A Few Good Wines

With a birthday and Thanksgiving separated by only a couple of days in the past week, there were no shortage of reasons to open a few good bottles. Today though, just a few quick impressions, as these were enjoyed for the pure sake of pleasure, at the table and without any note taking or overt analysis.


Vouvray "Clos du Bourg" Sec, Huet 2005
A really glorious bottle. Redolent of wet wool and damp clay when first opened then growing ever rounder and more honey and herb laced as the bottle grew emptier. I need to drink Vouvray more often... and I really need to drink Huet more often.

Nuits-St.-Georges "Les Grandes Vignes," Domaine Daniel Rion 2001
When last I tasted this, it provided a much needed breath of fresh air. The better part of two-and-a-half years later, it's continued to develop and continues to surprise, taking on greater weight with its slumber in the cellar. Rich red fruit laced with dark spice notes and beautifully ripe, round tannins. The wines of Domaine Daniel Rion are made in a very reductive style that can render them ungiving when young but, when all things are right, they can develop very nicely given a few years of patience.

Bacharacher Kloster Fürstental Riesling Brut Sekt, Weingut Ratzenberger 2000
This proves to be maturing more rapidly than the 1998, 1999 or 2001 versions of Ratzenberger's Sekt. Perhaps that's not surprising given the wet conditions in the fall of 2000. In any event, this has gone very much toward the truffle and oily end of the mineral spectrum, leaving behind much of the bright citrus and orchard fruits of this wine's youth. Still damn tasty but it's definitely time to drink up now.

Morgon "Côte du Py," Jean Foillard 2008
I thought it was fun. My wife thought it was serious. You know what? We were both right. Foillard's wines combine airy grace and delicacy with a depth that can be explored or simply accepted as fits the moment. The '08 may still be lacking something at its core but I think it's only a matter of time before everything settles into place. Even now it's delicious, with pure small red berry fruit allied to an earthy savor that made it a great match on the Thanksgiving table, especially with the turkey and the sourdough/shiitake/sage stuffing. (PS: Guilhaume published a neat photo essay at The Wine Digger a couple of weeks back on his visit with Foillard.)

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Drinking Unseasonably: Tasty Alternatives to Sauvignon Blanc

As much as I believe in the practice of eating seasonally, I find the idea of drinking in the same manner far less appealing. Sure, I tend to steer away from heavy hitting reds on sweltering summer nights, but I never lose the hankering for light and lively whites, not even in the icy depths of winter. Following are notes on just such a pair, whites that many might find to be summer sippers rather than winter warmers but that I found to be just what the doctor ordered – brisk, invigorating and matched to what was on my dinner table. They’re also both great alternatives for those that are hooked on Sauvignon Blanc but are looking for a new rose.


Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne “Reserve Selection – Cuvée Gros Manseng,” Domaine des Cassagnoles (Janine & Gilles Baumann) 2007
$11. 13% alcohol. Screwcap. Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA
Domaine des Cassagnoles consistently produces some of the best values in white wine from Southwest France. Their “normal” Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne, a blend of Colombard, Sauvignon and Ugni Blanc, can still be found for around nine bucks a bottle. For about two dollars more, though, you can have this, their “Reserve Selection,” a varietal expression of Gros Manseng.

Though it lacks the sauvage character and underlying complexity of the best whites made at least in part from Gros Manseng in AOCs such as Irouléguy and Jurançon, this is still juice to take seriously. Snappy and visceral, it delivers flavors of golden raisins and orange oil with a cardamom tinged finish. Minerality and medium-high acidity add both balance and structure enough to marry well with anything from sheep’s milk cheeses to roasted fish to herb-crusted white meat dishes.


Mittelrhein Bacharacher Rivaner trocken, Ratzenberger 2007
$14.50. 13% alcohol. Nomacorc. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The great British wine writer Jancis Robinson is at her smarmy and pointed best when writing about Müller-Thurgau, which she describes as a “decidedly mediocre but gruesomely popular German crossing developed in 1882 for entirely expedient reasons by a Dr. Hermann Müller, born in the Swiss canton of Thurgau…”. Robinson cites Müller-Thurgau as a cross between Riesling and Sylvaner, or perhaps Riesling and another clone of Riesling. More recent research suggests it’s actually the result of a crossing between Riesling and Chasselas. In any event, one goal among many was to produce a vine that would grow and ripen in spots where Riesling would not. That, at least, is Jochen Ratzenberger’s raison d’être for growing Müller-Thurgau. He prefers to call it Rivaner, one of several synonyms for M-T, believing the name to carry fewer negative connotations. It may be a moot point here, as neither Müller-Thurgau nor Rivaner are household varieties on the US wine market.

