I bought some 22 Ludes Kab “Terrassen” from Flatiron (NYC) and took delivery recently. I was a huge fan of the 21 as well as the 21 “Monster” and drank them lustfully in their youths. The 22 is nice and has many admirable qualities, but it is much bonier than the 21s, which had awesome levels of extract to go with the faceripping acids (my face needs a good ripping from time to time). Like the 21s, the 22 is rather reduced and needs air. Based on this one example, I prefer the 21s.
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I prefer the 2021’s too. But the 2022 ‘Monster’ is really good and accessible. But to my understanding the the amount of residual sugar is also less by quite a margin in that cuvée.
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There are two monsters in 22, Kabinett and Feinherb.
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I was talking about the Kabinett.
I have been a Hermann Ludes fan since Jin at Noreetuh gave me the tip off… which was probably right around when the Riesling lord posted this thread.
Anyways, cracked this puppy last night and wowzers.
More acid than a 1970’s Grateful Dead show.
Julian Ludes passed along what his uncle Hermann related: ‘At the annual spring festival of new wines in the village, all the other growers asked me, ‘How can you plan to bottle a sour thing like that?’ and I said, ‘It’s not for drinking right now.’’
I get why acid is called acid now… cause this made my head spin and my eyes bug out with color. Like if you juiced a thousand Green Apple sour patch kids and blended it with gravel, this would be the result. It makes Boony Doon’s Picpoul seem tame. No joke, despite the very friendly 9.5% ABV, I had to tap out after two glasses and could still feel the acid a couple hours later. Certainly not a wine for everyone, or probably even most people, but I LOVED it. It was a bit tight at first but really blossomed with some air. What a treat.
Cannot wait to come back to this in 20 years and see what it’s like. (I even put a label on it that says: Enjoy with Turbot and the Beurre-est Blanc!)
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Sour patch kids and gravel…no thanks.
That may be his idiosyncratic tasting note descriptor style. I assume you have had Ludes wines, if not this particular bottling?
Looks like he had a 2013, not sure if I’ve had that. But in general, the ones I’ve had were not particularly ‘challenging’. The crystalline energy of Falkenstein but with Middle Mosel (friendlier) body. Easy to like. Although of course everyone will love different things.
I have sampled a few bottles.
I despise sour patch kids, so…
So does that mean you did not like the wines AND you thought they tasted like Sour Patch Kids?
Personally, I’m a big fan of Ludes and would never think to describe them as tasting like sour patch kids or gravel.
Maybe I have different ways of thinking about those descriptors, but that’s always the case, as we all know…
I was indifferent to the wines I tried. I did not think of sour patch kids when drinking the few I tried. I just dislike sour patch kids in general, and so if a wine is described with them it is a negative for me.
It’s also worth noting that while I like a solid acid backbone in my Rieslings, I am not one who craves acidity at all costs. I prefer there be balance in the force.
There’s so much good riesling out there, I would never question your palate for not loving Ludes.
I just don’t think their wines are acid bombs. They show plenty of ripe middle-Mosel body, with a bit more restraint than some. But maybe we’re splitting hairs here. We all have our own tastes.
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I am not trying to imply that Ludes wines are generally acid bombs. I am just reacting to a tasting note that, if accurate, describes a wine I would reject as unbalanced. Please don’t take comments on a single tasting note and try to extrapolate them to all wines from a given producer.
Quite jelly.
Wow, looks like I really opened a bag of sour worms. 
This particular bottling is certainly an atypical Hermann Ludes offering in regards to its extremely high level of acid. Any other bottle I’ve had has been more or less as expected. That said, if you do want to try something a bit more unique, the 2013 is a great offering that I think could be exceptional in another decade or two.
I have to say I love this exact wine. It is a fascinating blend of acid, RS and tertiary flavors from the 10 years of age. With that said this is NOT for everyone it is off the charts acidic and really needs the right food pairing.
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- 2020 Weingut Hermann Ludes Thörnicher Ritsch Riesling Spätlese trocken - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (4/26/2024)
A little sponti on the nose. On the palate, there is white fruit, a hint of citrus, a firm mineral spine, racy acidity, but just a touch of RS to keep everything in balance. Dry finish with herbs. Real complexity, perhaps the sponti funk on the nose is coloring my perception of the palate, but it isn't too obtrusive. Not as lean or as razor-sharp as I expected; surprisingly generous and easy to drink
Posted from CellarTracker
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2020 isn’t a lean/razor sharp vintage (actually the more 2020 I drink the less I like the vintage overall - going to mostly put stuff aside, and hope for the best), so it’s not surprising.
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I ended up buying quite a bit of '20s because of closeouts (across a range of producers), so here’s hoping they develop into something interesting. I have liked some quite a bit though ('20 AJ Adam Dhroner Hofberg Kabinett was one that stood out to me).
Mostly I’ve been drinking Steinmetz ‘20s recently and have been enjoying them. Still showing well with good cut and balance.
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Love Steinmetz!