FYI Jay, Kunstler is now in the Theise portfolio.
A 2007 von Volxem - Goldberg “P” (Grosse Lage) showed very well in January. The texture was rich (it reminded me of a Savenniere), with a bit of residual sugar, I think (the alcohol was just 12%). It was complex and seemed pretty mature, but I’m not rushing to drink my last bottle.
good news, maybe I’ll start seeing it again. Not that I need more wine…
I don’t want to pick on you, but I think you mean either Van Volxem’s 2007 Goldberg or Scharzhofberger P. (For those who don’t know, the “P” stands for Pergentsknopp, which is a place name in the top section of the Scharzhofberg.)
Many 2008 GG are wonderful today. Underrated when young. Hölle from Künstler is a wow. 2007 on the other hand is maturing very fast. I would recommend drink up. Generally GG is best drunk young or after 6 to 8 years in the cellar. Some may last longer but I think they will not benefit from longer cellaring.
I don’t have a lot of experience with aged GGs (or EGs or GLs), but I would think it would be hard to generalize across the regions.
John,
generalizations are always difficult. That´s true. But it´s also difficult to write 50 sentences every time …
You also have to take into consideration that many winemakers constantly have improved since the Grosses Gewächs regulations were implemented not that long ago.
Many experiments have been done and much have been learned
This means that recent vintages might be of much higher quality than older ones.
By the way, that’s a good analogy with Savennières. The style at Van Volxem has changed a little since 2008. The top wines tend to be drier and a little less rich. And while 12 percent alcohol isn’t high, it isn’t low for a dry-tasting Saar Riesling. I should add, too, that I meant Pergentsknopp is the highest part of this famous hillside. It’s a very good site, but it wasn’t a part of the old Scharzhofberg vineyard.
Yes, this was the Goldberg. I mistakenly wrote the P in my tasting notes.
Wawener Goldberg is a top site and unknown to most buyers of German Riesling.
I’m not equipped to get in a chemistry debate with chemists or a winemaking debate with winemakers, but I just gotta say it would take a lot to convince me that a strong sulfur smell in a wine we know is made with sulfur is not, in fact, sulfur, but the result of a native-yeast fermentation, despite the fact that native-yeast fermentations are done all over the world while the sulfur smell in question appears confined to Germany.
Paging Lars…
I don’t want to rehash all the arguments, but Ulli Stein, who is a scientist and winemaker, gives us a number of different reasons for the stink, which isn’t always the pungent matchstick smell from sulfur or the rotten-egg stench from hydrogen sulfide. That’s what Peter Liem was saying about certain young Mosel Rieslings, especially from J.J. Prüm and Nik Weis. I would also recommend reading the ensuing comments from various readers, including Terry Theise, who bring up some excellent points as well.
I wish I knew more about chemistry. That said, I think the high acidity and low pH of Mosel Riesling from slate soils plays an important factor in making fresh, stable, and delicate dry and sweet wines. The same applies to the Mittelrhein, as well as parts of the Rheingau and Nahe. (At a low pH, such as 3 and under, the free SO2 is much more effective against microbial growth and oxidation. By picking healthy grapes and processing them quickly and gently, a winemaker can add less SO2 and have a better ratio of free to bound SO2. The latter binds with various products from fermentation, most notably acetaldehyde, which, at high levels, can give the wine an off-putting sherry tone.) So why do certain Mosel Rieslings, usually sweet wines, have a stink? This might be due to sulfur but also volatile and reductive aromas that were halted during fermentation.
I Googled this topic and came across an article on sulfur compounds in wine and a piece by Stuart Pigott on sulfur.
On a side note, there’s an older thread about this topic.
There are so many variables to winemaking and how and when SO2 is used that it is one of the most fascinating aspects of wine.
Two winemakers and I had a conversation with Hans-Josef Becker about his sulfur use and I can’t recall the exact details but we were all shocked at how much SO2 he used and when in the process he used it versus how little free SO2 was left in the bottled wines. His young wines did not have any sulfur taste to me; however, I am sure a winemaker could detect it. The PH, exposure to oxygen and so many other variables come in to play. I should also add we all know how well his wines age, Kabinetts from the 70s are unbelievably fresh.
My point is that I think a wine with a small amount of SO2 may end up smelling like sulpher due to other factors and a wine with very high SO2 might not.
2015 Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Spatlese and 2015 Max. Ferd. Richter Veldenzer Elisenburg Kabinett (both Mosel) are stunning right now. I don’t see how they can improve. Other 2015s I’ve had: Prum, Zilliken Kabinetts are pretty tightly wound and do need time.
Isn’t the whole point of native yeast fermentation that it’s native/unique and not universal? In other words, the use of a universal, cultured yeast in these German wine cellars would more strongly support your assertion that yeast do not contribute to the sulfur smell.
I had the 2015 Prum Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett several weeks ago, and it was stunning!
Got 4 bottles of this! It was stunning when I had it during a 2015 tasting.
So I asked the main UK importer which of his flock - (which includes pretty much all quality producers) use Sussreserve.
He thinks the answer is none.
So can anyone name one?