Planting Rivaner on the lower slopes and flatter portions of his property, Ratzenberger is able to utilize land that might otherwise lay fallow. Farming those vines to low, healthy yields enables him to produce a wine that, though simple, bucks the stereotype of flabby, industrial Müller-Thurgau and might even appeal to Ms. Robinson. Soft on the front-palate and explosively floral on the nose, this brims with yellow peach and white apple fruit. Its acid profile is much softer than the Riesling grown further up the hill, and there’s much less of a terroir imprint – none of the distinctly pungent minerality that’s found in Ratzenberger’s Rieslings. But served cold, when its herbal finish is refreshing rather than vegetal (which it can become if served too warm), it’s a pleasure to drink, whether alone or alongside light fish, vegetable and poultry dishes.

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Riesling on Repeal Day

In stark contrast to last year, when Repeal Day elapsed without a taste of wine passing my lips, I spent yesterday, the 75th Anniversary of the abolition of prohibition, pouring some great German wines. As it happens, I was happy to be serving them alongside the men who grew them, some of the finest producers from their respective regions. While there was nary a lowlight on the evening, certain wines in each grower’s lineup inevitably showed their mettle.


Young Frank Schönleber (pictured above), in his second year holding the winemaking reins at Emrich-Schönleber, is already demonstrating that he has a great grasp of the terroir in his slice of the Nahe. His 2007 Monzinger Halenberg Riesling trocken is just beginning to show its stuff. Beautiful fruit, intense minerality and fine filigree are all balanced by depth and muscle that hint at a fine future to come.

Jochen Ratzenberger and Andreas Laible, both a bit tired after their long and interrupted trans-Atlantic flight, were nonetheless happily sharing their wines in great spirits.
It was a true pleasure to sip the 2007 Bacharacher Riesling Kabinett trocken of Jochen Ratzenberger. However, it was his 2005 Steeger St. Jost Riesling Großes Gewächs that stole the show, demonstrating that the best German wines from top quality sites can possess every bit as much richness and profundity as the top whites of the Côte de Beaune and Chablis, while also showing a level of bundled nerve and fruit expression that similarly priced white Burgundies rarely achieve.

I also really enjoyed meeting Andreas Laible for the first time. Though the focus at his estate is on Riesling, he was kind enough to diversify the evening’s slate by opting to pour examples of his other varietal wines. Though I’d find greater day-to-day flexibility in his lovely Weißer Burgunder Kabinett trocken, it was his 2007 Baden Ortenau Durbacher Plauelrain Traminer Spätlese trocken that begged for attention, its decadent nose of flowers, herbs and citrus oil balanced by fine acidity and rich, prickly texture.

Spending a little bit of time with the three of them yesterday – along with thinking about the wines as I write about them now – made me pine for a return trip to Germany. There’s so much more to explore….

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One for Porterhouse, More for Fun

I got together with a couple of the UDPs recently, just to celebrate the kickoff of the long, Labor Day weekend. Sharing the haul of fresh produce Bill had landed at Reading Terminal Market earlier in the day was simply icing on the cake.

Mittelrhein Bacharacher Kloster Fürstental Riesling Sekt Brut, Ratzenberger 1998
$20 on release. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.
The occasion seemed to call for an aperitif – something fizzy, perhaps. After pouring Ratzenberger’s 2003 Sekt in the context of my sparkling wine seminar last week, I thought it would be cool to check in on a bottle with a little age under its belt. There’s some lovely stuff starting to develop here, yet it’s still drinking incredibly young. Just the slightest whiff of white truffles. Pale, the color of slightly green straw. The mousse looked large in the glass but felt fine and tiny on the tongue. The wine’s creamy texture was followed by a very persistent, acid driven finish. Very stony and finely detailed. It seemed to correspond in weight and texture to a Spätlese halbtrocken, one lifted afloat on a bubbling brook. The palate delivered flavors of apricot skin and lemon oil, plus loads of mineral extract. With air it became even creamier than at first, taking on a faintly dairy aspect that reminded me, somehow, of Délice de Bourgogne. I’m having a hard time describing it any better than that. But I’d love to try the pairing sometime.

Nahe Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Kabinett trocken, Emrich-Schönleber 2004
$21 on release. 12% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois.
Schönleber’s lighter trocken wines – the basic QmP and Kabinett level bottlings – often take longer to show their goods than their richer counterparts. Three years after release, this is still painfully young, just not as searingly so as when it first hit the market. It’s just starting to broaden out enough to show the breed that’s inherent to all of Werner and Frank’s wines. A lovely, red-spiced mineral character, with fruit tones that ranged from grapefruit to peaches, finished off on a dark, serious note, just shy of stern. Pretty damn tempting now but, if you have any of this, I’d recommend continuing to hold for at least another couple of years. (NB: As of the 2007 vintage, Schönleber has come completely in line with the VdP program and no longer produces wines labeled as Kabinett trocken.)

Toscana IGT "Cepparello," Isole e Olena 2000
$51 on release. 13.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Petit Pois.
When Bill told me he’d picked up a couple of dry-aged porterhouse steaks from Harry Ochs, I immediately thought of something Tuscan for accompaniment. Even if he wasn’t giving them the full-on “Bistecca alla Fiorentina” touch, there’s something about good Sangiovese that marries just beautifully with porterhouse.

