. Dr. Uwe Mattheus of Wirsching in Iphofen is very happy with the pristine character his wines show.

For Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), it is almost the same story. The Ahr valley suffered from spring frost and lost 50% yield in some cases, as Alexander Stodden from the winery Jean Stodden told me. However, the rest of the vegetation period was very good which resulted in healthy, ripe grapes and medium-bodied wines with a balanced fresh acidity. “Less but sexy” are the words by which Alexander Stodden defines the vintage 2012.

In Baden, hail storms diminished yield levels, and rain in the second phase of the harvest increased pressure on growers to pick the grapes. Good selection was necessary to ensure good quality. The wines are medium-bodied, with solid fruit expression. It is a good vintage but not exceptional like 2011.

More important than the vintage character is the development of different styles and ideas about quality and terroir. You can see that within the organization of VDP vintners, throughout Germany, and most probably in other countries too. Not only in my opinion are we standing at a crossroads. The cause: with modern cellar techniques it is possible to “make” the perfect wine almost every year. You can overcome any challenge in the cellar with additives and physical treatments; even mediocre wineries with inferior vineyard sites can produce convincing wines. The high overall standard in cellar techniques has lead to an increase in quality but also to a uniformity of wine styles. It is strange that many growers do everything in the vineyard organically, yet they - for example - add some synthetic yeast nutrient (di-ammonium phosphate) during fermentation, to avoid the development of volatile sulfur compounds, and end up with too-fruity and boring wines. As Martin Kössler, a highly respected retailer, claims: “The VDP group can be split into the group of 'safety' vintners, who produce solid but quite unexciting wines, and the 'rebels,' who are brave to allow the wines to develop some edges.”

However, we have to admit: as a highly-rated VDP wine grower you have something to lose if you try new ways. I was at a tasting organized by a non-VDP winery, which is highly respected within the circle of sommeliers and high-end retailers. The winery produces biodynamic wines and follows therefore a strict cellar regime, allowing the wines to develop their own character while retaining a sense of the vintage. We did a vertical tasting of the last eight vintages together with critics from the most important German wine guide. They had downgraded the wines in their guide, arguing a “lack of age-worthiness,” but this tasting taught them that these wines can age gracefully, even when they are difficult to taste in their youth. There has to be an evolution in the idea about what quality and terroir actually mean. We will definitely see more discussion about this in the future.

It is impossible to try every wine at such a huge wine fair. However, here are some wines that I judged very positively.

2012 Westhofen / Riesling trocken / Weingut K. F. Groebe / Rheinhessen (VDP. Ortswein): Fritz Groebe is known for perfectly balanced and more restrained fruity wines, with a lot of structure and long finish. His wines always need a bit more time to develop. This “VDP. Ortswein” shows vibrant acidity wrapped in extract and chalky mineral impression. A pleasant dry wine, with lighter body and alcohol than 2011 but with a medium long finish and a textbook sample for the vintage. Also a highlight from his assortment was the 2012 Kirchspiel / Riesling Spätlese (VDP. Grosse Lage), which wasn’t as complex as the vintage 2011 but shows hedonistic juiciness and well-defined aromatic focus.
2012 Dorsheim Riesling trocken (barrel sample) / Schlossgut Diel / Nahe (VDP. Ortswein): Very elegant, medium-bodied Riesling with vibrant and pronounced acidity. Looking forward to trying the “Grosse Gewächs” from the winery in September.
2012 Weißburgunder “S” trocken / Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich / Nahe (VDP. Ortswein): One of the non-boring Pinot Blancs, which are in my opinion hard to find. Complex with balanced creaminess, combined with fresh acidity and high mineralic impression with almost salty finish. Aromas of peach, pear, pepper and nutmeg.
2012 Iphöfer Kronsberg / Silvaner trocken / Weingut Hans Wirsching / Franken (VDP. Erste Lage): Very pure aromatics of quince, hay, nutmeg, grass and hints of earthiness – really a textbook example of Silvaner flavors. A lot of pressure on the palate, slightly creamy texture, very balanced fresh acidity and spicy finish. One of the best Silvaners I have tasted.
2012 Apotheke / Riesling Auslese / Weingut Grans-Fassian / Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (VDP. Grosse Lage): Auslese with almost no influence of Botrytis; therefore, pure primary fruit character and medium body. Sweetness is balanced by the high and vibrant acidity. Good concentration, solid complexity and already quite open to taste. Again, lighter body and not as concentrated as the wines from the vintage 2011.
2012 Scharzhofberg / Riesling Eiswein / Weingut von Hövel / Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (VDP. Grosse Lage): Absolutely pristine with concentrated primary fruit expression (stone fruits, ginger, flowers). The searing acidity balances perfectly the sweetness. Long finish. Great, clean und pure ice wine. Congratulations to Max von Kunow.

VDP: Further Updates on the new Classification

There were many rumors about the new VDP classification system, and as a Dutch friend of mine claims: “Always when you see the light at the end of the tunnel, the Germans build a few more kilometers.”

