I spent three weeks in July in German wine country, mainly because I haven’t been there in 25 years, and there have been so many changes in the industry, I wanted to see for myself what is going on. Trocken Riesling is now dominating the scene, and they were all glorious - but it was the Spatburgunders that I was most excited to try. I didn’t want to post this in the Wasenhaus thread, so I am doing a separate post. Stayed North because I really wanted to visit some of my old favorites, but it was a wonderful, eye opening trip - notes are short, scores are conservative -
WEINGUT CHRISTIAN BAMBERGER
Sobernheim (Nahe Valley), Germany
Christian Bamberger produces big, new world styled wines, the Cabernets in barrel from his cellar were bold and thick. The Pinot Noirs show nice concentration and richness.
2022 SPATBURGUNDER “Nahe Valley” CASK SAMPLE
100% Pinot Noir, fruit sourced from estate vineyard in Schlossbockelheim with volcanic soils. Big, rich, jammy fruit, beautiful, very new world - 88-90
2022 SPATBURGUNDER “Nahe Valley”
100% Pinot Noir, aged in French oak casks (made in Portugal!). Prettier than the cask sample, more red fruits, not jammy - quite nice - 88-90
2021 SCHLOSSBOCKELHEIM “Nahe Valley” TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir, aged 12 months in French oak casks. Fruit sourced from Schlossbockelheim. Soft, red currants, medium bodied, quite extracted and very good. 87-89
2021 SCHLOSSBOCK “Nahe Valley” TROCKEN ‘QX’
100% Pinot Noir. Aged for 8 months in French oak casks (50% new). Big red fruits, woodsy, rich, not jammy, nice length - 89-90
2021 VULKANGESTEIN “Nahe Valley” TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir aged 18 months in new French oak casks. Absolutely beautiful fruit. 90-92
2016 SPATBURGUNDER “Nahe Valley” TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir aged 24 months in NEW French oak casks. Oaky nose, tight red fruit, woodsy on the palate, clean plum/red berries/cherries - tannic. 88-89
WEINGUT DR. CORVERS-KAUTER
Oestrich-Winkel (Rheingau), Germany
Now led by Dr Matthias and Brigitte Corvers, these are classy, beautifully made wines. The estate purchased a large chunk of Langwerth Von Simmern’s vineyards (including Marcobrunn).
2021 ASSMANSHAUSEN “Rheingau”
100% Pinot Noir. Stunning aromatics, nice extract, fat on the palate, soft with considerable length. Really pretty, lovely - needs time to really blossom. 88-90
2022 SPATBURGUNDER “Rheingau” PN
100% Pinot Noir. More wood on the nose, soft, silky on the palate, pretty, nice acidity. Berries galore. 88-90
2019 DRACHENSTEIN “Rheingau”
100% Pinot Noir. Beautiful red berry fruits on the nose - a gorgeous sweetness on the palate. 90-92
2018 HOLLENBERG “Rheingau”
100% Pinot Noir. Red berry aromas, follows through on the palate, ready to drink. 87-89
2022 DRACHENSTEIN “Rheingau”
100% Pinot Noir. Wow, blue/black fruit, stunning, great depth. 90-92
2022 HOLLENBERG “Rheingau”
100% Pinot Noir. Pretty, great color, beautiful, stunning. 90-92
WEINGUT HANS CRUSIUS
Traisen (Nahe Valley), Germany
Dr Peter Crusius is a very gifted winemaker, just like his father. Why don’t these guys have an American importer? The wines are so pristine. Their '22 Spatburgunder was one of the highlights of my trip -
2022 SPATBURGUNDER “Nahe Valley” TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir aged 15 months in 300 liter oak casks, black plum and red fruits, woodsy, great length, layers in the mouth - stunning - 90-92
WEINGUT DIEFENHARDT
Eltville (Rheingau), Germany
Really elegant wines - their Pinot Noirs were very Burgundian -
2021 SPATBURGUNDER “Rheingau” TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir. Martinsthal vines/100% grey slate soils. Aged in small French oak barrels, gorgeous, light in color, lovely berry aromas - 87-89
2020 WILDSAU “Rheingau” TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir, aged in small French oak barrels. 30 year old vines. Dark color, deep red berries, spicy, young, soft tannins, nice touch of acidity. 14% 88-90
WEINGUT DISIBODENBERG
Odernheim am Glan (Nahe Valley), Germany
A large, historic estate - their Pinot Noirs were new world in style, jammy and a bit one dimensional -
2022 MONTFORTE “Nahe Valley” TROCKEN PN
100% Pinot Noir, tight red fruit, some tannin, red berry palate - 86-87
2022 LANGENBERG “Nahe Valley” TROCKEN PN
100% Pinot Noir, Aged in oak casks, woodsy/smoky/tightly wound, needs time, red berries on the finish - 87-88
WEINGUT JOACHIM FLICK
Wicker (Rheingau), Germany
Current owner of the famous Victoriaberg in Hochheim, and a very large estate. Their Rieslings are soft and gentle, as are their red wines.