Cepparello is one of the few wines I ever collected. Yes, collected. I put an end to the habit a few years ago as its price started to creep ever higher and as my tastes evolved. But I still have a nice little vertical going in the cellar, from 1997 up through 2002. What better time to check in on a bottle? I picked the 2000 because of the softer, less structured characteristics typical of the vintage. It turned out to be a solid choice, as this bottle was in a very good place. Showing some maturity, it had developed a slightly port-like nose, further perfumed with aromas of dried cherries, cinnamon bark and animal hide. As expected, both its tannins and acids have softened up more quickly than in a more classic vintage. While I expect this should remain solid for at least another five years, there’s no reason not to start enjoying it now. Oh yeah, it was pretty kickin’ with the steaks.

Savennières "Trie Spéciale," Domaine des Baumard 2003
$30. 13% alcohol. Cork. Importer: Ex Cellars, Solvang, CA.
We seem to have gotten into the habit at these get-togethers of following dinner with something Loire, something Chenin. Come to think of it, we did have a little cheese course…. I had always assumed that Baumard’s “Trie Spéciale” was exactly what its name implies: a cross-section of the estate’s best fruit, selected on multiple passes (tries) through the vineyards. A quick look at their website, though, suggests that it’s actually a single vineyard wine, produced from a plot situated between “Clos du Papillon” and “Roche aux Moines.” Those technicalities aside, this surprised me given the vintage. I would have expected either a little RS or at least a full degree higher alcohol. But no, this was dry – not bone dry, but certainly dry – and even a touch on the delicate side. It gave off a big whiff of boiled wool and quince right up front, while the palate delivered white peach, gooseberries and a lightly honeyed touch. An intensely fruit-driven example of Savennières, and quite yummy.

Porto Late Bottled Vintage, Quinta de Santa Eufêmia 1997
$20. 19.5% alcohol. Cork. Importer: MHW, Manhasset, NY.
A year and a half into this blog and this is the first time I’ve ever written up a Port? It’s kind of hard to believe, I know, as I actually do like Port. Then again, I hardly ever drink the stuff anymore – especially not in August – so it kind of makes sense. However, given that Bill Jr. whipped up a mean batch of chocolate chip cookie sundaes – made with what we’ve come to call “Crack Cookies,” the addictive goodies from Famous 4th Street Cookie Company in the Reading Terminal Market – it seemed to make perfect sense. Weather be damned. Now, on to the wine.

My notes were nonexistent on this one so I’ll just provide some basic impressions. An LBV from a small, very traditional house located in the Cima Corgo. Bottled without filtration, this is holding up very well. Indeed, there are some late bottled Ports out there that can stand up to cellaring, at least in the mid-term. I remember this being quite decadent yet really well balanced upon release. It’s now shed what few rough edges it had four or five years ago and has reached a very mellow state. Christmas plum pudding and rich black cherry notes dominate. The finish is soft and reasonably long, the alcohol entirely integrated. Not a bad finish to the evening.

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Old World Riesling for WBW #45

Call it cheating if you will. I prefer to think of it as synchronicity. Today’s edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by Tim Elliott at Winecast, follows just one day after my class on German wines at Tria Fermentation School. And this month’s theme – Old World Riesling – falls right into the core of last night’s curriculum. So, as much as I was tempted to go for the relatively obscure and track down an Italian Riesling or two, it seems much more appropriate to answer the call of chance and write up the German Rieslings that I selected for yesterday’s course.

My objective for the class was to showcase the diversity of wine styles, vines and regions of Germany, and to provide a basic foundation for understanding the terminology found on German labels as well as the regulations that govern and influence contemporary German viticulture. All, mind you, within the context of a 90-minute class. We started off with a Spätburguner from the Mittelrhein, a Rheinpfalz Weißer Burgunder and a Scheurebe from Baden. The rest of the evening was spent exploring the beauty of what I consider to be the world’s most noble white vine – Riesling – grown in the country where it reaches its pinnacle of quality and expression.

Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Kabinett trocken, Weingut Emrich-Schönleber 2006
Werner Schönleber and his son Frank are widely considered to be, along with Dönnhoff, at the top of the game in the Nahe. In recent years, the portfolio of wines they produce has been in constant evolution. At the dry and off-dry ends of the spectrum, they’ve been reducing their number of bottlings and instead focusing on fewer but stronger statements about the terroir of their two estate vineyards: Halenberg and Frühlingsplätzchen. The Kabinett and Spätlese halbtrockens from both vineyards, as well as their basic QbA halbtrocken, already went by the wayside a few years back, replaced by a single wine called “Lenz” (archaic German for Spring). And it appears that 2006 was the last vintage for this, the Kabinett trocken from Frühlingsplätzchen. Going forward, at least for now, they’ll continue to produce their basic QbA trocken, adding a trocken wine called “Mineral” and further consolidating their vineyard designated dry Rieslings. The Pradikat (Kabinett, Spätlese), and presumably the QmP designation, will be dropped and they will produce Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling trocken and Halenberg Riesling trocken. Großes Gewächs wines will continue to be produced from both vineyards, vintage conditions allowing. Confused yet? Or beginning to understand the challenge of cramming an overview of German wines into an hour-and-a-half?

