German Wines

Oberhausen, Nahe, Germany
12.0 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-07-27

A remark at the beginning: I used the Coravin to pour this wine. Makes sense. To drink a whole bottle of the '97 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle at once is a real challenge. So exactly for this kind of experience this tool makes absolutely sense.



I poured in total 9.5 oz from the bottle in three steps: First one only to taste the wine, the two other ones for lunch. Deep golden colour. At the beginning aromas of resin and honey, but after a short moment ripe quince and candy fruits came into the foreground. Delicious! On the palate creamy and smooth; no petrol notes noticeable. Massive and intensive. Neverending finish. Wonderful to drink at the moment, but it will keep this quality for another five to ten years without any doubt.

It was not planned to drink the wine exactly this day. But we prepared a not too hot Thai Curry and I thought the Hermannshöhle could be a good partner. I was a little bit wrong: It was an outstanding combination! Together with the curry the Hermannshöhle develops a cornucopia of aromas and spices: Directly after a bite the curry aromas were improved to a sweet and hot combination which woke up all senses. Shifting the contact point for approx. 10 seconds suddenly offers a mix of spices: Of course curry, but also cardamom, some pepper, but surprisingly also something like cinammon. Incredible.

The Weingut Dönnhoff is one of the most famous wineries in Germany. Located in the wonderful Nahe area the winery provides a lot of world-class white wines. The website (http://www.doennhoff.com/) provides all information also in English. For instance the information of the Hermannshöhle site: "For over 100 years, the Hermannshöhle has been rated the best site of the Nahe and is therefore the benchmark by which all other vineyards in the region are judged. This magnificent site takes its name from a small mine (Höhle actually means cave) in the middle of the hillside. Hermann comes from Hermes, the Greek guardian of messengers and travellers and is probably an indication of an ancient place of worship." Tastings are possible by appointment.

But now the good news for all my US friends: Dönnhoff wines are also available in a lot of US shops. But you have to look for the American writing: Donnhoff.

Schweigen, Pfalz
13.0 % Alcohol
Tasted 2014-05-29

Dark ruby red with some garnet red rims. Medium color depth and very clear. Pure fruity aroma mix of strawberries and red currants but also some hip. Complex and claiming. All the aromas are reflected also on the palate in a smooth and succulent way. Super-long finish ending a little bit furrily which is for me an indicator that the wine is still at the beginning. Already very well drinkable, but in two years the wine will be on the top. Potential up to 2020 and longer. Outstanding!

In Germany there is still the opinion that Pinot Noir is the perfect wine for game dishes, e.g. goose. I see this differently. I love to pair Pinots like the Steinwingert with a nice tenderloin. But during the last months I tried something new. My wife likes Indian style curry (not too spicy). Today she prepared one with turkey, potatoes, red pepper and yellow zucchini. Delicious! With dishes like this Pinots offers something what I call the other side. In addition to the fruit aromas spicy notes from different pepper styles arise. I know that this is not what Pinot gurus like. But for me this is a great pairing. The trick is to prepare the curry not too spicy and to wait around 10 seconds after a bite before taking a sip.

The "Weingut" Friedrich Becker (Weingut means Vineyard) in the Pfalz is located very near to the French border. This leads to the situation that the wines of this winery grow on German and French areas. A rare situation. The region and of course especially the winery is worth to visit. Due to the closeness to the Alasace region two countries can be visited in one day. And the food (but also the wine) in the whole region - on French and German side - is really good. Unfortunately the information on the website (http://www.friedrichbecker.de/) is in German only. But tastings are possible Friday and Saturday.

Baden; 13.5% Alcohol

Medium clear ruby red like raspberry drops. Flower aromas with some spices in the background. Pleasing acids which prevail a little bit. Complex.

The alcohol is warm and pleasant. The wine itself round and spicy. Slightly astringent. Medium length with a little bit too much acid (again). Somewhere rustic. A wine which makes no compromises.

Sven Enderle and Florian Moll founded "Enderle & Moll" in 2007. These two wild young guys are already well-known not only in Germany but also in the US. The higher level wines are rare. The wine is already drinkable but will improve the next two years. Perfect from 2016 to 2018.

Pair this wine with rustic German food. Perhaps something you can find in a location called the "Besenwirtschaft". Meat with fried potatoes. And drink it in summer. This wild piece of wine is definitely not the one for the contemplative silence of the dark seasons. For the price a bargain.

Wuerttemberg

Nice deep purple. Directly after uncorking some animalistic tones (smell of wet fur?). For me typical for young German Pinots. All the time the same question: Will this tone go away with some air? In this case „Yes“. After a short time fruit aromas arise. Strawberries and (sour) cherries. With the first sip a fruit basket unfolds in the mouth. Incredibly yummy. Very long fruity finish. Amazing.

The 2011 „Simonroth“ is definitely at the beginning. It will improve for another two years and then hold this quality for three or four more years. The perfect wine for classical Tournedos à la Rossini.

The vineyard Rainer Schnaitmann in Fellbach (Baden-Wuerttemberg) is definitely one of the hottest addresses if you want to check out an amazing German Pinot – like the 2011 „Simonroth“. Schnaitmann's first harvest was 1997 and since then the quality improvement in the whole area of the rivers Rems and Neckar was dramatic. In case of a visit to Germany please don't miss this hot spot. High ratings in nearly all German wine critics magazines. More infos can be found on the vineyard's website www.weingut-schnaitmann.de (unfortunately in German only).

Rheingau

The 2006 Nussbrunnen Riesling has a wonderful full golden yellow color. Clear and reflective. In the nose ripe mangos; pure, strong and racy. Nice sweetness with some acidity. Still fresh with a strong body – the term sinewy comes to my mind. In the mouth very present and also nice fruity aromas. The finish middle-long; perhaps a little bit short.

In total a nice Riesling Spaetlese and a very good example of this sweet wine style. Pair this wine mainly with some nice cream cheese, but not too strong. This wine is already well drinkable, but even in the half-bottle I believe it will improve in the next two years and will remain on this level of quality for another 3 to 5 years. I have another bottle in my cellar, I will check.

Balthasar Ress is a very good winery in the Rheingau in Germany with very innovative owners. The Vinothek (Wine Shop) in Hattenheim is worth to visit and on the website www.balthasar-ress.de all information is available in English, too. So something for your next Germany trip?

German wine classification is not easily understandable. In January 2012, Germany's VDP (Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates) agreed to further refine their classification concept, in which the origin and quality of a wine are inextricably related. On top of the pyramid created as part of the classification is the so-called "VDP.GROSSE LAGE" - best comparable to a top vineyard site. Indeed the Hattenheim Nussbrunnen is such a classified single vineyard "that unmistakably reflects the influence of their microclimate and soil structure, and shows especially high quality potential" (citation from Balthasar Ress website).

Also on the website you can find a good description of the Nussbrunnen: "The Nussbrunnen vineyard in Hattenheim has a south-southeast exposure. The name derives from a "Brunnen," or spring, that was once surrounded by nut trees. The source of the spring is still visible today. It lies well protected from cold northerly winds on the lower reaches of the slope, adjacent to the site Wisselbrunnen. Among the finest parcels of vines in the Rheingau is the 1.5-ha/3.7-acre parcel within Nussbrunnen that is owned by the Balthasar Ress estate. Its special soil conditions, e.g. deep, loam-loess soils that guarantee an excellent water balance, as well as the prevailing microclimate, are among the reasons that Nussbrunnen is such a top site. These are the prerequisites that enable grapes to consistently yield top-quality wines."