German Catalog 2006 USE THIS ONE.qxp - Michael Skurnik Wines

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NAHE WINES 112 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg. (It is fine with me if you want simply to call it “the Grafenberg spot”.) This is a steep southward hillside crawling off into two lateral valleys. The soil is based on sandy loam but, this being after all the Nahe, it ends up being a complicated melange of various weathered products, slate, sandstone and Rheingrafenberg Rock at Hexamer other conglomerates among them. The first time I sniffed a Hexamer from this site I was immediately delighted: a true terroir wine. In fact we took a PIC- TURE of a big ol’ rock from the Rheingrafenberg Harald keeps in his tasting room. It looks like something the Mars rover might have found. If you’re reading the on-line version of this text the color shot should be nearby. These wines have been consistently impressive for their dicht (which translates as “density”), delineation, and charm. Think about it. How many wines exhibit all three qualities? Density usually precludes charm. Delineation often presupposes a certain transparent lightness. These are rare and wonderful wines, sybarites; I’m not looking to add estates to this portfolio in my advancing decrepitude unless they offer irresistible deliciousness. Hexamer is emblematic of the best of cutting edge thinking among quality-minded vintners. He’s a vineyardist first, only thereafter a cellarmaster. “I can only attempt to optimize in the cellar what I pull from the vineyard; the quality of the grapes is decisive.” He often harvests riper grapes from another site (Marbach) but the wines of Rheingrafenberg are “more filigree and better- hexamer at a glance: en wines of terroir. structured.” He handles as little as possible. Doesn’t deacidify, doesn’t use dosage. The grapes are picked exclusively by hand and fermented very cold (below 12 degrees celsius) with cooling when necessary (“but we often pick so late we bring naturally cold fruit — below 10 degrees — back to the winery.”) Yields are controlled by pruning (“We often end up with only six to eight bunches per vine”). Most of the wines are whole-cluster pressed; “The most filigree wines come from this method.” 95% of all Rieslings are made in stainless steel, and only racked three to six weeks after fermentation is complete. The wines are bottled early to preserve their vigor. All quite modern, yet Hexamer’s not what I’d call a modernist. Rather, he seeks the most neutral cellar-environment so as to preserve the complexities he pulls in from the mountain. He’s also a fun guy to drink wine with, and shows ceaseless curiosity and omnivorous glee in all the world’s wines. Acidity has been a theme here the past three vintages, less for its actual extent and more for the way it behaves; Hexamer’s wines are (if you like them) “brilliant” and (if you don’t like them) “tart”. This was also the case in the generally low-acid 2005s. Mind you, I don’t actually know if the wines are high in acidity; they just taste that way. In fact I only ever ask to see analyses to confirm an impression or to have a starting point for dosage blends. My favorite growers hardly look at all. Dönnhoff told me last summer he never looks at analyses once the grapes are in the press. “I’ll check during harvest for Oechsle and acidity, but once the press is running how can it possibly help me to know the figures? I can’t do anything about them; all they do is cause me to worry needlessly.” For better or worse — in his case, better — he trusts his palate. And he’s influencing a young generation who are blessed with his encouragement to trust their wits and senses. Sensational new discovery on the upper Nahe, a young vintner doing everything right; handcrafted fruit-driv- Anti-varietal in the best sense, the same way that how the wines taste: Condrieu isn’t merely viognier; the best from the Rheingrafenberg are wines of deep site-character as rendered by riesling. Splendidly mineral wines into which fruit of great charm is interwoven. Fresh, with exceptional purity. GHX-023 2004 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Kabinett A delicate, intricately articulate Riesling with a keen curranty length; though it enters with an almost soy-shiitae low note, it quickly shows a quince-rosewater high note; it is a perfection of perhaps the most unique and precious facet of <strong>German</strong> Riesling; this gossamer lightness and laser-etching of flavor, but with endless length. SOS: 2 (between six and seventeen years) GHX-029 2005 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Kabinett There’s very little of this, and we won’t begin selling it until the `04 is gone — probably late Winter. It’s a no-quarter-given Riesling with a piercing flower and mineral fragrance; one of his first-picked, with 93º, from the Eisendell parcel, which is “not one of the best, but look at the ripeness!” It shows really zippy acids and a minty finish, like a verbena infusion poured over smashed rocks. You know you want it! SOS: 1 (6-23 years)