Now, on to the tasting note: this was the most challenging wine of the night, as it is clamped pretty tightly shut at the moment. Lots of lemon zest and grapefruit, along with bright, tingly minerality and a hint of green apples, are carried on a bone dry frame. High acidity is at the forefront, decidedly making this a wine for the dinner table – or for holding for a couple of years. Experience with past vintages has shown this cuvée to evolve positively with a few years in the cellar, unfurling to show broader texture and finer balance. However, the 2006 may be a bit narrower than other recent vintages. $28. 12% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Riesling trocken “von der Fels,” Weingut Keller 2006
This was one of two non-QmP wines and the only wine from the Rheinhessen included in the lineup. Keller and Schönleber are both members of the Verband Deutscher Prädikats (VdP), a quality, peer-based organization that’s focused on changing the German wine laws of 1971 and returning to the importance of site. Its members are simultaneously working within the QmP system and selectively eschewing its definitions and its prioritization of ripeness levels over vineyard sites. “von der Fels” – literally, from the rocks – is Klaus-Peter Keller’s statement name for this wine, which is meant to reflect the limestone rich terroir which he seeks out and farms. It is a selection of fruit from the lower slopes of all four of his Großes Gewächs (great growth, Grand Cru) vineyard sites, generally harvested at ripeness levels equating to Spätlese. It is fermented to dryness and labeled simply as Riesling trocken, along with Keller’s “von der Fels” designation.

In contrast to the Kabinett trocken from Schönleber, Klaus-Peter’s 2006 “von der Fels” is all about generous fruit and round, polished texture. Partly, that stems from the wine’s greater degree of ripeness. There’s also a difference in terroir at work, as Keller’s flatter vineyard and slightly warmer setting yield consistently different textures than wines from the steep slopes in the Nahe. But my mouth tells me there’s something else at work: a subtle touch of sweetness. This year’s iteration of “von der Fels” would seem to run toward the upper half of the trocken scale, which allows for up to nine grams of residual sugar per liter. Peach, golden apples and unmistakably limey minerality abound, supported by medium-acidity and some serious flesh on the palate. Nice long finish, too. $30. 12.5% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Bacharacher Kloster Fürstental Riesling Sekt Brut, Weingut Ratzenberger 2003
This is the other non-QmP wine of the night and the one and only sparkling wine. I waffled with where to place it in the progression, considering it as an aperitif, as the first Riesling and even in the final position, as a palate cleanup hitter so to speak. I finally opted to slot it in between the dry and fruity/noble style Rieslings, as a wake-up call and to demonstrate another element of Riesling’s versatility. Jochen Ratzenberger is also a member of the VdP. His Sekt is a long standing favorite of mine. It’s made in the Méthode Traditionelle – Traditionelle Flaschengärung in German – and entirely by hand, right down to the remuage. Many of the bottles bear a brushstroke of white paint in the punt, a marker used by Ratzenberger to remember where he left off when called away from his duties as riddler.

2003 was a hot year, even in this normally chilly area of the Mittelrhein around the town of Bacharach. The extra degree of ripeness fostered by the growing season shows, as this is richer, riper and creamier in flavor and texture than in typical years. That doesn’t stop it from being terribly tasty. It’s also more intensely fruity, less noticeably yeasty than in cooler vintages. Yet it’s still a great food wine, though I might be more inclined to pair it with a richer, mid-meal course rather than serving it with more delicate dishes. A fine mousse lights up its medium-golden color. Peaches and cream, a hint of apricot and slate spiciness linger, buoyed by medium acid and fine balance. The down side is the dollar. This baby’s price is up over 25% since the previous vintage. $32. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Spätlese “Lot 1902,” Weingut Johann Peter Reinert 2001
If the Kabinett trocken from Schönleber was the most difficult wine of the night, this just may have been the biggest “Wow!” wine of the night. Classic, fruity style Saar Riesling. Low alcohol, totally delicate and graceful, yet profound in its depth of flavor. White peaches, baked apples, mace and an intense slate minerality all last for ages on the palate. It was the nose, though, that first got everyone’s attention, redolent of the bouquet that comes to German Rieslings, particularly from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, only with age. Call it what you will – diesel, kerosene, petrol – but, combined with the wine’s beautiful fruit and nervy acidity, it makes for an intoxicating little package. I’d pour it as an aperitif just as happily as I’d pair it with poached salmon or pan seared scallops. Reinert, a member of the Bernkasteller Ring (his area’s answer to the VdP), makes some great, unknown and underappreciated Rieslings, in dry, off-dry, fruity and nobly sweet styles. This Spätlese should continue to develop in interest for at least another decade and then hold steady for another. At its price, it would be more than worth stowing away a few bottles for a rainy day. $25. 8% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

Bacharacher Wolfshöhle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Weingut Ratzenberger 1997
Even though he’s increasingly recognized as one of the best producers in the Mittelrhein – if not the best – Ratzenberger does not get the same level of global buzz as producers like Keller and Schönleber. One of the lucky side effects of that relative obscurity is that he still has some old wines to sell. And he’ll release some of them to the market, in small lots, as he feels they’re ready to be appreciated.

