"You have to do it like Roquefort" - this is exactly what no less than Hugh Johnson himself recommended to the VDP ((the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates) more than 20 years ago, when the Association was preparing to catapult itself back onto the stage of the world's great wines. The vision: a clearly outlined and consistent implementation of a designation of origin for German wines. Roquefort was the first "appellation" that prescribed in which area, from which sheep, in which cave, and how long matured a "cheese" could finally call itself Roquefort. This demarcation ultimately helped the noble mouldy product to achieve world fame. Everything else (Cheddar, for example) is just "cheese" - Hugh Johnson said with a smile.
On the eve of the premiere of the Grosse Gewächse in Wiesbaden, the VDP honours the founders and members of it’s association with a beautifully made image film, its 20th anniversary, and provides insights into the development of today's 4-level site classification pyramid: Gutswein, Ortswein, Erste Lage and Große Lage. It is a tribute and a touching document to the newly increased self-confidence of the association, which was practically on the brink of collapse after bitter historical setbacks. The VDP pin of honour was awarded posthumously to Bernhard Breuer, who was one of the most consistent advocates of the strict implementation of classification.
Theresa Breuer found touching words of thanks, and simply wished her father could stand here and witness this. Like a phoenix from the ashes, - or from the Roquefort cave, a new era of German wine is rising. Dry wine, of course.
The guests of the evening are not only allowed to watch films, but also to taste. More than 20 vintages are available and are presented to the professional audience in a small speed tasting by winemakers, with winemakers. Afterwards, things get a little sweeter and the party goes on deep into the night with "Kabi" (short for Kabinett). It is a successful prelude to the most important event of the year for German wine, - the premiere of the Grosses Gewächse 2021. Thank you VDP.
The VDP is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and I, as a fresh buyer for the house of Tesdorpf, am there. For the first time, I am allowed to attend the premiere of the Grosse Gewächse in Wiesbaden. The best Germany has to offer. It's a great location here in the Kurhaussaal Wiesbaden, and the event is well thought-out at its best. This is how I want every wine tasting to be organised from now on. The number of seats is limited, and I feel honoured to be able to sit in the main hall of the Kurhaus alongside all the Master Sommelières, Master of Wines, wine critics, buyers, bloggers and influencers. The weather is brilliant, sunshine all day, and the beautiful cut glass beaded curtains cast a glitter and a touch of splendour on my tasting table.
Of course, I'm not here just for fun, the programme is tight. Almost 500 wines are to be tasted and evaluated. I'm excited about the new vintage, - but I also think it's great that I'm being served a cross-section of the country here, - a vinophile journey through one of the most exciting wine-growing regions of the old world. It is history that pours into the glass here.
Silvaner
On the first day of the three tasting days, everything can be tasted, except Riesling. I start in Franconia, because Silvaner is one of my favourite grape varieties. And I find what's happening there all the more exciting. There is a wide variety of styles, some are still classic, a little broader in appearance and with a fresh grassy, but also slightly tart acidity - and others really knock your socks off with their straightforwardness and minerality, the finely developed yellow fruitiness and their fine melting.
Julius Spital Würzburg
For me, the Julius Spital Würzburg with their Julius Echter Berg 2020 is the opener: yellow-fruity, chalky nose. A smoky, salty tone resonates. "Uuhh, now we're talking." Density, tautness comes into play here. Very compact and layered flavours. Gooseberry, grapefruit peel and some honey are at play here. Lots of freshness and an astringent saltiness, like licking a flint. - Great cinema.
Bickel-Stumpf
Another highlight is Bickel-Stumpf with their 2020 Mönchshof. Reduced but complex nose. There is of everything, but everything is finer, more restrained. Wow, again this tautness on the palate, this drying saltiness and light spiciness, underpinned with a gentle honey note, lots of apple fruit and freshness - great length, lots of potential.