GHX-030 2005 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling “Quartzit” + CORE-LIST WINE. Absolutely euphoric appley nose; the palate is as fibrous as appleskins; picked at 96º; the whole thing unites an irrepressible bubbling-over fruitiness with a high-relief stoniness; this is the Dragonstone of the Nahe. It has almost lashing snap without actually high acidity. In short: WOW. SOS: 2 (7-23 years) GHX-032 2005 Schlossböckelheimer In Den Felsen Riesling Spätlese + An amazing maiden-voyage from a vineyard that was in some disrepair when our hero took it over; from near the end of the harvest, and a classic middle-Nahe fragrance, straw and sweet hay, Chinese 5-spice and star fruit, lavender; really, is there any greater soil for Riesling than these? This is fiendishly charming stuff, all the pulverized mineral juju of `05 with plummy fruit; great focus with gentle acids and balanced botrytis; stylish and complex. SOS: 2 (6-19 years) GHX-031 2005 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Spätlese* Here is `05 Nahe! Slim, fine fruit, botrytis concentration, talc, mint and salt. Final notes pending as he’s considering whether to add 10g or so of sweetness. I hope he does. GHX-033 2005 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Auslese 106º; a winsome, elegant feminine Auslese; penetrating iris and botrytis aromas; an elixir-like redux of mineral and malt; misses the sheer torque of a high-acid year, but shows a kind of repose and tenderness. SOS: 3 (7-20 years) GHX-027H 2004 Sobernheimer Marbach Riesling Auslese “Minus 7”, 12/375ml + You guessed it: picked at minus 7° Celsius, thus a “small” Eiswein with true Eiswein character, huge concentration, nearly mordant exactitude; an entrée to an exalted world at a very modest price. SOS: 3 (between thirteen and thirty-eight years) GHX-028H 2004 Sobernheimer Marbach Riesling Eiswein, 12/375ml ++ Here’s the big boy: a lychee sorbet in a lemon soup with candied lemon zest! SOS: 4 (between fifteen and forty years) GHX-034H 2005 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling BA*, 12/375ml Part raisined, part botrytis; and I like this clean malt flavor, I like how slim and spicy it is, and I love imagining what it will become. SOS: 4 (18-40 years) 113 NAHE WINES
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terry theise estate selections Impo
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ii “Within every effort there has
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iv contents Theise Manifesto . . .
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vi LET US WRITE YOUR ORDER FOR YOU!
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2 These things coincided with a dec
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4 View of the Mosel. human care and
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6 Continuing New Approach to Tastin
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8 Making the Case For German Wines
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10 I’m sure I didn’t convert th
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12 Principles of Selection in this
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14 Belgium, and they immediately ru
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16 Core-List Wines The core-list, w
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18 to know better) that the great d
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20 How I Approach Wine, or Let Wine
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22 time and lots of flavor. Due to
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24 SHORT-LIST FOR ROCKHEADS: Dr Dei
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26 “Antiques” 2001 has modestly
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28 Ah but this isn’t P.C., you se
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30 How German Wines Age To define a
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32 Label Basics German labels are s
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34 around until he gets fluent in t
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36 Plusses and The Quest For Perfec
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38 sommelier alert GSO-264 2005 Sel
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40 subject: why riesling? A) Becaus
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42 Treking up the Erdener Treppchen
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MOSEL WINES 44 Other Regionals from
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MOSEL WINES 46 could do was sit the
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MOSEL WINES 48 A Look At The Vineya
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MOSEL WINES 50 THE SPÄTLESEN GSO-2
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MOSEL WINES 52 SCHTICKIES! GSO-281
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MOSEL WINES 54 Erstwhile cellar-mas
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MOSEL WINES 56 it’s confusing. Me
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MOSEL WINES 58 alfred merkelbach mo
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MOSEL WINES 60 GME-135 2005 Ürzige
Page 70 and 71: MOSEL WINES 62 joh. jos. christoffe
Page 72 and 73: MOSEL WINES 64 GJC-146 2005 Erdener
Page 74 and 75: MOSEL WINES 66 Sleek, feminine, ele
Page 76 and 77: MOSEL WINES 68 he elects not to.