At a little over ten years of age, this is definitely ready to be appreciated. Jochen’s plot of the Wolfshöhle vineyard is perfectly suited to the production of Spätlesen, Auslesen and, when vintage conditions permit, Beerenauslesen and Trockenbeerenauslesen. As with many other producers, Ratzenberger uses a Goldkapsel to indicate a very special bottling, most likely a declassified Beerenauslese in this case. The tropical and musky characteristics of this Auslese – pineapple, citrus confit, orange oil, clove and mango – definitely suggest at least a moderate percentage of botrytis affected fruit. An intense flavor of apricot preserves, a signature of the Wolfshöhle terroir, is present from start to finish. 1997 was a relatively low acid year, which shows in the wine’s fairly rich, somewhat oily texture. However, its texture also has a crystalline character that, along with the wine’s racy, confectionery sweetness, helps to keep things alive in the mouth. It lacks the structure and acidity for long term aging, but it’s easy to like now. So drink. And enjoy. $40 (500ml). 8% alcohol. Natural cork. Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ.

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Related posts:

• Weingut Emrich Schönleber: Putting Monzingen on the Map
  
• Weingut Keller: Shining Star in the Rheinhessen
  
• Weingut Ratzenberger: Pearl of the Mittelrhein

Producer websites:

• Weingut Emrich Schönleber
  
• Weingut Keller
  
• Weingut Ratzenberger
  
• Weingut Johann Peter Reinert

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Turkey for Keller

Just a quick post at the end of a crazy day. Klaus Peter Keller stopped by the shop this afternoon. It was lovely to see him but that’s about all there was to it. I bought him a turkey sandwich for lunch, chatted for about 30 seconds, turned around to help a customer and, c’est tout, he was gone – no doubt off to the next stop on his whirlwind tour of the northeast corridor. I would love to have made it up to his tasting in New York tonight, not only for the chance to squeeze in another few words and taste through some of his current releases but also to catch up with a few old friends and connect with some new ones. If any of you made it to the event, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Klaus-Peter (at right) during a visit to the Rheinhessen in 2004.

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Weingut Ratzenberger, Pearl of the Mittelrhein

February 2004. Philly – Paris – Frankfurt. After filing a claim for lost baggage – thanks, Air France – our group piled into three rental cars and headed straight to the riverside village of Bacharach. Following a quick stop at the hotel and a bite to eat – bratwurst and Jever Pils at Restaurant der Zupferkanne – it was straight to Weingut Ratzenberger, our only appointment of the day and the first destination of a nine day wine trip to Germany and France. Finding our way up the valley road to Steeg, Jochen Ratzenberger greeted us at his winery’s street-front door, paused for a moment to grab some stemware and led us right back out to our vehicles. Typical to the pattern at almost every winery in Europe, weather allowing, our tour would begin in the fields. Not surprisingly given the view we’d appreciated from the Bacharach village square, our route took us straight up hill and onto the single lane, switchback access roads to the vineyards.

The view from Bacharach
Standing on a precipitous, narrow footpath between two sections of the St. Jost vineyard, we were able to take in the view of nearly the entire estate. We were also exposed to the full force of the damp, cold, February wind blowing up the valley off the river, gaining a clear sense of just how peripheral this area is to viticulture. On the steep slopes above Bacharach and Steeg, Jochen’s vines are perfectly poised to receive every last ray of the sun, without which they would fail to ripen sufficiently for the production of quality wine. In cool climates, southern exposure can make the difference between a good site and a great one. In the Mittelrhein, southern exposure is an absolute must. And site is everything.

Looking down on Steeg and the Rhein from the St. Jost vineyard
The tiny village of Steeg, home to the Ratzenberger family and winery, sits in the crook of a valley, due west from Bacharach at a point where the Rhein flows almost perfectly north to south. The Ratzenbergers’ property is based primarily on three einzellagen (single vineyards) perched on the northern face of the valley slopes:

• Bacharacher Posten, nearest to the river at an average elevation of 150 meters,
  
• Bacharacher Wolfshöhle, a Großes Gewächs site, next up the valley at an elevation of 300 meters, and
  
• Steeger St. Jost, also Großes Gewächs, the westernmost site perched between 400-500 meters directly above the tiny hamlet of Steeg.