To understand why there is so much confusion, we have to look at history. The mess started with the wine law in 1971, when thousands of single sites, developed over centuries, where lumped together. Without any regards concerning differences in site quality, around 30,000 different vineyards where melted together into only 3,000 different sites with individual names. Furthermore, the historical denominations “Spätlese”, “Auslese” and so on were simplified into a simple “sugar-level” system. The traditional high-quality nominations had therefore lost their quality message. From then onwards you could make a Spätlese from every site and from every grape variety. And this was not a problem: due to new viticultural techniques and the spread of new grape variety breeds (e.g. Bacchus, Ortega,…) it was easy to reach the obligatory sugar levels. This resulted in a mass production of sweet “Spätlese” wines with no link to terroir, available for a minimum price in the supermarket. High-class dry wines became almost extinct and the image of the traditional sweet wines with Prädikat (“Kabinett”, “Spätlese”, “Auslese”,…) and with a defined taste profile was destroyed.

Since 1984, the VDP growers formed a classification movement as a reaction against this minus development. The target of the classification was to nail down the priority of the best vineyard sites in Germany. In other words, to change the Germanic system into a Romanic classification. Furthermore, to bring back the significance of high-class dry wines and to enforce the importance of traditional sweet wines with Prädikat was another goal.

Since 2001, the VDP is step-by-step developing a classification model under private law, which is not an easy task due to the official wine law, regional differences and - last but not least - the unique character of Riesling. The latter is per se a difficult story, as you can produce wine from dry to every imaginable sweetness level, with our without botrytis, full- or light-bodied etc. The Mosel has its own climate and therefore a completely different definition of style than the Pfalz, for example. Life in Germany would be much easier if we were only talking about Chardonnay, where style differences are simply narrower. This helps to explain why there have been so many changes and even more discussions.

The newest changes move the most highly regarded vineyards, formerly called “Erste Lage,” into the new category of “VDP. Grosse Lage," which can be translated as "Grand Cru." The argument is that there was always confusion about the great dry wines “Grosses Gewächs” coming from an “Erste Lage," which can be translated as "Premier Cru."

As a second tier, the level “VDP. Erste Lage” (Premier Cru) will be included into the quality pyramid. The second tier will be only used by the regions Baden, Franken, Pfalz, Rheingau, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen and Württemberg. Those regions will take the chance to review the size of the former “Erste Lage”-vineyards as well as their quality potential. All of the other regions claim that they have no need to review the quality of their best vineyards. We will see if they will change their minds in the future.

This is actually a very good thing, because there were many discussions as to whether all of the “Grosses Gewächs” were really coming from Grand Cru vineyards. We will see some of the vineyards from the highest quality level sorted into the second tier “VDP.Erste Lage.” Furthermore, some of those vineyards are huge. For example, the vineyard Ihringer Winklerberg in Baden is around 117 hectares, and Würzburger Stein in Franken measures around 71 hectares. Here the VDP growers will define the best parcels, which are then regarded as “VDP. Grosse Lage” with an extra name, while the rest will be downgraded into the second tier. Joachim Heger from Baden, for example, now has the “VDP. Grosse Lage” “Häusleboden,” which is located within the larger “VDP. Erste Lage” “Ihringer Winklerberg.” His great dry wine “Grosses Gewächs" will come from the “VDP. Grosse Lage”-parcel “Häusleboden.”

The final list is not yet published and there are still negotiations going on. There will be the first draft published this year in August at the latest, but VDP president Steffen Christmann expects that many negotiations and changes will occur over the next five years, when the final classification of vineyards will be established. I will provide an update when it is finalized.

Alsace - Time for a Revival

2013-01-07T11:44:00Z

Wine is definitely a subject to fashion sense, too. Alsace is reminiscent of a 1970s lampshade you had forgotten for years in the attic but now you bring it up again with enthusiasm and dust it off. When you start to grapple with Alsace, maybe you are like me, first consulting one of the hundreds of wine books that all of us have collected over the years working in the wine business. But the information on Alsace is quite limited. Jancis Robinson’s Wine Atlas dedicates only two double pages for a region which is as diverse as Burgundy. When you look at the website offered by the generic marketing board, you’ll see old-fashioned food pictures and marketing texts most probably written by a guy who had his most creative times in the early 1980s. The only way to learn more about this region is to visit it and dive into the world somewhere between France and Germany.

This is something you are immediately aware of. Alsace is a mix of both cultures, due to a turbulent history and close proximity. Alsace changed affiliation several times in the past centuries and it becomes apparent as you look for example at architecture, culinary culture (i.e. choucroute alsacienne) and last but not least the wine style: German grape varieties vinified in a French way and vice versa. While most French wines are named after their place of origin, Alsace wines are generally named after the grape variety from which they are made, also something more German than French.

Village of Riquewihr

Soil and Climate

Heterogeneity is the central issue that makes the essence of Alsace difficult to grasp. It starts with the huge diversity of terroir. Alsace is a long strip of around 100 kilometers and is divided into Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin. Its macroclimate is influenced by the Vosges mountain range, which holds all clouds coming from the west making the region as dry as parts of Southern France. The Bas-Rhin is less protected, due to the mountain range being lower, producing lighter wines than the more prestigious, southern Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located on the foothills of the Vosges generally facing east. The soil is highly diverse, because this region was formed millions of years ago when the mountain ranges on either side of the river Rhine, namely the Vosges and the Schwarzwald (black forest) developed, mixing up the hitherto composed soils: Alsace has a mix of loam, limestone, granite, sandstone and volcanic soils with different fertility and water holding capacities, making it necessary to combine terroir with the right grape variety. This is one reason why there is a huge diversity of grape varieties available. The varieties are a mix of German and French: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Noir, Sylvaner and Pinot Blanc. To give just one example, while Riesling produces the best wines on very poor soils, Gewurztraminer needs more fertile ground to develop its intense aromatics. That is the reason why Olivier Humbrecht (of Domaine Zind-Humbrecht) has planted Riesling in the upper part of the single vineyard Rangen, which is poorer and in the lower much richer part he planted Gewurztraminer. Pinot Gris is best suited for deep soils that are relatively dry and well-exposed. Pinot Noir needs a more temperate climate and loves clay-limestone soil, while Muscat needs warm, wind-protected vineyards and prefers not-too-heavy soils like sandstone.

