Leaner than 11? That surprises me a bit. I had heard (and tasted a couple wines) that 12 was quite a bit better vintage, more intensity. Interested in more thoughts when you have a chance.
Cheers
Hi Alan,
The grapes in 2012 (for the most part) didn’t have as high Oechsle as 2011, But due to the much longer, cooler growing season, '12 had more aroma and intensity without the weight (and with a little more acidity). We grow wine, not Oechsle. 2011 is a big vintage, 2012 is a classic vintage.
Cheers,
Bill
What did you think of the new Weil winery?
Cheers,
Bill
Perhaps Bill has captured it better than I have. I did not mean to imply that 2012 is a lean-tasting vintage - it’s very balanced and plenty generous. Harmonious is the best I can put it. It’s more that in side by side comparisons, the '11s generally felt a touch fatter.
The Weil grounds are beautiful, and the tasting room stunning and modern (will post pics when I do my write-up). They still don’t take cash though, so I had to cut my order down to save us some Euros for meals that day. (I know, you guys tried to warn me.)
edited for dumb question
Tom, I missed your question. Maybe it’s not a dumb one - are you planning a trip to Germany? Happy to answer any question if you have one.
I’ve only had time to do part one of my Germany series on my blog so far, about stumbling into a wine fair in Koln, but I will get to the others. Busy summer, sorry!
Hi Alan,
Will enjoy reading your notes as they become available. For the record. The Frueh (sorry no umlauts available) in Fruehburgunder means “early” vs Spaet in spaetburgunder means late. I think I used to know but now don’t remember whether it’s an early ripening Pinot Noir clone or a separate variety. Anyone?
Yes, it’s an early-ripening pinot clone. I’ve only had a few. Rudolf Fürst makes a very impressive one from its main Centgrafenberg vineyard, but I think the grape is considered to yield more rustic wines than pinot/Spätburgunder (showing off my Umlauting abilities).
It’s a finicky grape, as I recall. And it’s particularly attractive to birds for some reasons, so you often find it protected with blue anti-bird netting, Sebastian Fürst told me.
Great read, Alan, look forward to seeing more.
A visit to Donnhoff was what got me into German wine. Hoping to make a bigger trip to the Mosel and Nahe in the next few years.
Thanks for reading and for the kind words everyone - I should have my next post ready within the next few days. Thanks also for the additional info on frühburgunder, very consistent with all I was told or observed for myself.
Okay, my post about the Rheingau is up, at www.amateurwino.com
The post includes photos and some travelogue/sample itinerary info. If you are just interested in TNs from my visit to Robert Weil, here they are:
2012 Weingut Robert Weil Riesling Trocken - Germany, Rheingau (5/21/2013)
Some floral on the nose, this is a solid gutswein. However, for the difference in price I recommend stepping up to the Kiedricher ortswein. 87 (87 points)
2012 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Riesling trocken - Germany, Rheingau (5/21/2013) Like the Rheingau bottling, this has floral qualities with a touch of herb on the nose, together with stoniness that I don’t often get from bottlings of this level. However this bottling is just richer and more complex on the nose. Fresh and light, transparent style. 88-89 (88 points)
2012 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Klosterberg Riesling Trocken - Germany, Rheingau (5/21/2013) An Erst Lage (1er cru-type) bottling, some of the grapes from this source go into the Kiedricher and Rheingau ortswein andgutswein bottling; selected lots go into this. [Tasting notes truncated]
2012 Weingut Robert Weil Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Rheingau (5/21/2013)Wonderful for a basic spatlese - very complex on the nose, ith floral and mineral qualities. Light and subtle in style, but just wonderful and delicate. 91-92 (91 points)
2012 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Klosterberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Rheingau (5/21/2013) Known for its fruitiness among the three Weil single vineyard bottlings, and it shows in the 2012.
2012 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling Spätlese -Germany, Rheingau (5/21/2013)
Known for its minerality, this has more of an earthy mineral quality on the nose compared to the Klosterberg. The 2012 showed a nice bit of perfume on the nose as well.
2012 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Rheingau (5/21/2013) Has a lovely nose - great complexity with hints of melon, and a fine and delicate stoniness, with a touch more perfume to the nose. A palpable step up from the 2 Erst Lage spatleses. 93-94 (93 points)
Bumping this very helpful thread because I may be visiting the region in late October, and would like to visit some wineries. How is that time for a visit? Will harvest mostly be over, or will they be in the thick of it? Hopeful it is a good time for places to receive visitors.
2014 started out as an early year (early budbreak, early flowering), but it wasn’t very warm during the summer, so it doesn’t look like it’ll be an exceptionally early harvest. That means that the quality producers will likely be picking in between mid-October and early November. So it can well be that in late October they’re in the middle of it.
I was there in late October 2011. There were in the thick of picking but we still had a very nice visit at Knebel in Wenningen, about 8 miles down the Mosel from Koblenz. I also had a visit planned one other place, I think steinmetz, but his crusher broke that morning and I decided not to waste his time talking to an American tourist when he had better things to do.
Today, it’s sunny late-summer weather in Trier. If it doesn’t rain too much in the coming days and weeks, we’re looking at the main Mosel Riesling harvest starting in mid-October. So, I agree with Steven. We had nice weather in the spring, but there was a lack of water. Now, there has been enough rain over the summer.
Where is a good place for dinner in or around Bernkastel? Looking for great food and great wine list, preferably with older vintages.
A few recs here. I can’t recall much about Wein und Tafelhaus’ wine list but the food and service was pretty good, more or less in line with my expectations of a 1-starred place.
David
Not a lot of inspired dining right in Bernkastel. That being said I have had some fun evenings and good food at Graacher Tor right in the village. Don’t miss Café Hansen right on the main square in the old town. It’s always my first stop for Café und Kuchen. A more upscale dining experience albeit pricy is at the Hotel Richtershof in Muehlheim just across the river from Lieser. I also had a very good meal some years ago with Gerhard Grans (owner of Grans-Fassian). I don’t remember the name but I think the Restaurant was in Trittenheim.