A fourth vineyard site, Kloster Fürstental, lays one valley to the south of Steeg. Due to the special climate and exposure of Fürstental, which is kept dry by breezes from the river and by wider than average row spacing, its Riesling now goes to the production of just two styles: Sekt and Eiswein.

A larger perspective of St. Jost
Moving down the valley to a gentler slope nearer the river, Jochen uncorked a bottle of his Sekt, poured us each a glass and took a few moments to tell us more about his land. His vineyards are dominated by blue and black slate from the Devonian era. On the upper slopes, little if any topsoil is in evidence. Labor is almost entirely manual and in many spots necessitates a system of guide wires which he utilizes while working to prevent tumbles down the perilous inclines. Jochen makes the most of his land by farming to low yields and working the soil and plants as naturally as possible. Fertilization is completely organic. Pheromones are used, both to attract beneficial insects and put-off malevolent ones, in place of insecticides. Fungicides are used in small quantities to prevent vine diseases which can thrive in this cool, damp arena.

Making our way back to the weingut, we headed straight for the tasting room, opting to save the usual cellar visit until after we’d warmed up a bit. It was time do a little sampling.

• 2003 Bacharacher Rivaner QbA trocken
  Jochen’s work with Rivaner – a name which he prefers to its synonymous Müller-Thurgau – should be enough to make Jancis Robinson eat her rather dismissive words on the vine. His 2003, bottled only 10 days earlier, showed fresh, peachy fruit and good acidity along with richer texture and riper flavors than the previous year’s version. Finished at 4.5g RS and 5.5g of acidity, fermentation lasted 3.5 months.
  
  Rivaner is planted on the flatter lands where Riesling would not ripen.
  
• 2002 Steeger St. Jost Riesling Spätlese trocken
  Beautiful length. Peach, apricot, lemon, yeast and slate flavors abound on a ripe frame, also larger in scale than the wine of the previous vintage. 4.5g RS. From this site, Jochen produces only Spätlese trocken, Kabinett halbtrocken and, in very good vintages, a Großes Gewächs.
  
  
• 2002 Steeger St. Jost Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken
  Hints of grapefruit, peach and white truffles, along with a spritzy mouthfeel that, Jochen explains, comes not from added carbon dioxide but rather from a combination of inherently high acidity and the natural carbon present in the slate rich soil of the St. Jost.
  
  
• 2002 Bacharacher Posten Riesling Spätlese halbtrocken
  More muscle than present in the previous two wines, also a more intense slatiness. Tightly wound yet showing great length on the palate. Posten is a site with a high percentage of gray slate along with quartz and some clay, giving wines with fuller, creamier textures.
  
  
• 1986 Steeger St. Jost Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken
  Bottled at 9.2%, this “little” ’86 was just barely showing its age, which was apparent only on the nose. Petrol, slate and truffle tones sparred with extremely lively peach-driven fruit. Steely acidity was still very much in evidence and the wine was light straw in color.
  
  
• 2001 Bacharacher Wolfshöhle*** Riesling QbA Großes Gewächs
  Fruit harvested at Auslese levels of ripeness, fermented to dryness and chaptalized ¼º with cane sugar to a final 12.5%. Jochen explained that the small degree of chaptalization allows for a long, slow fermentation, a desired trait for a wine destined to spend 36 months on its lees. Not surprisingly, this GG showed much fuller, richer textures, very firm acidity and correspondingly less delicacy than the previous wines. Flavors were much more autolytic than in the more typical Rieslings.
  
  
• 2001 Bacharacher Wolfshöhle Riesling Spätlese
  Beautifully rich peach and young petrol character. To ensure balance and the potential for longevity, Jochen selects fruit for his Spätlese based not just on ripeness but also on high acidity. Fermentation was stopped at around 50g RS, not by addition of sulfur dioxide but rather by racking the wine off its yeasts. Harvest occurred around November 8, 2001, approximately one month later than for his Bacharacher Kabinett trocken.
  
  
• 1966 Steeger St. Jost Riesling Spätlese feinherb
  This was as close as Jochen could come to a wine from my birth year (I’ll leave it to your guesses), which was uniformly horrible for wine throughout the world. Grace, minerality and acidity were still prevalent, lending the wine a surprisingly fresh feel in the mouth. Fruit had receded, leaving the wine totally tertiary in its flavor profile.
  
  
• 1976 Kloster Fürstental Riesling Beerenauslese
  Luckily, we had a young pup along for the trip and he was able to beg this bottle out of the Ratzenberger cellars. Incredibly rich texture, with intense aromas of botrytis and flavors of orange oil, honey and figs. The finish lasted for minutes.