Viticulture and Grape Varieties

Like everywhere else, Alsace had its troubles with viticulture in the 1960s and 1970s with too many pesticides and fertilizers, producing thin wines without soul and leaving dead soil in the vineyard. Since the 1990s growers in general have returned to more organic methods for different reasons. One was a more critical approach by consumers towards chemicals and the influence. Another was the strong “green” movement just across the border in Germany as well as the increasing success of biodynamic winegrowers which had proven that it is better to work with nature than against it. Moreover, Alsace is the home of biodynamic pioneers like Jean Pierre Frick who was one of the first in France who converted to biodynamic winegrowing. Frick is now a advocate for so-called “natural wines” and has abstained from using sulphur since 1999. A great deal has been written about the boon and bane of the natural movement, which I don’t have to repeat. I am sure you have your own opinion about this highly controversial topic. Notwithstanding this, Alsace boasts a high number of biodynamic winegrowers like Albert Mann, Zind-Humbrecht, Domaine Ostertag, Marcel Deiss, Domaine Muré and many others.

Nevertheless, plantings are still made with clones influenced by the zeitgeist of the 1960s and 1970s were the selection target was to have better and more reliable production, leading to bunches with big berries more susceptible to botrytis. You notice this especially in Pinot Noir, were the old and high yielding German clones are widespread and for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, too. In the case of Gewurztraminer the problem with those highly productive clones is that you lose the unique spiciness of the wines, which then become more reminiscent of fabric softener. In the case of Pinot Noir you have the problem that it is a thin-skinned grape variety. Phenolic compounds and flavours are located in the skin, and the bad skin-to-pulp ratio makes it impossible to produce complex Pinot Noir. Furthermore, botrytis develops an enzyme called laccase which destroys all colour. The only way to inactivate this enzyme is to heatup the must up to 70°C, which explains the still-used method of thermovinification for red wine in Alsace (as well as in Germany), a production method not known for making multi-layered and complex styles...however, producers like Thomas Muré in Rouffach prove that it is possible to produce great Pinot Noir in Alsace.

Low-Yielding Clone of Gewurztraminer in Muré's vineyards

Wine Style and Regional Identity

Terroir is only one factor that influences the wine style in Alsace. As important as that (especially in Alsace) is what kind of philosophy and personality the wine grower has. In Alsace the names of the growers are well-known and the fame is not necessarily connected with the region. You drink Riesling Clos Ste. Hune from Trimbach but are you thinking about Alsace as you sip from your glass? The reason is that Alsace is characterised by very strong personalities and full of extremes. Biodynamic wines and the “natural wine” movement had their cradle in Alsace while on the other hand illustrious producers using conventional methods like Hugel and Trimbach don’t want to take part in the Grand Cru classification because they have their own idea about terroir. Yet others are convinced about this system: Marcel Deiss makes only varietal blends creating a completely new wine style and has no problem with residual sugar in his wines. Others swear by bone-dry wines and people like Madame Fallert from Domaine Weinbach follow their own ideas about “tradition”. These are growers who bring true dynamics into the region and are up-front. They are proud and sometimes quite stubborn people, going their own way. However, when you compare those liberal extremes, it is confusing to read the very strict appellation rules which try to preserve arcane traditions. It is, for example, forbidden by the “Bottle Committee” (can you believe that something like that exists?) to use Burgundy bottles for AOC Pinot Noir. Or as Frédéric Blanck told me, a friend of him wanted to have a batch of wines with higher acidity to blend in later, and started to pick earlier than was sanctioned by the appellation, resulting in police prosecution. Furthermore, Blanck thinks the only reason why he was allowed to use screwcaps for his bottles was that the appellation rulebook simply made no provision for them. They probably never thought that somebody would even dare to think about using something other than cork.

My explanation for such infighting is that strict bureaucracy always creates ambition and desire to undermine it. While this may sound cynical, I really believe that this fosters creativity. In the end it is this mix of terroir, climate, strong personalities, contradictions, French logic and stubbornness that makes Alsace what it is – an unique, diverse and very exiting region where some of the greatest examples of several grape varieties are produced. If you have ever tasted a really profound, dry Pinot Gris from Alsace you are probably wondering if the watery, meaningless Italian Pinot Grigios are made from the same variety. Alsace Muscat can achieve depth and seriousness you won’t find anywhere else. If you find a really good Gewurztraminer, it will be a true varietal expression with a delicate, oily texture, floral flavours and this magnificent spiciness reminiscent of an Oriental bazaar. Last but certainly not least Alsace also provides its own contribution to the world of Riesling with its richer, full-bodied and powerful styles.