Zehnthof-Luckert
The masters of subtlety have been convincing me for a long time: Zehnthof-Luckert. I describe their 2021 Sulzfelder Maustal as follows:
Luckerts are once again masters of the filigree, almost of the spiritual. It comes across as very fine, gently pronounced yellow fruit that gives way to more and more stony tones the more air it gets. On the palate, the acidity sets the tone, it is fresh and green-herbaceous, with a tart note, less dense than the Mönchstal from Bickel Stumpf, but with an incredible length.
Weingut am Stein - Luwig Knoll
Then it really starts with Weingut am Stein, with the Stettener Stein 2020.
Knoll is just great. It brings this smoky, subtle stone fruit to the nose, almost beguiles with its fine complexity, and then strikes razor-sharp on the palate. This is yield reduction par excellence, a fresh, steely acidity pushes inexorably through layers of rock, stays true to the varietal character and plays with gentle honey notes and apple compote until the whole thing ends in a long, salty, herbaceous finish.
Rudolf May
But the grand master is simply Rudolf May. His 2021 Rothlauf is sensational.
The 21 Rothlauf comes with fine, subtle stone fruit on the nose, and opens up increasingly, moving from white peach to ripe apple. Arrives opulent on the palate, brings a golden glow. It is dense, has a great pull, but always remains fresh and discreetly fruity in the foreground. Behind it, a salty minerality pushes steadily towards a great finish. The wine becomes more and more complex the longer it gets. it's crazy what happens at the end.
Weißburgunder
Ökonomierat Rebholz
I didn't find Pinot Blancs as strong as the Pinot Gris, but Im Sonnenschein 2021 by the Rebholz brothers is definitely worth mentioning here: beautiful nose, yellow-fruity bouquet of peach with a little exoticism at play. A fine minerality is present, which continues on the palate and takes the leading role. Paired with a fine tannin, it provides the platform to embed the gentle tones of the vine clover and hibiscus blossoms.
Münzberg - Gunter Keßler
A new discovery was Gunter Keßler's Münzberg with their Godramsteiner Münzberg Schlangenpfiff 2021. Slightly dull, numb nose, but with fine creaminess, white flowers and a touch of honey. Impressively, after the first sip, an intense herbaceousness suddenly emerges - reminiscent of gooseberry. Taut on the palate, a little green tart acidity, medium plus, all in all fine but demanding. good concentration, tending towards green-fruity citrus. slightly mineral melting.
Grauburgunder
Then to Pinot Gris. The grape variety that, along with Chardonnay, is gaining the most new vineyards in Germany. Here I start in Baden.
Franz Keller
Franz Keller's Achkarrener Schloßberg 2020: Beautiful fruit in the midst of lots of stone. Lactic notes and slight honey glints. Harmoniously balanced components on the palate. On the one hand pressure and length with lots of minerality, in between green tart notes and some stone fruit. Very long finish. Big.
Salwey
But Salwey really convinces here with the 2019 Eichberg:Ooh, great warm yellow nose. Honeypot, yellow fruity apricot, white peach and apple. On the palate then quite pressure, great thrust and fresh juicy acidity, underpinned with more discreet fruit and much more concentration and minerality than the nose would suggest.
Chardonnay
We stay right in Baden, and now the music is playing, with Chardonnay. Here, all the producers I taste are really great class.
Bernhard Huber
But then, thunder: Bernhard Huber's Malterdingen Bienenberg 2020: I don't think it can get any better than this. Huber is king. This washed-out durian note in the nose, deep and beguiling, not at all the typical yellow honey nose. There is melting and a few green herbal notes. The palate is amazing. So concentrated, so dense and a fine tingling minerality. The acidity is perfectly integrated, the length never stops. The durian has disappeared - the wine is big!
Spätburgunder
J. Neus
There was a lot of Pinot Noir to taste, so I will only present a small selection here. In some growing regions, a very warm fruit shines through. E.g. Ahr or Pfalz. All in all, Rheinhessen is very strong. I was surprised by J. Neus' with his Ingelheimer Horn, and Pares - both 2020. The Pares: fine nose, potpourri of cassis, elderberry and strawberry with a slight hint of menthol. On the palate, a great pull with a freshness and lightness, like a mint =)
Keller
But the race is clearly won by Keller with the Nieder-Flörsheimer Frauenberg 2020: Restrained on the nose, goes back towards strawberry with some kitchen herbs. Wow, what's going on on the palate is super delicately tuned, quiet and incredibly fun. Quite finesse-rich and full of pressure, the fruit never gets lost, - it always envelops the spicy, umami-like core, which pushes forward and unfolds more and more. Everything is in its place! Great.
