Just for fun, here’s the crazy lineup from that visit with August Kesseler:
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Thatcher’s today had some Wasenhaus on pre arrival and it got wiped out quick. So glad I was able to grab some, I suppose some of you did too.
All of it, except the entry level cuvee, was gone in under 15 minutes. I asked Thatcher if it really sold out that quickly or if I’m just not looking in the right place. He said he sold out of over 100 bottles right away.
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2017 Dr. Heger last night. It was good. But as with many of the Spatburgunders I’ve had recently, it was not exciting. I’ve been buying Spatburgunders the past couple years, as I think there are people doing interesting things with German Pinot. That being said, and I’m painting with a broad brush here…and I hate it when Berserkers make sweeping claims…i’m finding the wines interesting, but not really exciting. Granted there’s a world of Spatburgunders I’ve not tried, but the only ones thus far that have have excited me are Rudolf Furst and Wasenhaus. Oh well, carry on.
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I totally get that. I number of Spatburgunders I have had were not exciting. Well made and no flaws but not exciting. Interestingly the Lardot I mentioned above would probably score 3-5 points below some of these wines but yet I found it extremely exciting…
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Pretty much my sentiments- well-made, no flaws, etc…will look out for Lardot.
I will just mention it again. If anyone stumbles upon a 2021 Spätburgunder from Lassak then buy it. Most excited I’ve been about Spätburgunder since I found Wasenhaus.
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The majority of Spatburgunder is still pretty boring.
The excitement is over the ‘new wave’ producers. Heger isn’t on my list.
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WoW! I need to try this.
Tell your friends in Bordeaux. 
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That will be very easy, not many on the list 
Actually @Russell_Faulkner, you have tasted more vintages from Lassak. Is 2021 an outlier or are the quality consistent?
I only go back to 19. I’d say it’s pretty consistent.
Thanks Russell. By the way, if you moved your shop to Denmark they would sell out in no time 
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If I was in Copenhagen I’d have to use an importer…
I do have one regular who usually picks up Lassak.
Ill keep fighting the good fight!
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2021 Keller „Dalsheim BÜRGEL“ Spätburgunder GG
First, you can taste the love of Felix&KP Keller for Burgundy. As I said before, how impressive the german Spätburgunder changed in the last years thanks to climate change, new skills, new mindset, new generation and leave behind the
oaky&alcoholic versions from the past. Fair to say the Keller Spätburgunder were always different.
I tasted this „Dalsheimer Bürgel“ already in March at the yearly barrel tasting at the estate Keller. Like in March, I love the drinking pleasure (!), finesse, elegance, lightness of being and freshness. Flavors of wild strawberry, juniper/cranberry, spice and your palate will be wrapped in silk.
Beautiful to drink right now despite the youth, clearly no mistake to open a bottle in the coming days, weeks and months ahead. You will taste all the complexity, facets&layers and you will get a good glimpse of the future.
Worth to mention also the grip and vivid tannins of this classic&cold and challenging vintage. The winemakers had to fight for ripeness regarding their Spätburgunders in 2021.
P.S.
KP told us in March that 2022 will be the best ever Spätburgunder vintage in Germany. Like our football legend Franz Beckenbauer always said: „Schau’n wir mal……“
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P.S.
Again, I have to highlight the huge impact of climate change regarding the rise of German Spätburgunder.
I am remembering a couple of years ago KP told me that his grandfather was very skeptical (!) when he planted Spätburgunder vines, as the grandfather told KP:
„this will never get ripe,“
„das wird doch nicht reif“.
Reporting live from the frontlines! Tonight is my big Spätburgunderstudy party at Die Mosel. We will taste casually over 40 wines dating back as far as 1990. There is significant interest here in Spätburgunder as the event is way oversold with a long waitlist. Several winemakers and sommeliers will be in attendance. And a number of winemakers, including Julian Haart, who are out of town sent wines!
Yesterday in my quest for Spätburgunder we visited the Ahr. Sadly the only visit I had scheduled was cancelled last minute due to illness. It was my first time visiting and I simply cannot imagine how these stunning old vineyards can’t make great Pinot. Unfortunately top producers here still use too much oak and extraction. I went to the top restaurant in the area with an extensive Ahr section, told the somm what type of Pinot I was looking for, gave him some examples of German Pinot I like and told him what I did not like about prior Ahr wines. To his credit he said all of their Ahr wines have more oak than you want.
We did settle on a 2015 Julie Bertram Mönchberg. It was a beautiful wine! Soaring aromatics. Perfect balance. Delicious. Soft tannins. Sadly this is who I was suppose to meet for appointment. We vowed to come back because of this wine!
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Julia Bertram is a great winemaker. No doubt about that.
Looking forward to hear what wines you will pour and how they perform. Too bad I wasn’t able to pack up a nice selection of Spätburgunder and come join (I will drink some amazing wines today and tomorrow, so guess I will survive ).