Two of the numerous outstanding personalities in Alsace: Olivier Humbrecht (left) and the biodynamic pioneer Jean-Pierre Frick (right)

Tradition Doesn't Mean Sweet

The impression that it is an Alsatian tradition to produce wines with residual sugar isn’t helpful for the regional image. Over the past decades, wine styles have become unpredictable, one of the biggest criticisms that can be levelled against Alsatian wines. Will the wine be dry, off-dry, semi-sweet, or sweet? One cannot tell when looking at the label and the efforts to put a scale on the label which shows the sweetness levels have to be communicated much better to become effective. This tendency to produce full-bodied and ever sweeter wines had to do with the number of great (meaning hot) vintages over the past 15 years, making it difficult to produce a dry wine with fresh acidity under 14,5% ABV, then there was the trend of wine critics in the past awarding high scores for those wines. It took a while for journalists to realise that residual sugar isn’t the same as extract and that quality isn’t equal to concentration. There clearly is a trend for more elegant and drier wines, which are not meant to enter competitions but for drinking a whole evening long.

The Grand Cru System

As Olivier Humbrecht explains, Grand Cru wines in Alsace represent only 4% of the total production. As of 2007, when the single vineyard Kaefferkopf was added to the list, 51 Grand Cru vineyards have existed in Alsace. The concept of Grand Cru is relatively young, it started in 1975 when the first Grand Cru vineyard was classified, continued in 1983 with a list of 25 Grand Cru hillsides, followed by another 25 vineyards classified in 1985. The Grand Cru wines are made from four grape varieties: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat and Pinot Gris. There are a few exceptions: Sylvaner is allowed in the Zotzenberg Grand Cru and varietal blends are allowed in the Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Cru and in the Kaefferkopf Grand Cru.

The main criticism of this concept is that the boundaries are sometimes very extensive. This, combined with their long history are the reasons for wineries like Trimbach and Hugel not to participate in the Grand Cru regulations at all. They kept their successful wine types like “Cuvée Frédéric Emile” (Trimbach) which since the 19th century has been a blend of Riesling grown in the Grand Cru vineyards Osterberg and Geisberg. Furthermore, almost all icon wines from Alsace are named after small parcels in Grand Cru vineyards like the “Clos St. Hune” (Trimbach) in the Grand Cru Rosacker, “Clos de Capucins” (Weinbach) in the Grand Cru Schlossberg, “Clos St-Landelin” (Muré) in the Grand Cru Vorbourg, “Clos Hauserer” (Zind-Humbrecht) in the Grand Cru Hengst and “Clos St-Urbain” (Zind-Humbrecht) in the Grand Cru Rangen. Some of them mention the Grand Cru vineyard additionally on the label, others not. This doesn’t strengthen the Grand Cru classification.

However, there are promising developments. Since 2011 each of the Grand Crus has become a separate AOP with separate rules and every local Grand Cru syndicate now has the opportunity to develop its own rules. The syndicates Hengst and Vorbourg are considering including Pinot Noir in the list of authorised grape varieties. If the INAO eventually approves these amendments, they would become the first red wine Grand Crus in Alsace. Some Grand Cru syndicates will also define environmental requirements and it is possible that we will see the first appellations where organic or even biodynamic viticulture is obligatory. This is exciting.

Vintages 2000-2011

2011: Good vintage in a quaffable and faster developing way
2010: Good classical vintage with high acidity and good concentration
2009: Outstanding vintage - very healthy grapes and therefore pure varietal character – heat wave in summer could have caused in very poor soils some hydric stress.
Overall less acidity than 2008.
2008: Outstanding classical vintage, no severe heat spells and therefore a great vintage with a lot of concentration and a balanced high acidity.
2007: Very good classical vintage. Very long ripening period and no excessive rain.
2006: Not good vintage because of rain in September caused a lot of rot.
2005: Good vintage - very warm ripening conditions brought fruity and full-bodied wines
2004: Good vintage - summer offered quite mixed weather conditions and the harvest took place at cool temperatures. Wines have very fresh acidity and a lighter body.
2003: Not good vintage - As everywhere incredibly hot and most of the wines are already over the top.
2002: Good vintage – less concentrated and focused as 2001
2001: Outstanding vintage – warm but dry conditions in the end of the ripening period brought ripe, healthy grapes – ripe and full-bodied wines.
2000: Very good vintage

Two Alsatian specialties made for the local wines, Munster cheese (left) and goose liver

Time for a Revival

You will only understand Alsace wines when you go to a local, traditional French restaurant. Here you get fabulous choucroute (sounds better and tastes more elegant than Sauerkraut…) served with hearty sausages, which fits perfectly with rich and savoury Alsatian Riesling. Smoked goose breast served on salad of lentils tastes heavenly with full-bodied, not too dry Pinot Gris. Very ripe, creamy and a bit stinky Munster cheese is melting in your mouth and asking for the perfumed bouquet and oily texture of a not too dry Gewurztraminer, and when you get wild fowl like pheasant it matches with the local, not too heavy Pinot Noir. But the best here is goose liver – in the elegant bourgeouise restaurants they so self-evidently serve goose liver of the highest quality imaginable. It’s just terrine, perfectly seasoned, served with delicious brioche and not something over-engineered, fancy with foam, jelly and exploding powder. It is this kind of cuisine that is made to please the guests and not to massage the ego of the chef. Alsatian wines are the perfect match for this food. My dear friends, it’s time for a revival!

Laziness doesn't Pay!: The Diversity of Mosel Riesling

2012-08-09T11:28:00Z

The Germans are known to be anything but lazy. When dealing with wines from the Mosel region this “laziness doesn’t pay” develops different meanings. First of all, looking at the steep slopes and observing people climbing the vineyards to tip some shoots makes you realise that this area provides growers with only hard-earned bread. On the other hand, the tremendous diversity of styles and taste profiles of Mosel Riesling demands a lot of attention from the wine lover to capture its essence.