Bacharach and the Rhein from Ratzenberger's vineyards
Having warmed our bones and tasted some wonderful juice, it was finally time for a trip downstairs for a tour of the cellar. The buildings that house Weingut Ratzenberger were built from 1850-1880. The cellars showed their era more apparently than the living and tasting quarters, from the style of raw stone cutting to the arches and nooks convenient for naturally cool bottle storage. Catching our eyes in the middle of the room was a set of pupitres where Jochen riddles his bottles of Sekt, a process which he still conducts completely by hand. It quickly became apparent that Jochen does utilize wood for fermentation and aging of some of his wines. A selection of 500 liter pièces, ranging from 2-50 years of age, were lined up, along with steel cuves of varying sizes, in the winemaking chambers of the cellar. While downstairs, we took the opportunity to taste from barrel a few more examples of the potential style just produced from the hot, dry growing season of 2003.

• 2003 Bacharacher Wolfshöhle Riesling Auslese
  Though still very yeasty, this boasted tons of tropical fruit character. Most likely to be finished and bottled as Spätlese halbtrocken.
  
  
• 2003 Steeger St. Jost Auslese
  More aromatic with brighter, citrusier fruit than the previous wine. Soft acidity. To be finished as a Spätlese trocken.
  
  
• 2003 Kloster Fürstental Riesling Eiswein
  Jochen managed to make a tiny quantity of Eiswein in 2003. This sample, tasted from a 310 liter cuve, showed intense textural richness with lower than typical acidity.
  
  
• 2003 Spätburgunder
  The only red we tasted all day, this 2003 barrel draw of Pinot Noir showed concentrated, dark ruby colors along with a gamey nose followed by ample raspberry fruit and smoke on the palate.

Completing our barrel tasting, Jochen grabbed a few bottles from nearby racks before leading us back upstairs for one more pass through his tasting room. Hey, we weren’t about to complain.

• 2003 Bacharacher Wolfshöhle Riesling Auslese
  Bottled only four days earlier, this was very ripe and soft, showing off aromas and flavors of white peaches, oranges, fresh herbs, anise and lavender.
  
  
• 2002 Kloster Fürstental Riesling Eiswein
  Not surprisingly, given the weather and vintage differences, this was not as rich as the ’03 we’d tasted from vat. That said, it showed a more balanced structure, supported by intense acidity (15-16 grams). The fruit for this wine was nearly harvested as a very ripe Spatlese until a cold spell set in, allowing for a botrytis-free harvest which ran from December 5-8, 2002.
  
  
• 1998 Kloster Fürstental Riesling Eiswein
  5% botrytis along with a few years of bottle age had the ’98 Eiswein drinking like mango nectar electrified by brilliant acidity. Unctuous, oily and visceral on the palate.

I’m not sure we could have asked for a more propitious first visit. Between the casual warmth of the Ratzenberger’s welcome and the beautiful lineup of wines, our entire group – even after the long journey from the states – left energized and looking forward to the rest of the journey.

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The Rieslings of Weingut Ratzenberger

Looking down at the St. Jost vineyard from the small footpath cut into the top of its hillside, perched high above the village of Steeg, it’s amazing to believe that vines can grow there at all, much less that people farm them by hand. Knowing the potential quality of the wines that emanate from the slope, it’s equally hard to believe that some of the owners of parts of this vineyard – and many like it throughout the Northern Rhein, the Nahe and the Saar – have chosen to let their land lie fallow. The work is just too hard. Thankfully, Jochen Ratzenberger perseveres.

Representing the second generation of estate production at Weingut Ratzenberger in the village of Bacharach, Jochen works 25 hectares of vines planted mostly to Riesling along with some Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and small quantities of Grauerburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Rivaner (Müller Thurgau). The property is based primarily on three Einzellagen (single vineyards). Posten, which is closest to the river, and Wolfshöhle, next up the valley, both lie above the village of Bacharach. Furthest from the river is St. Jost, spanning a larger elevation range above the tiny town of Steeg. The valley, which runs east-west, perpendicular to the Rhein, provides a perfect and necessary southern exposure to the entire property. In all three sites, slate of varying shades of blue and black – the same stone used for roofing the buildings in town – dominates the soil and provides a tough foothold for man and vine. The wines that Ratzenberger coaxes from these sites are without peer in the commune of Bacharach and can certainly be ranked among the best of the entire Mittelrhein region.

Capping off the better part of a week in the Philadelphia and New York areas, Jochen stopped by the shop yesterday to taste through some of his current releases with me and the rest of the crew. Following are some notes on what we tasted and what we learned along the way.

1. Bacharacher Kloster Furstental Riesling Sekt Brut 2001: Year in and year out, this is one of the most special wines I sell. Made in the Champagne method, including riddling by hand courtesy of Jochen himself, this single vineyard sparkling Riesling spends five years on its lees before disgorgement. Always a clear expression of both site and vintage, it’s a wonderful pairing with oysters and other shellfish and makes a splendid aperitif. The 2001 vintage is drinking wonderfully, crisp, completely dry, showing a very fine mousse and brimming with lightly toasty notes of apple and peach. The Kloster Furstental einzellage is located one valley to the south of Ratzenberger’s primary property. Its soil base is richer in loam than to the north, its rows are more widely spaced and its orientation opens it to the winds blowing along the river. All of these factors combine to make it a dry site with very strong vines, ideal for production of perfectly healthy fruit. Botrytis does not occur here and grapes can hang long on the vine, in some vintages into February. Jochen makes only two wines from the Kloster Furstental – Sekt (from an early picking) and Eiswein.
   