2022 SPATBURGUNDER “Rheingau” VOM KALK TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir, deep red fruit, soft acids, silky mouth feel, very nice. 87-89
WEINGUT GEORG MULLER
Hattenheim (Rheingau), Germany
Another historic estate, a VDP member, and producer of some very serious Pinot Noirs. The Engelmannsberg was absolutely superb -
2021 SPATBURGUNDER “Rheingau” EDITION PW
Limousin Oak for 10 months. nice aromatics and color - 88-89
2019 SPATBURGUNDER “Rheingau” ARTISTS SERIES
Limousin oak for 10 months. Gorgeous, tightly wound, great fruit - 87-88
2020 SPATBURGUNDER “Rheingau” ENGELMANNSBERG
50% new/50% one year old French barriques. Big, great length, Premier Cru quality - old vines. 90-92
WEINGUT GINDORF
Lieser (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer), Germany
American ex-pats here - soft, forward wines -
2022 SPATBURGUNDER “Mosel-Saar-Ruwer” TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir, fermented and aged in stainless steel. Surprising extract, deep color, wow, deep black fruits - 87-89
2022 SPATBURGUNDER “Mosel-Saar-Ruwer” BARRIQUE
100% Pinot Noir aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. Lovely color, lots of red berry fruits, a serious little wine - 90-92
WEINGUT GOLDATZEL
Geisenheim (Rheinhau), Germany
Johannes Groß has taken over winemaking at this 16th century estate near Johannisberg from his Father, and is producing, lovely, pristine wines -
2022 SPATBURGUNDER “Rheingau” ALTE REBEN
100% Pinot Noir from 50+ year old vines on a site dominated by quartz soils. Deep red berries, bright with superb depth. 90-91
2022 SPATBURGUNDER “Rheingau” KLAUSERWEG TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir, aged for 12 months in small French oak barrels, 2/3rds new. Racked and moved to stainless steel tanks for 6 months before bottling. A brilliant wine the domaine feels is their best Pinot Noir. Great fruit. 92-94
WEINGUT ROBERT KONIG
Rosenheim (Rheingau), Germany
The first serious Pinot Noirs I had tasted from Germany was from Robert Konig, some 25+ years ago. Son Philipp has taken over, and making a shitload of Pinot Noirs from all the great ‘Cru’ sites in Aussmannshausen. These are lean, focused wines that need a lot of time -
2023 HOLLENBERG “Rheingau” ROYAL
100% Pinot Noir. Grand Cru Vineyard at Aussmannshausen. Very pretty/light/fresh - no oak 86-88
2022 DRACHENSTEIN “Rheingau” PUR
100% Pinot Noir. Grand Cru Vineyard at Aussmannshausen. 18 months in oak, big nose, lovely acidity, medium bodied - 87-89
2022 FRANKENTHAL “Rheingau” PUR
100% Pinot Noir. Grand Cru Vineyard at Aussmannshausen. 18 months in oak, red slate, great acidity, needs time 86-88
2022 HOLLENBERG “Rheingau” PUR
100% Pinot Noir. Grand Cru Vineyard. Tannic, tightly wound, needs time 86-88
2022 DRACHENSTEIN “Rheingau” EMPOR
100% Pinot Noir. Grand Cru Vines. Tart fruit, lots of spice. 86-88
2021 FRANKENTHAL “Rheingau” EMPOR
100% Pinot Noir. Grand Cru Vines, lean, focused, fat fruit on the palate 87-89
2022 HOLLENBERG “Rheingau” EMPOR
100% Pinot Noir. Grand Cru Vineyard at Aussmannshausen. Soft, pretty, not as tannic as the other ‘22 offerings. Nice acidity 87-89
2022 DRACHENSTEIN “Rheingau” ZENIT
100% Pinot Noir. Grand Cru Vineyard at Aussmannshausen. 45 year old vines. New oak, woodsy red fruits. nice length, 87-89
2022 FRANKENTHAL “Rheingau” ZENIT
100% Pinot Noir. Grand Cru Vines, red fruits, medium fruit, nice finish. 86-88
2022 HOLLENBERG “Rheingau” ZENIT
100% Pinot Noir. 60 year old Grand Cru Vines, red berries, tight, tannic, nice length, round mouthfeel - 87-89
WEINGUT MAXIMIN GRUNHAUS
Mertesdorf (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer), Germany
This has always been my favorite winery in Germany - and this is the first time I’ve tasted their Pinot Noirs - did not disappoint -
2022 PINOT NOIR “Mosel-Saar-Ruwer” TROCKEN
100% Abstberg fruit, aged for 20 months in German oak barrels (sourced from the forest behind the winery. Deep berries, oak on the nose, soft, silky, young and sexy - 90-92
2022 PINOT NOIR “Mosel-Saar-Ruwer” ABSTBERG GG
The best barrels of the vintage, Monster nose, tons of red fruits, great length on the palate at this young of age - Vosne Romanee? Woodsy - 92-94
REICHSRAT VON BUHL
Deidesheim (Rheinpfalz), Germany
2021 SPATBURGUNDER “Pfalz” TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir, light berries on the nose, medium fruit, aged in 500 Liter oak barrels. soft and silky, pretty - 86-88
2021 SPATBURGUNDER “Pfalz” RESERVE TROCKEN
100% Pinot Noir aged for 14 months in new oak barriques, woodsy/tight, just a brute, quite tannic, tight, give it time - 87-89
SOLVEIGS
Geisenheim (Rheingau), Germany
Jens Heinemeyer is a professor at the University of Geisenheim and a fascinating guy, and these were the finest Pinot Noirs of my trip - just magical wines -
2021 PHYLLIT “Aussmanshausen”
100% Pinot Noir. The winery’s ‘Village’ wine. Aged two years in French, German and Czech oak barriques. A mix of old and new barrels (30% new). Pretty, deep in color, young with superb length. 90-92
2020 STEIL “Aussmanshausen”
100% Pinot Noir. Fatter and richer than the ‘Phyllit’ - lovely fruit. 91-93
2020 MICKE “Aussmanshausen”
100% Pinot Noir. Again black fruits, stunning richness wound so tight - great length 91-93
2019 MICKE “Aussmanshausen”
100% Pinot Noir. Much more upfront fruit. ‘Wow’ aromatics, layers of red fruits. 91-93
2020 PRESENT “Aussmanshausen"
Dark, gorgeous, deep concentration - black plums. 92-94