The Climate

The Mosel area is located on the 50° northern latitude, the border for wine growing in the northern hemisphere so far. The region provides the early ripening Riesling with a marginal climate to allow a cool, long and slow ripening period for a maximum of flavour and extract ingress despite moderate sugar development, while keeping acidity high. The climate is really continental, which has some benefits to viticulture, because the rapid temperature fall in autumn enhances fruit ripening, while slowing down vegetative growth and coolness late in ripening can help to conserve delicate aromatics in the berries. However, the higher incidence of summer rainfall in continental climates results in vintage variations.

MIcroclimate

When looking at all the different single vineyards along the serpentine course of the river, it is no surprise that there are tremendous differences in a wine’s taste. Then every difference in orientation toward the sun and wind, proximity to the climatically balancing river, different steepness levels and different soil composition and colour, all make huge differences in microclimate and temperature during the day and night. Most of the metabolic actions and the transport of sugar into the grapes occur at night. The temperature influences the rate of metabolic actions and therefore affects the wine’s taste. It furthermore affects the degradation of malic acidity, which explains why Riesling wines from the Ruwer area with cooler nights have a sharper acidity than wines from the Mosel area. When you talk with Christoph Schaefer (Willi Schaefer Estate), who explains that it is not unusual to have a very long hang time with 150 days from flowering to harvest, it is not surprising that the smallest differences in those mentioned facts have huge effects on a wine’s taste.

To further illustrate this, a comparison between the single vineyards Brauneberger Juffer and Piesporter Goldtröpfchen will help. The latter consists of finely granulated slate soil with high clay content and is therefore deeper and heavier. The vineyard faces south and is shaped like an amphitheatre. The vines are better sheltered than those of the Juffer vineyard and this sheltered site means warmer nights than in any other vineyard of the Mosel valley. The result is a more baroque style, with rounder and juicier acidity. You will seldom find citrus aromas in these wines, but rather multilayered exotic fruits. The Juffer vineyard is higher in skeleton structure and more exposed to the wind. Therefore the microclimate is a hint cooler than in Piesport. The style of its wines is lighter, fresher and more filigree despite profoundness. To make it even more complicated, Wilhelm Haag, the famous grower with big plots in the Juffer Vineyard, writes cask numbers on the labels. Number 6 is a plot in the Juffer Sonnenuhr that faces east and that therefore gets the morning sun, resulting always in lighter wines with the highest mineral impression and ascetic beauty. Number 10 faces west, gets the evening sun and is more opulent and powerful. Others like Willi Schaefer (for example) use different “AP-numbers” when filling different plots of “the same” wine (like Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett).

When growers bottle different wines from the same vineyard at the same Prädikat level, the fourth set of digits in the AP number (05, here) will differ.

Soil

Soil is another important factor when talking about the flavour profile of Mosel Riesling. It predominantly consists of slate, and is high in stone content and low in fertility. This leads to a low nitrogen content in the must, which affects the yeasts metabolism during fermentation, creating different aromas. Riesling from alluvial soils (like in Rheinhessen, for example) is much more fruity and opulent, while Riesling from stony slate soils is more steely and restrained in fruit aromatics and therefore has more mineral impression.

Furthermore, these poor and acidic slate soils influence the pH of the wines. These soils are very old and all chalk contents were washed out during the millennia. (In contrast, the younger slate soils in the “Bündner Herrschaft” in Switzerland are high in chalk content and therefore more alkaline.) How acidity is perceived and therefore how residual sugar is balanced is especially linked to wine pH. In Germany, wines produced on alkaline, chalky soils have a higher pH value and tend to buffer the acidity better. Therefore, Riesling from Rheinhessen for example has in general a pH of around 3.3, while a Riesling from the Mosel generally has a pH around 2.9. As pH is a logarithmic system, this makes a big difference. To illustrate to you the importance of this issue for the balance of residual sugar, a comparison of a Riesling from Rheinhessen with a one from the Mosel will help. The latter can taste perfectly dry with 15 grams per litre residual sugar, while the Rheinhessen Riesling with 7 grams per litre of residual sugar tastes already markedly fruity, despite the same acidity level. To make it clear: It is the generally low pH in Mosel Riesling which explains the unique tension between acidity and sweetness, which is so typical for these wines.

Mosel slate

Soil colour is important for the taste of wine as well. In general you will find predominantly blue/grey slate on the Mosel banks and slopes. However, there is a short part where red slate soil (see picture) is dominating the surface, namely in the villages of Ürzig and Erden. The latest scientific studies in Geisenheim showed that soil colour affects the reflectance of sunlight radiation into the canopy both in quantity and quality. Furthermore, it has an influence on soil temperature as well as on fruit and canopy temperature. In other words, the colour of the soil may be almost as important as its composition, as Hans Reiner Schultz from the Geisenheim University stated. These results are interesting to compare with another study made in Neustadt. There, two wines from red soil were tasted: one from Ürzig/Mosel (iron-rich slate) and one from the 150 km apart Birkweil/Pfalz (reddish breccias). Both wines are growing in very different climates but were surprisingly similar in aromatics, more focused on herbal flowers, spices and less on the classical stone fruit aromatics known for Riesling. It seems that it is no coincidence that the most famous vineyard in Ürzig is called Würzgarten (“spice garden”).

