2023 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb "Meyer Nepal" #11 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/29/2024)
Reading the notes on past vintages of this wine reveal a constant trend in two aspects, 1). This is a great wine. 2). This feinherb is an x / y axis intersection between troken and a pradikat. The 23 version is clear bulls eye on both accounts. It does have some sweetness, but its more felt more in palate density than actually tasted, almost Alsatian like, but with greater buoyancy than one typically sees from Alsace. Tremendous material here, but it needs a few years to settle in. Happy purchase.
Thanks for the note - sounds excellent. The Spätlese feinherbs are the Falkenstein sweet spot (no pun intended) for me. They are consistently brilliant. But if you haven’t tried their ‘regular’ Spätlese - they make Klaus in most (every?) vintages - hunt one down. Yes it’s a bit sweeter, but these somehow combine full bodied richness with delicacy and ripping finishes.
I haven’t received 2023s yet but I’m looking forward to them. Happily working on my 2022s while I wait. 2022 Mia (a Kabinett) was lovely last night.
To add a comment about the Falkenstein Auslese (often labeled as Forster, but sometimes made from other fuders/vineyards): Also intriguing and delicious. Legally Auslese, no question, but more like a full bodied slightly sweeter Spätlese. Or something.
I can’t really think of a comparable wine from another producer, but many folks here are far more experienced Riesling drinkers than me. No Forster that I’ve opened is like a typical classic Mosel Auslese (I.e. syrupy, very sweet), instead lighter and also … denser somehow. Falkenstein just makes a wonderful, unique set of wines. If you like them it’s worth exploring the entire range because none of them will match your expectations if you’ve been drinking classic Mosel/Saar Rieslings.
Yesterday, we picked a few parcels in Niedermenniger Sonnenberg and Krettnacher Euchariusberg.
That’s true. The Spätlese wines from Krettnacher Euchariusberg have higher residual sugar than the Spätlese feinherb wines from Niedermenniger Herrenberg.
Most likely, Förster will be a Spätlese this year. We will resume picking grapes on Thursday. So far, ripeness levels, measured in degrees Oechsle, have been in the low 80s. For grape growers or producers who don’t keep yields low by pruning short, the Oechsle levels are much lower.
Thanks for the note Dale! You and @AAgrawal on CT convinced me to pick up the last 5 bottles I could find available. After drinking the 2019 a few weeks back and reading peoples notes on this vintage, Im very much looking forward to these!
We did a Meyer Nepal vertical of 2016-2023 in Chicago in December, and 2019 was my favorite and 2023 probably my second favorite, then 2020. I’ve also had them all several or many times otherwise, and 2019 is the zenith IMO. I opened a great magnum of 2019 in November that peaked on Day 3, by that I mean the day it was finally drained. More recently, I opened a magnum of 2020, and that was excellent too.
What do you like? If you like Chenin grown on limestone, the best are in Vouvray and Saumur. You could try Pinon and Collier. The former still a bargain, the latter a little pricier.
For Mosel Riesling, lots of choices, lots of styles. Willi Schaefer is a good place to start (or even just end) if you don’t know the wines although they do take lots of time to show their best. As do Julian Haart’s. By contrast, AJ Adam’s and Max Kilburg’s Pradikat wines IME come out swinging young with enough air.
I’d also try Furmint from Hungary if you like Chenin although a bit harder to source good producers reliably. Kiralyudvar’s entry level Furmint Sec is great.
For Netherlands or German retailers shipping to NL…
One of the Dutch imports didn’t bring it in and the second I know who brought in the 2023 didn’t open sales of any 2024 years. The German retailers I bought from in the past (Pinard and Concept), doesn’t seem to have Mia among their 2024.
That together with not finding anyone else who had it was the reasons I was wondering if Mia would be released later.
