I think if you tasted 2021 Mia alongside other Kabinetts from the Saar and Mosel it would be rather racy.
This was my first '21 Kab I believe. Maybe my first '21 Riesling at all. I will be able to try some more very soon with a pallet landing this month.
Iâm not a fan of acid that rips your face off like some others here. I think the acid in Mia was in balance. I just think overall it was lacking some precision and wow factor that I remember feeling on my first tastings of the '19 Kabs.
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Hi Lars,
Thank you for the update on the '22 Mia. I was wondering whether you could elaborate on the differences between the '22 vintage with other recent vintages at Falkenstein?
I had a conversation with a Skurnik rep a couple of months ago (late last year), and he said '22 reminded him of '20. Your comment about Mia being lighter in '22 than in '21 makes me wonder if you are seeing similar parallels in the other cuvees at Falkenstein, that is, are they turning out lighter and sleeker in general to previous recent vintages?
Or, do you think there is going to be more variability across cuvees in general (some cuvees will be heavier, some lighter, some with more acidity, others with less, etcâŚ) because the conditions of '22 are so site-specific (i.e., good water retention and old vines were more vital than usual in '22 than other years, so you can have dramatically different results parcel to parcel depending on those factors, even though my understanding is that most of the vines at Falkenstein were probably old enough to withstand the '22 weather conditions)?
Youâre welcome. We only recently finished bottling the 2022 vintage, so I havenât tasted a lot of the wines in bottle. I wouldnât say that '22 is necessarily lighter than '21, but it does seem more charming. We chose to pick Mia a little earlier in '22. Thatâs one reason why the ripeness level is a little lower. Most of the grapes from young vines were hand-picked and sold off to the local co-op, because they suffered from the drought conditions. There were some plots of young vines with good water reserves that fared well, such as Marlies in Euchariusberg.
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Lars, while most of the Falkenstein wines are made from vineyards I was not familiar with until tasting Falkenstein wines, Ockfener Bockstein is a much more famous vineyard. [I think my first Ockfener Bockstein was from a half case of 1979s I bought from Dr. Fischer.] Do you consider it a better vineyard than say Krettnacher Euchariusberg or Niedermenniger Herrenberg, a lesser vineyard, or just different (and if so how). Love Falkenstein wines, just now trying to better understand them.
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Thank you Lars. Your posts are always insightful and thoughtful, and I appreciate all you do for this message board.
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Had a 19 Palm last night, which has definitely come out of its shell (at least based on some post-release notes on CT that were more cautious). Great stuff.
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Maybe Iâm just premature but I want to open Palm, Meyer Nepal and Onkel Peter side by side now. This is the first vintage where Iâve been able to get multiples of each so seems like itâs time for science.
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What a delicious experiment to conduct. Let us know how it comes out Daniel!
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As a reminder, this thread is really helpful for comparing the '21 Falkensteins.
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Howard: Scharzhofberg and Bockstein were, and are, the most famous sites on the Saar. Euchariusberg, which was colored dark red on Clottenâs 1868 Viticultural Map of the Saar and Mosel, was considered among the top sites. It was ranked higher than either Saarburger (Rausch) or Ayler Kupp. The original Euchariusberg, also known as GroĂschock, is much smaller than either Scharzhofberg or Bockstein. But all three sites have similar soils and good water reserves. The main Niedermennniger Herrenberg, listed as âZuckerbergâ on Clottenâs tax map, was also a prized site.
Note: In the book Mosel Wine, I went into detail about certain Saar and Ruwer vineyards.
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I have them lined up for same. Although Iâve already tried Meyer Nepal.
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Roughly speaking, those three winesâMeyer Nepal, Onkel Peter, and Palmâcome from different sections of Niedermenniger Herrenberg. All three are from plots of old vines on the main south-facing slope.
More specifically, Meyer Nepal and Onkel Peter, made of ungrafted vines, are in the eastern half of the main hillside, whereas Palm is in the western half. In addition, Meyer Nepal is higher up hill, where it is windier and cooler. I hope this helps.
I should add that âPalmâ usually comprises two or three small plots, depending on the vintage, in the same sector in order to produce a single cask. The actual plot nicknamed Palm is too small for one pressing.
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Tasting the Meyer Nepal and Onkel Peter side by side recently was a fascinating exercise.
Onkel Peter felt fresh, bright, light, and a touch airy. I had Onkel Peter a couple of months earlier, and the acidity is not as crackling right now and the wine seems a little more settled and inviting.
Meyer Nepal was singing a similar song, but in a deeper pitch â more intense, perhaps a little more brooding and perhaps smoky is the right word.
I liked Meyer Nepal better that day, but Onkel Peter was great. So interesting what higher elevation and greater exposure to wind and cooler air can do.
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Meyer Nepal tends to be even more light and brisk than either Onkel Peter or Palm. For me, âthe higher elevation and greater exposure to wind and cooler airâ give it an almost icy flavor.
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I am curious how could someone comment on the 2022 vintage in late 2022?
Yeah, in hindsight, I think you are right. I double-checked and it looked like we had that conversation in late September, which is very early.
Maybe he was referring to weather conditions being similar? I just distinctly remember him making a comparison â but it was several months ago so I could be misremembering the full context of the conversation.
Quite a few 22s still havenât finished fermenting.
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