Vineyards near the village of Ürzig

Characteristics of some other famous single vineyards

Bernkasteler Doctor
3.5 hectares

This is a very steep, small vineyard next to the village Bernkastel. Most parts are planted with un-grafted vines on weathered slate soil. The slope is facing southwest and the “Doctor” is known for getting a lot of sun radiation while being cooled down by the wind at the same time. Typical is the exotic, ripe but very pristine fruit character.
Best producers: Geheimrat “J” Wegeler and Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt.

Erdener Prälat
1.5 hectares

To quote Ernst Loosen: “Prälat is the Richebourg from the Mosel”. There is some truth in it, because the Prälat is one of the richest, most luscious, opulent and sensuous Riesling wines. The vineyard is especially known for producing higher Prädikate, from Auslese upwards. This has to do with the very sheltered, south-facing exposure, which leads to an earlier budding and earlier ripening. Soil is red slate, typically in the villages Erden and Ürzig, giving the wines a spicy note.
Best producers: Dr. Loosen and Dr. F. Weins-Prüm.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr
(44.3 hectares)

Huge vineyard – the best parcels are located on the lower parts close to the Mosel. As the name suggests, it is a south-facing slope – that is why a sundial was built here in the 19^th century. It is not as sheltered as the Prälat or the Goldtröpfchen. The soil is higher in stone content, resulting in elegant wines full of aromatics of yellow fruit and mineralic impression.
Best producers: Joh. Jos. Prüm, Markus Molitor, Selbach-Oster and Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt.

Trittenheimer Apotheke
(68.5 hectare)

South-west facing vineyard on slate soil, sometimes mingled with gravel. Known for tightly structured wines, with piercing acidity and yellow fruit aromatics. Some very good dry wines are made here, by Eva Clüsserath (Ansgar Clüsserath winery).
Other good producers: Grans Fassian, Clüsserath-Eifel and Clüsserath-Weiler. (Sorry, around 30 people in this small village with 1200 citizens are called Clüsserath…)

Winninger Uhlen
(14.5 hectares)

Terraced parcels and very steep slopes are typical for this vineyard. The different parcels are based on different soil types. There is for example the “Laubach” named after the “Laubach strata” which is slate high in fossil and chalk content. Another example is the “Roth Lay”, which is slate high in iron oxide content. It is poor soil, high in stone content. The most famous producer in this vineyard is Heymann-Löwenstein, known for powerful “dry” wines with a lot of mineral impression.

Viticulture

The parcelling of vineyards was based on the law of physical division (similar to the French heritage law), which is why some growers had and still have plots no bigger than a towel. There is some new reallocation of land (f.e. in the Piesporter Goldtröpfchen or Graacher Domprobst) meaning that small plots are exchanged between owners, so that people end up with a larger piece of vineyard, which makes their work easier and profitability higher. However, reallocation is complicated and is not done in every vineyard; growers like Joh. Jos. Prüm have plots in the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard with very old, un-grafted vines, and they are therefore not really interested in exchanging their parcels with others.

The small parcelling has many implications. First of all, this and the steep, partly terraced vineyards were the reason why vines used to be trained using the single post system. This has the pragmatic advantage that the grower can easily cross the steep parcels in every direction, but the challenge is the relatively crowded canopy, which results in lower sugar levels in the berries and more risk of botrytis. Quality can only be achieved with selective picking because the grapes on one vine can ripen very differently from another. However, Christoph Schaefer (Schaefer estate) appreciates the system, because he finds that this allows him to pick every Prädikat, resulting in wines with clear flavour differences. Vines trained into trellis systems on wire have the advantage that they are more easily to treat with plant protection, are easier to mechanise and have a more aerated and homogenous canopy.

Willi Schaefer's Graacher Domprobst vines, trained in the single post system

The small parceling and steep vineyards are also the reason why organic winegrowing is not widely spread as in other winegrowing regions, like the Pfalz. First of all, the steep slate slopes often suffer limited water supply and therefore cover crops have to be controlled to avoid stress on the plants. These small and crowded mini plots are often treated with herbicides because other cultivation methods were too tedious and expensive, particularly for second and third-row small growers. Herbicides reduce the activity of soil organisms and this reduces nutrient uptake. These wines can therefore lack complexity. Furthermore, when neighbours spray systemic agents, the drift makes it impossible with those small plots to really practice organic wine growing. Another reason is that for many small wineries, winegrowing is unprofitable and you will find many parcels laying fallow. This causes another huge problem, the increased incident of black rot, which thrives on old and dead wood. Clemens Busch, the famous organic pioneer in the Mosel region, had huge problems with this fungus in 2004. The disease is hardly to control with organic plant protection and he lost over 30 percent of his crop in that year. It was the reason for him to apply additional to organic methods, biodynamic preparations by the way. However, there are some respected growers working with organic methods, such as the aforementioned Clemens Busch in Pünderich, and one of the most respected biodynamic pioneers in Germany, Rudi Trossen in Kinheim-Kindel. The latter is one of the eco-warriors, known for his dry sense of humour, his fabulous ability to philosophize and of course his fantastically authentic wines, some of which are served in the Noma restaurant in Copenhagen.

