Our tasting group got together to go through ten 2021 Falkensteins with some KBBQ (thanks @Daniel_Kim). A fun session, general impressions were that they were all tasty and acidities were firm but altogether delightful. Onkel Peter is what hooked me into the Feinherb world & I was reaffirmed again how stunning it can be. I’m only a few years into this riesling journey, so my notes are mostly for my own reference. Sharing them in case it’s useful for you all!
Landwein - petnat. Hazy pale yellow. French loaf, yeasty. Zesty lemon. Mint. Better than I thought it would be, reminds of a top flight sour beer.
Neidermenniger Sonnenberg Kabinett Trocken AP 9 Munny - Lime peel, some weight on the palate. Underripe pear. Zippy.
Krettnacher Auf Dem Holzchen Kabinett Trocken AP 21- Key lime flesh, tastes a touch fruitier and just a hair sweeter than the other trockens. Perfumed honeysuckle flowers. My favorite of the trockens.
Krettnacher Ober Schafershaus Spatlese Trocken AP18- dense fruit profile on the nose, white peach. Bright with a blast of mineral accents with the grapefruit peel, but comes off a little austere. Needs time, I see the potential.
Niedermenniger Herrenberg Rose trocken AP 23 - strawberry, brisk acidity, finishes with some saline. Good albeit basic. If we didn’t have a 10 bottle line up of falkenstein, could easily see this getting crushed on this warm summer day.
Niedermenniger Im kleinshock Kabinett AP 20 - Perfectly ripe white peach, sweetness and acidity are in playful balance. River stone mineral finish. Tasty, very approachable. Drink this all day everyday by anyone. Wine nerds to wine newbies, who wouldn’t enjoy this?
Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kabinett AP12 Kugel Peter - A touch of sulfur? or funk on the nose compared to the others. Whipped cream. Thyme. Pear and lime. Least favorite of the 3 kabinett. But #1 kabinett for others. Polarizing wine.
Krettnacher Euchariusberg Kabinett AP 8 Gisela - Apricot, mint, almond, white flowers, marzipan. Nose is incredible and ever changing. Could just sit and smell this all day. Creamy mouth feel at the start, finishes with brisk acidity and a touch of salinity. Pear, apricot fruitiness. Kaleidoscope of flavor. Ridiculous. Wow. All the superlatives. Easily wine of the day…until I drank Onkel Peter…
Horsepower 2013 Grenache - Violets, lavender, dark ripe Plum, blackberry. Perfumed, finish goes on and on. Minerality like licking some rocks… Drinking very well on pop and pour to go with Kalbi. Sad I stopped buying because the iron funk was much too strong in its youth. Will enjoy the few in have left.
Niedermenniger Herrenberg Spatlese Feinherb AP 4 Onkel Peter - peach sherbet, lime curd, pear, lightly sweetened mascarpone. Orange blossom. Sage herbal notes yet floral yet fruity yet mineral salinity. Complexity for days. I thought Gisela was going to be the pinnacle of the day, but this is somehow at yet another level.
Krettnacher Euchariusberg spatlese AP6 Klaus - ripe Korean pear, brings me to memories of my childhood when we would dust a grapefruit with sugar and enjoy on a hot summer day. 10 wines in, how do people have reasonable notes at this point…. This is very very good. Approachable yet plenty of density and complexity. Acidity balances sweetness.
Onkel peter has depth in a way like an acapella group that moves seamlessly between multiple voices. Haunting in how ethereal it is. Klaus is like a world class vocalist crushing the Mariah high notes.
What a lineup! As I mentioned in the other thread on July 13, the 2021 Onkel Peter is one of my favorite vintages from this ungrafted old-vine parcel.
Nice notes. Munny is a go-to wine in nearly every vintage. I really like the 2021 Kugel Peter. The sulfur levels are relatively low for all the wines, so that might just be a sponti note. The 2021 Gisela is another standout and arguably the best wine of the vintage, which is nothing new. Johannes was convinced that the 2021 Klaus was tops, and was determined to bottle it as a separate cask. I’m glad you liked it.
The Kabinetts all had such different personalities but the Gisela was really the complete package. I will buy up as much of the Gisela, Onkel Peter and Klaus as I can find.
The Landwein was just so crushable as well. Best Pet Nat I’ve tried.
Kleinshock was exactly as described, with the addition that it opened nicely with an hour of air, unlocking more richness and apparent sweetness in a broadly user- and food-friendly style.
I remember the Kugel Peter being really stony, wet rock and just a hint of spearmint. I love when my Kabinetts have a touch of shiso or mint so I liked it a lot but I can see if you wanted more of that airy stone fruit that you would prefer the AP20.
By polarizing I meant our group was polarized on it. For me, the sponti funk on AP12 threw me off a bit and thus it was my least favorite of the 3. For others it was their favorite, I think due to some of the complexity it offered. Honestly all 3 were delicious though, wish I could go back to this day