Berhnard Huber
The 2020 Malterdinger Bienenberg from Julian Huber: somewhat reductive, red-fruited. It's amazing what comes into the glass here. Pure concentration. Like a flower whose individual leaves are still curled up, waiting to expand and shine. Concentrated competence.
Franz Keller
But Franz Keller also shows what he can do with his 2020 Oberbergener Bassgeige Steinriese: More blue-fruity on the nose, similar style. Even denser, even more reduced, almost exhausting, that's how concentrated it is. Lots of blue fruit, blueberries, oregano, tarragon, Maggi herb, lilac and bergamot.
What Keller and Huber bring to the bottles here is far from any comparison. The whole 2020 vintage is simply phenomenal from them.
Riesling
Van Volxem
I just plunge into the sheer quantity to be tasted and start at the Mosel/Saar/Ruwer. Van Volxem presents a beautiful collection for me. The wines are all incredibly fresh and juicy. For example, the Ayler Schonfels 2021: fresh citrus nose with a hint of flintiness and slight astringency reminiscent of tomato stems. Very juicy on the palate, not at all artificial acidity, but the ear pops. Flavours grassy green with nice exoticism, some roasted ham, good length.
Clemens Busch
But then on to Pünderich, Clemens Busch and the breath freezes. The 2021 Marienburg starts out buttery soft on the nose, creeps up on us subtly and unagitatedly, and then really hits the palate. Unbelievable intensity, again these stone layers with this razor-sharp acidity that stretches like a tightrope between two mountain boulders. The highlight of his collection for me, however, is the Marienburg Rothenpfad 2021.
Heymann-Löwenstein
Just like the Marienburg Rothenpfad from Busch, both wines from Heymann-Löwenstein get 98 points from me: The 2021 Hatzenporter Kirchberg starts like this: yellow apple on the nose, some rubber and banana. Somewhat riper aromas on the palate which are very nice, also with a lot of pressure behind it. I would say the perfect template for a Riesling that needs to mature. Lots of minerality and saltiness, a bit of pear, rosemary, sunshine. Great!On to the 2021 Stolzenberg with more creamy opulence in the glass. A slight petrol note resonates. Also very nice aromatics on the palate. More restrained than Kirchberg, gentler you could say. Is already big!
Weingut am Stein
And Ludwig Knoll with the 20 Stettener Stein: creamy, subtle nose, wonderfully fresh on the palate. Green tart apple, not intrusive, just juicy and awesome! The Nahe wins for me in the entire tasting. The wines have grit, an intellectual coolness, a stoniness and compactness that I personally really like in a Riesling.
Emrich Schönleber
Emrich Schönleber's Monzinger Halenberg 2021, for example, is one of these representatives: The nose is very fine and multi-layered. It resonates with many things - and you have to peel off the individual layers beforehand. Just like when you peel a grapefruit, the first ethereal scents are released when you break open the peel, you bite into the flesh and then you have the smell of the peel on your hands - last but not least, a Fishermans Friend on top, and you've arrived roughly where I want you to be. And we haven't drunk yet. But don't worry, the same continues in about 10s of potency on the palate - a great wine - even if it comes apart slightly exotically on the finish.
Dönnhoff
Dönnhoff's Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle 2021 sounds like this:Or the 2021 Dellchen comes across a little warmer, has more exoticism on the nose. Some banana, cream candy and fresh white peach. On the palate again this slender, elegant train. A smoky, granitic vein runs through some grapefruit peel, cloves resonate, the finish is long and straightforward.
Kühling-Gillot
In Rheinhessen, I really like the collection from Battenfeld-Spanier and Kühling-Gillot. Caroline Spanier starts with her Niersteiner Hipping 2021: a somewhat herbaceous basil nose, but then tautly mineral on the palate, light-footedly elegant without losing pressure, has a beautiful fruit held together by tart notes and a slightly warming finish. Pettenthal and Ölberg are also great from her.