The Lost "Real" Kabinett

In the past, a Kabinett from the Mosel with 75° Oechsle (9.5% potential alcohol) was physiologically ripe. Today, the same wine from the same vineyard has to have 85-90° Oechsle (around 11% potential alcohol) to reach its full aromatic potential. This has to do with different factors such as global warming and better canopy management. But it seems that systemic plant protection sprays are also to blame, as Georg Meissner (Geisenheim university) and growers like Steffen Christmann (Pfalz) and Daniel Vollenweider (Mosel) presume. To be specific: canopy treated with systemic plant protection stays green and keeps therefore the full assimilation power until the end of the vegetation cycle. Furthermore, it seems that the plants are shocked when they get treated with systemic agents, and physiological ripening stops despite sugar ingress. With organic plant protection, the experience of growers like Christmann and Vollenweider shows that it is possible to lower the potential alcohol content. For that reason, Daniel Vollenweider uses systemic agents only in the beginning of the growing season and uses organic plant protections for the last applications.

However, another reason why the Prädikat Kabinett is in some way outdated is the practice of declassifying an unconvincing Spätlese into a Kabinett.

Wine Styles and Vinification

Wine styles vary from dry to every imaginable sweetness level. For the sweet wines, the incident, development and stage of noble rot (Botrytis) is key for deciding in which Prädikat the wine ends up. Botrytis does not come overnight, attacking the berries and leaving raisins within one hour. No, it is a steady development, dependent on the weather. Best are humid nights which help the fungus develop, followed by dry, warm days, which aid concentration and prevent excessive rot. One can imagine that the regular incidence of noble rot and variation of weather typical in continental climates are factors in determining vintage differences. Noble rot attacks berries and weakens their skin to access sugar and nutrients. This causes tiny punctures through which water evaporates: the berry shrinks and its contents are concentrated. Furthermore, while the fungus feeds on the grape it causes the formation of viscous glycerol and honey-scented aroma compounds, while destroying varietal aromatic compounds such as terpenes. This is the reason why wines made from fully botrytised berries do not have any varietal aromatic definition anymore.

Kabinett wines are made of just ripe grapes with no Botrytis and represent the light and refreshing wine style with a high amount of varietal character. Spätlese is made from later harvest grapes with no or little Botrytis in a very early stage; Auslese has more Botrytis, showing already honeyed tones but still retaining varietal character. Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese are made from raisined berries; therefore, the wines are highly concentrated, they do not show any varietal character anymore, and the flavours are based on the fabulous honeyed, dried fruit aromatics noble rot is known for.

In general, for sweet wines whole bunch pressing is widespread. This is followed by a long and cool fermentation, often with indigenous yeasts. Depending on the winery’s philosophy, fermentation may take place in stainless steel (e.g. at Joh. Jos. Prüm) or in big wooden casks called “Fuder” with a 1000-litre content (e.g. at Willi Schaefer). Those wooden barrels are often 50 years and older, and can be named “yeast-hotels” too. It is typical that every barrel has its own “natural” yeast population, developing different aromatics, giving more complexity. Furthermore, the slow oxygen ingress can help to control the volatile sulphur compounds developing during fermentation. Natural yeasts are known for producing those compounds, but also the natural low nitrogen content of the grapes here is the reason for those aromatic compounds. To be specific: when must is deficient in nitrogen (which is normal when grapes are grown on low fertile soil and are perchance affected with botrytis) yeast metabolizes sulphur-containing amino acids to get “food”, resulting in volatile sulphur compounds. Those can be fun, because they cause some “mineral” aromatics, but too much causes off-flavours like a smell of rotten eggs. It is the choice of the winegrower to play with these compounds.

At high Prädikate like Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese, fermentation stops naturally. When to stop fermentation at all other Prädikate in order to keep a balanced amount of residual sugar is a sort of art. As Manfred Prüm (Joh. Jos. Prüm) told me once, the sweetness should taste in youth quite clunky, because it will imbed into the wine during ageing.

Old wooden barrels in the traditional "fuder" size (1000 litre)

Not only sweet wines can be found here. There is much discussion about dry Mosel wines. Some say it is not in the nature of wines with such high acidity and low pH to make balanced dry wines. Others, like producers Daniel Vollenweider, Clemens Busch or Eva Clüsserath, disagree. They see it as a chance to create a new wine style. Furthermore, it has to be acknowledged that the domestic market still prefers dry wines and the classical sweet style of the Mosel is only in favour with real wine connoisseurs in Germany. Therefore, dry Riesling is also economically important for the growers, especially for those who don’t have their focal point on export.

To make a balanced dry wine, some things in viticulture and vinification must change, starting with the yield. Here it is interesting to know that Riesling can show potential and typicity at very different yield levels. For sweet wine, an average yield of 70 hl/ha (from QbA, Kabinett and up to Trockenbeerenauslese) is not unusual for growers like Willi Schaefer or Joh. Jos. Prüm. Sweet Mosel Riesling, especially the lower Prädikate like Kabinett or Spätlese, live from the airy style and lightweight body. Lower yield levels in this case would create just higher sugar gradations, which would weigh down this unique structure. Riesling is the variety that proves that quality doesn’t mean necessary concentration. However, for dry wines you have to restrict the yield to a maximum 40 hl/ha. Here you need more concentration, alcohol and extract to buffer the acidity, since there is no sweetness. Hang time must be long to lower acidity and increase ripeness and a great deal of vineyard work has to be done to keep the grapes healthy, because too much Botrytis in dry wines will make the wine taste dull. Skin maceration of around 8 to 36 hours is used to extract potassium from the skins to increase pH, to buffer acidity. A long fermentation follows, mostly with indigenous yeast, which produces more glycerin and gives the wines more mouth-feel. Malolactic fermentation is not unusual, depending on the vintage. The result is exciting and unique, and produces savoury wines with pure slate mineral impression and saltiness. One great example is the dry Riesling called “Schimbock” from Daniel Vollenweider. The un-grafted vines were planted in the 1970s and are growing on a west-facing slope. After around 24 hours maceration he presses the pulp with an old-fashioned vertical wooden press, resulting in clear juice and allowing oxygen ingress. The wine is for one year in barrel and one year in the bottle before release. It has restrained but very complex and intense aromatics of citrus, grapefruit and a savoury tone, but special is really the texture. Vollenweider got the perfect amount of phenolics into the wine, giving it a delicate weight and length. A great wine with rough edges but full of personality – a real love-it-or-hate-it wine which needs food to shine.

