1959 FK Schmitt Rehbach Feinste Auslese / 1986 Müller-Catoir Mussbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner TBA

Stephen Bitterolf and I met at Vom Boden World Headquarters to taste through 40+ samples sent to us from Germany (given we sadly can’t travel) for source | material. We tasted through four incredibly talented new producers and some library wines from a venerable estate. I can’t say which producers just yet until we have secured a working relationship. What I can say is that I was practically levitating with excitement over these wines! All are young producers not yet imported into the U.S. I can’t wait to get these into the U.S.!!

It is tough work tasting these many samples so we had to take a lunch break so we did #pizzastudy (Ralphs, Vinnys and Star Pizza) with this beautiful wine!

1959 Franz Karl Schmitt Nierstein Rehbach Feinste Auslese

Rehbach is a larger vineyard that has red slate. The Hipping, Pettenthal and Brudersbergs vineyards are within Rehbach. Not sure where this parcel lies maybe KP can add some color. As you might know Klaus-Peter Keller has some of the FK Schmitt Parcels.

The wine was still very much alive. Beautiful orange color, a lovely spicey character and a really cool mint component. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it paired wonderfully with Pizza.

At the conclusion of the tasting we opened the 1986 Müller-Catoir Mussbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner TBA

What a wine. All of the acid I love from Rieslaner in a thick almost motor oil looking color and texture. Everything you could want in a TBA.

I have been studying Hans-Gunter Schwarz and came across this beautiful article from Howard G. Goldberg (RIP).

Incidentally, Terry Thiese did a nice tribute to Mr. Goldberg https://www.terrytheise.com/post/an-appreciation

Some time back I popped a 1949 Franz Karl Schmitt Nierstein Kehr Beerenauslese, just brilliant. The color was so rich and then the palate… amazing. Unreal longevity in these wines and I can still recall the experience like it was yesterday.

The bottle took a beating over the years, did not affect the juice one iota.

And Thanks for the notes, it immediately brought me back in time.

That wine looks great, Rich. The 59 Feinst Auslese also had an orange color similar to that but now quite as intense.

TY, and that’s a bawler move, a 59 Auslese is your pizza wine Let me know the next time you order a pie, I’m headed over.

I couldn’t get over the color either. I think that may have been one of the few bottles that I actually just sat and watched decant lol.

It glowed in front of this lamp.

looks like you caught a sunset inside that decanter. great shot.

Robert, thank you for the great note on the 1959 Rehbach.

Anyway, my understanding was that while Hipping, Pettenthal, and Brudersberg are all been part of the post-1971 Rehbach, only Pettenthal was in the the pre-1971 Rehbach. Can anyone else confirm this?

That is a good question. I think the book I looked it up was post-71 edition of a book written pre-71. I am sure KP will know.