K.F. Groebe
A discovery of this premiere for me was K. F. Groebe, their auction wine Westhofener KIRCHSPIEL 2016 Grande Réserve, which I was allowed to taste on Sunday amazed me. All the more I was looking forward to other wines: Westhofener Kirchspiel 2021: Fine beguiling nose. Has a hint of everything in it. Banana, cream yoghurt, fresh white peach and a slight hint of ham. On the palate, opulently expansive, sweet citrus fruit, taut acidity, warm and mouth-filling. Or their interpretation of the Aulerde 2021: clear peach nose, incredibly fresh and juicy on the palate with good tension and filling minerality. Grapes, banana, passion fruit and a little blossom make it beautifully complex.
Wittmann
And Wittmann's Aulerde 2021 is also beautiful: more of the riper exotic style on the nose, "nerdy durian" I say to that. Seems sweet, and then pushes a lot of opulence and smoky minerality on the finish. And then, Morstein Rules. Wittmann's Westhofener Morstein 2021: cool nutty vein on the nose, some flint. "Now we're talking". It's dry from here on - steely acidity drills into the rock, it's juicy, it's delicious, it's gooseberry bitter with a salty finish, very cool. In Rheinhessen, there was a lot of sweetness for me that often bothered me a bit and gave the wines a honeyed finish.
Reichsrat von Buhl
In the Pfalz, I found von Buhl's collection very surprising. For example, the 2020 Forster Pechstein:But the Jesuitengarten from the same vintage is also beautiful: waxy yellow-fruity nose, full on the palate, clear beeswax and some plum. Great stuff.
Christmann
Christmann's Idig 2021 has truly grown up: A restrained, somewhat alcoholic bouquet of ripe pure citrus fruits and a saltiness that tickles the nose. Behind it, it continues with slightly grassy fresh tones. On the palate, it remains in beautiful tension, balances the juicy acidity skilfully between a discreet tannin and fine ginger spiciness, rolls back over the freshly mown meadow once again and moves towards a stony, salty finish once more. Great wine.
Ökonomierat Rebholz
And of course I was delighted with Rebholz' Birkweiler Kastanienbusch 2021, which rounds it all off with 97 points: A cool yellow stone fruit comes out of the glass, paired with fine minerality. The palate is full and taut with cool green apple, an acidity that keeps everything in check. Nothing breaks apart, compact, you can really feel the sandstone lining your mouth, dry fine it goes into the finale. great wine.
Conclusion
With 241 wines tasted in three days, I'm only just over halfway through the entire range, but it couldn't have gone any faster. And even though I had to write my summary in such a short time, many wines have only been in the bottle for a few weeks and need their resting time and the right setting to open them and enjoy them with dignity. For they are all great, and have made it into the ranks of the Grosse Gewächse.
My personal favorites
Silvaner
2020 Stettener STEIN - Ludwig Knoll, Weingut am Stein
2021 Thüngersheimer ROTHLAUF - Rudolf May
Weisser Burgunder
2021 Godramsteiner MÜNZBERG SCHLANGENPFIFF - Münzberg, Gunter Kessler
Grauer Burgunder
2019 Oberrottweiler EICHBERG - Salwey
Chardonnay
2020 Oberrottweiler KIRCHBERG - Franz Keller
2020 Malterdinger BIENENBERG - Bernhard Huber
Spätburgunder
2020 Ingelheimer PARES - J. Neus
2019 Westhofener BRUNNENHÄUSSCHEN - Gutzler
2020 Nieder-Flörsheimer FRAUENBERG - Keller
2020 Hecklinger SCHLOSSBERG - Bernhard Huber
Riesling
2021 Hatzenporter KIRCHBERG - Heymann-Löwenstein
2021 Bockenauer FELSENECK - Schäfer-Fröhlich
2021 Monzinger HALENBERG - Emrich-Schönleber
2021 Niederhausener HERMANNSHÖHLE - Dönnhoff
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