Vintage and Aging

Riesling is known to be a grape variety with a high potential to age, especially the best sweet wines, which seem to be made for eternity. During ageing, all components react in the wine, developing the famous tertiary aromas driven by petrol notes but also of tea, ash and floral tones. This is because acidity reacts with different alcohols, producing different esters, leading to a change in aromatic profile; in addition that acidity is perceived as rounder and less sharp. The residual sugar is reacting with amino acids, leading to the so-called “Maillard” reaction, which you may know from roasting meat in a pan. It produces the famous toasty and caramel aromas, which are also appreciated for example in aged Brut Champagne (and the reason why I don’t like the aged demure Brut Nature Champagne…). The residual sugar is still there, but because of the reactions, the sweetness almost disappears out of the taste profile. A well-aged sweet Auslese has a dry finish and the morbid sugar has the same texture as silky tannins. Such wines are ideally suited for game and other meat dishes – and another tip: try an aged Auslese with oysters and you will be surprised!

There are wineries in the Mosel area were you can drink every vintage, like at Joh. Jos. Prüm, Willi Schaefer and Fritz Haag. The vintage character in these cases is part of the terroir. When you drink a vintage like 1981 (really a nasty one) from one of those estates, it is like super model Miranda Kerr compared to a person who has sticking-out ears but a charming and loveable smile.

To give you a rough overview, a chart with vintage information about the last 10 vintages:

2011 - great classical year, with balanced acidity and average yield. Pure fruit expression.
2010 - low sunshine and a lot of rain, wines with incredible high acidity and the first year in decades where de-acidification was used.
Can be good for sweet wines, but still, they some show very unripe green acidity.
2009 - One of these vintages “of the century” – a ripe vintage, full bodied, ripe acidity (personally, I like more the classical ones with less meat on the bones but higher acidity, like 2011 or 2007).
2008 - average vintage with high acidity, could have a bit more concentration, good for ice wine.
2007 – outstanding, classical vintage, ripe but refreshing acidity.
2006 - a lot of rain, very early Botrytis, not good for dry wines, some good Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese (if you like the broader and a bit muddy flavour that botrytised wines can have).
2005 - lush, ripe and creamy wines, very ripe vintage, outstanding vintage.
2004 – classical vintage, leaner structure, firm and refreshing acidity, fast developing.
2003 - like everywhere else a very hot year, dry wines are mediocre, outstanding sweet wines because of concentration without Botrytis.
2002 – rain before harvest, somewhat soft wines, lacking a bit pristine focus.
2001 – top vintage, classical and elegant, ripe and refreshing acidity, perfect sweet wines made for eternity.

Some Politics

The VDP does great work to promote German wine all over the world. However, it is also a big elite club and some members are keen on keeping their competitive advantage without any respect towards young and upcoming wineries. This constrains the further development of this region, in my opinion. It is difficult to make a living with a winery in the Mosel area. Land holdings are small (4 hectare acreage is already big), labour is intensive and the traditional sweet style not popular in the domestic market. For growers it is important to get a chance in export markets. (The top VDP wineries with focus on classical sweet styles have an export share of around 70%!) However, it is of course expensive to work in markets abroad, and for small growers it is impossible to conquer those. As one of the small growers told me, it makes him very angry, that at the Vinexpo in Hong Kong the VDP members claim that every superior German wine carries an eagle on the neck. I can understand the anger of those growers. You should keep in mind that not every great winery is member of the VDP and not every VDP member is great. It is worth looking at growers like the young Jan Klein from the Staffelter Hof in Kröv, classical wineries like Max Ferdinand Richter in Mülheim, the fantastic biodynamic pioneer Rudi Trossen in Kinheim-Kindel or the passionate Suisse Riesling master Daniel Vollenweider in Traben-Trarbach.

Conclusion

The classical sweet Mosel wines are perhaps Germany’s wines best appreciated internationally. It is a wine style that cannot be copied. Nowhere can wines with such a cornucopia of flavours be produced at such a low alcohol level. Nowhere does this balance between sweetness, acidity and mineralic impression dance more effectively in the glass. Their ageing potential can be endless and the wines change personality year by year as they age. This, along with the big diversity of different single vineyards, microclimates and winemaker personalities (each their own philosophy), results in a cornucopia of different wine profiles that have to be conquered as a wine lover. If you are doing that, the effort – not laziness – will pay!

Romana Echensperger has worked for 12 years as a sommelier in high-end restaurants in Germany. In 2005, she was elected “Best Sommelier of Berlin”, working from a list of 1,000 German wines. From 2007 to 2010, she was head sommelier at the three-star restaurant Vendôme near Köln, which was selected “Best Restaurant of Germany”. Echensperger is a second year Master of Wine candidate and passed already the theory exam.