Page 78 and 79: MOSEL WINES 70 a.j. adam mosel •
Page 80 and 81: MOSEL WINES 72 changing; enterprisi
Page 82 and 83: MOSEL WINES 74 reuscher-haart mosel
Page 84 and 85: MOSEL WINES 76 hoffmann-simon •Vi
Page 86 and 87: MOSEL WINES 78 weingut ansgar clüs
Page 88 and 89: 80 Does this self-evident truth rea
Page 90 and 91: MOSEL WINES 82 carl loewen mosel
Page 92 and 93: MOSEL WINES 84 carl schmitt-wagner
Page 94 and 95: MOSEL WINES 86 karlsmühle-geiben r
Page 96 and 97: 88 Is all taste equally valid? Sure
Page 98 and 99: 90 mittelrhein wines In 1900 there
Page 100 and 101: MITTELRHEIN WINES 92 Bacharach, but
Page 102 and 103: MITTELRHEIN WINES 94 jost at a glan
Page 104 and 105: 96 nahe wines It is a joy to labor
Page 106 and 107: NAHE WINES 98 dönnhoff nahe • ob
Page 108 and 109: NAHE WINES 100 vintage happens befo
Page 110 and 111: NAHE WINES 102 GDH-172 2005 Estate
Page 112 and 113: NAHE WINES 104 helmut mathern nahe
Page 114 and 115: 106 the matter of “globalization
Page 116 and 117: NAHE WINES 108 jakob schneider nahe
Page 118 and 119: NAHE WINES 110 GJS-067 2005 Niederh
Page 122 and 123: NAHE WINES 114 kruger-rumpf nahe
Page 124 and 125: NAHE WINES 116 GKF-099 2005 Scheure
Page 126 and 127: NAHE WINES 118 viti-and-viniculture
Page 128 and 129: NAHE WINES 120 THE AMAZING TRIO OF
Page 130 and 131: RHEINHESSEN WINES 122 j.u.h.a. stru
Page 132 and 133: RHEINHESSEN WINES 124 started to wo
Page 134 and 135: RHEINHESSEN WINES 126 THE PATERBERG
Page 136 and 137: RHEINHESSEN WINES 128 wagner-stempe
Page 138 and 139: RHEINHESSEN WINES 130 GWG-016 2005
Page 140 and 141: RHEINHESSEN WINES 132 weingut oekon
Page 142 and 143: RHEINHESSEN WINES 134 gernot gysler
Page 144 and 145: RHEINHESSEN WINES 136 christian-wil
Page 146 and 147: 138 tasting versus drinking I once
Page 148 and 149: 140 rheingau wines Recently Jancis
Page 150 and 151: RHEINGAU WINES 142 josef leitz rhei
Page 152 and 153: RHEINGAU WINES 144 Rüdesheim Viney
Page 154 and 155: RHEINGAU WINES 146 On August 4th, 2
Page 156 and 157: RHEINGAU WINES 148 I did, and liked
Page 158 and 159: 150 why does place-specificity matt
Page 160 and 161: 152 pfalz wines In the pretty walle
Page 162 and 163: PFALZ WINES 154 müller-catoir pfal
Page 164 and 165: PFALZ WINES 156 THE NOT-DRY WINES!
Page 166 and 167: PFALZ WINES 158 josef biffar pfalz
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PFALZ WINES 162 board; these were t
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PFALZ WINES 164 eugen müller pfalz
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PFALZ WINES 166 GEM-080H 2005 Forst
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PFALZ WINES 168 Messmers use only o
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PFALZ WINES 170 theo minges pfalz
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PFALZ WINES 172 GTM-093 2005 Gleisw
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PFALZ WINES 174 Well, guess again.
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PFALZ WINES 176 kurt darting pfalz
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PFALZ WINES 178 GDR-143 2005 Dürkh
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Back Cover Photo: Deer resting in t
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German Catalog 2006 USE THIS ONE.qxp - Michael Skurnik Wines

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