I’ve been wanting to do this tasting for a while as the Spat Feins in the Falkenstein line-up have been some of my favorites. The biggest barrier has been trying to get all 3 bottlings in the same vintage. I made a concerted effort to make it happen for the 2021s and here we are.
AP 3 Palm - Exuberant citron and lemon. The most fruit forward of the 3. Very zesty acidity and finishes with brightness and freshness.
AP 4 Onkel Peter - The fruit here leaned more towards apricots and stone fruits. Something almost smokey but cool. A slight shiso aroma. The fruit and flavors really fills the mouth. Of the 3 the one that was drinking the best young.
AP 11 Meyer Nepal - This leaned towards asian pear and pear skin aromas with a slately, wet stone minerality. Very dense on the palate, like there was a lot there that was still left to uncoil. I’d leave this one alone for a while and it’s quite a spectaculr wine that we opened probably a bit too early.
I really enjoyed this tasting and it was amazing to see the differences between the AP #s all within the Herrenberg vineyard. I loved all 3 and the 2021s are certainly worth seeking out.
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Very fun, love these wines.
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Very cool. Tasting Onkel Peter and Meyer Nepal side by side was very illuminating for me as well.
I remember Lars saying the Meyer Nepal parcel is a higher elevation parcel with more exposure to wind and cool air, and it was interesting to see how that affected the wine, and then comparing it to Onkel Peter, which seemed more straightforward and open. Meyer Nepal definitely felt denser, almost brooding. I think Lars’s descriptor of “icy” works well.
Unfortunately, I only got two bottles of Palm. I didn’t see much of it when the '21 Falkensteins got released and quite frankly was lucky to get what I got. I think Lars said the Palm parcel was relatively small and that it doesn’t produce enough for a single cask, so they actually blend it with grapes from other parcels, but I might be wrong. I’m sure he will correct once he sees this thread.
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Thanks @Daniel_Kim for sharing these bottles, quite the treat to drink them next to each other! While I felt they were each distinctive and showed different personalities, you honestly won’t be disappointed if you get to drink any of these on their own. Sharing my takes on these three as well:
2021 Palm - Peach, almond oil, bright florals. The most delicious of the three due to it’s approachability and fruity appeal.
2021 Onkel Peter - Lemon Lime, jasmine tea, slate mineral with bright acidity and a tinge of smokiness. The most complex of the three, it felt like it was shape shift between sips. This was my favorite.
2021 Meyer Nepal - Underripe pear, salty minerality, lemon peel. I noticed some bubbles which stayed in the glass after poured initially, but didn’t have any real impact on the palate. The most concentrated and intense of the three, I felt this probably would have a lot more to give with more time.
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You are correct. Palm is a small plot. We harvest the grapes with the nearby parcel nicknamed Meyer Sydney. Both have old vines in the western part of Herrenberg.
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Thanks for sharing. I too love the Spat feinherbs as well. Haven’t been able to collect all 3 except for 2020. Maybe I’ll do a side by side one day.
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Onkel Peter is a Kabinett feinherb in 2022 as it was in 2016.
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I’m curious why Onkel Peter was a Kabinett feinherb in 2022 and in 2016? Just the nature of the grapes in 2022 and 2016 from the Onkel Peter parcel? Lower sugar levels than normal?
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That’s a really good question. In both 2022 and 2016, the must weights were a little over 80 degrees Oechsle for Onkel Peter. But, more important, we just felt like the wines tasted more like a Kabinett than a Spätlese.
In past vintages, we could have labeled all three Spätlese feinherb wines—Onkel Peter, Meyer Nepal, and Palm—as Kabinett feinherb with must weights from the low to mid-80s. The decision comes down to taste.
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Thanks Lars, that’s really interesting. I always learn a lot reading your posts. I didn’t realize until now that Kabinett on the high end and Spatlese on the low end actually can overlap in Oechsle.
In circumstances when that happens and the Webers can make a choice on whether to label something Spatlese feinherb or Kabinett feinherb, are there particularly characteristics they are looking for? Like the perceived weight of the wine on the palate, or a certain perception of ripeness, that makes them decide to label it either Spatlese or Kabinett (or perhaps some other factors)?
Also, as a related follow-up, with the choice between labeling a wine trocken versus feinherb versus a straight pradikat wine, is it based only on the perceived dryness versus sweetness of the wine when tasting it or are there other considerations?
My pleasure. The official minimum must weights for a Mosel Riesling Kabinett and Spätlese are a very low 73 and 80 degrees Oechsle, respectively. Most Kabinetts from top producers are anywhere between 80 and 85 degrees Oechsle in most vintages. There are exceptions. Certain producers tend to harvest in the sub-80s, others in the high 80s.
The Webers have rarely ever harvested grapes below 80, and they like to have their Kabinetts anywhere between 80 and 85. But, that said, some Spätlesen are in this range depending on the vintage. As you mentioned, the “perception of ripeness” can help determine if a wine is either a Kabinett or Spätlese.
A legally dry wine has to be below 10 grams of sugar per liter. As for labeling a wine “feinherb” versus a straight Prädikat wine, the level of residual sugar plays a role but also “the perceived dryness versus sweetness of the wine.”
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Really fascinating. Thank you again for sharing. I always appreciate the information you provide on this forum.
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I should add that total acidity and pH are other important metrics.
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Awesome @Daniel_Kim. I have the same line up ready to go for the summer. Just have to find the right time.
2021 Palm was hard to find in the U.S.
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MFW received the largest allocation of 2021 Palm.