   
2. Bacharacher Riesling Kabinett trocken 2003: Ratzenberger’s village wines, produced only at the Kabinett trocken and QbA levels and labeled simply as Bacharacher with no vineyard designation, come from a cross-section of all three vineyards on the main property, usually dominated by fruit from Wolfshöhle. The warm, dry growing conditions of the 2003 vintage lend a creamier than typical structure to this bottling. The stoniness of all of the estate’s wines is present, soft yet dry, with hints of apricot on the palate. Jochen prefers this wine with fresh water trout caught in the streams near his home. Try it at home with any mild to medium flavored fish.
   
   
3. Steeger St. Jost Riesling Spätlese trocken 2002: Looking back on my notes from a visit to Weingut Ratzenberger in February 2004, we tasted this very wine shortly after bottling. Three years on, it’s developing wonderfully. Spätlesen trocken, late picked wines fermented to total dryness, give a more intense, vinous flavor profile than that found in earlier harvests and lesser degrees of dryness. That vinosity shows itself aromatically, with intense scents of minerals, peach and lime zest and greater body in the mouth. These elements, combined with textures resulting from a higher-acid vintage, make this a great choice for pairing with oilier fish such as salmon or with game birds. The St. Jost vineyard, with its high elevation and soil base of slate, clay and sand, is ideal for this style. The only other wines made there are a Kabinett halbtrocken and a Großes Gewächs.
   
   
4. Steeger St. Jost Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken 2003: The tasting order selected by Jochen surprised me here, as I would have expected to taste this before the Spätlese trocken. No matter, the wine is delicious. Very delicate and gentle, it shows crystal clear flavors of peaches and canned pineapple melded to soft yet refreshing acidity. This is incredibly versatile with lighter foods of all kinds, makes a wonderful aperitif and would hold its own with a wide range of modestly seasoned Asian cuisine.
   
   
5. Bacharacher Posten Riesling Spätlese halbtrocken 2002: Now the order begins to make sense, a clear progression from trocken to halbtrocken and on to sweeter styles. The aromas of this wine are the most intensely mineral yet, showing hints of what many refer to as petrol married to rich tones of apricot and a lush, persistent and lively mouth feel. Full body, lively acidity and a nuance of sweetness make this suitable for pairing with fatty birds and rich sauces. Posten’s proximity to the Rhein and its somewhat sheltered position, both contributing to light morning fog, make it an ideal site for the production of late harvest and botrytis effected styles. From here hail most of the Auslesen, Beerenauslesen and Trockenbeerenauslesen produced by Ratzenberger.
   
   
6. Bacharacher Riesling Kabinett 2003: Not yet for sale, this was tasted from a sample bottle. It reminded me instantly of the 1998 Bacharacher lieblich wines. Soft and broad across the palate, its transparent flavors of white peach and slate, subtle acidity and very low alcohol (8%) make this a classic aperitif style. I’m already looking forward to its availability.
   
   
7. Kloster Furstental Riesling Eiswein 2002: Back to the vineyard where the tasting began, this time with the showstopper. Real, handmade, farm grown Eiswein is a rarity in Germany. Some producers, depending on their vineyard sites, might only produce three or four bottlings per decade. Because of the special characteristics of Kloster Furstental though, Ratzenberger is able to make Eiswein, albeit in tiny quantities, in most years. Sporting 250 grams of residual sugar and 20 grams of acidity, this is pure nectar, unctuous, tooth coating yet still balanced. Subtler aromas but much more intense flavors emerge than in the earlier pickings – lemon and lime oils, kumquat, papaya, passion fruit and orange blossom honey. Its best possible serving scenario is straight up. If you must eat, pair it with a slice of good foie gras. But please, please don’t serve it with sweets; at $135 for a half-bottle, it would be the epitome of waste.

Looking at Jochen, with the flavors and textures of his Eiswein still lingering on my palate, it’s hard to imagine the dedication it takes to produce these wines. Always affable and perpetually relaxed, he tells us of the incredible toils of making his Beeren- and Trockenbeerenauslesen. It takes one person an entire day, selecting one berry at a time, to pick enough to make a single half-bottle. I’ve seen, in person, the guide wires used by Jochen and his picking and pruning crews to hold themselves in place while working the perilously steep hillside vineyards. And I’ve seen the tiny amounts of “topsoil” that must be carried back up the hill and redistributed after hard storms and at the end of the season. I would wonder how he justifies it all – perhaps thinking him mad – if I’d never tried the wines. They are Bacharach-Steeg in a bottle. They make it all worthwhile. Gladly, I think he enjoys them even more than I do.

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