Pfalz Pinot

Erich Stachel was quite clear when he said to us that he thought Spätburgunder from the Pfalz was superior to Spätburgunder from Baden. Quite a confident statement to make, and maybe one tinged with just a little bias, I thought. Nevertheless, you couldn't argue with his wines. This, his top Pinot, cost EUR 18, but it was still fairly priced in my opinion.



Picture taken long after consumption, hence the dry cork.










Weingut Erich Stachel, Spätburgunder Heiligenberg 2007, Pfalz, Germany
Dark ruby with a brownish hue. Cedary spice aromas with a hint of raspberry. On the second day, this evolved into dark cherries and chocolate. Quite assertive with layers of spicy complexity - in a masculine fashion as opposed to a perfumy scent. Dense and tense on the palate. Packed with flavour and ending with a few pleasantly bitter hints on the finish. After 24 hours, the various elements had bedded together more. Imbued with plenty of muscle but with a fresh vein of acidity throughout.

Unsurprisingly, this wine has plenty of legs for the next few years but is drinking well now. If this is representative of Pfalz Pinot at this price level, I could be on to a good thing here.

Maikammer

Given its good density of better-than-average wineries, its relatively compact size and easy proximity to a connecting train station, the village of Maikammer seemed as good a venue as any for our little wine-tasting tour to see whether we could help our friends identify some choice wines for their wedding (see last post).

Our first port of call was Weingut Stachel, a traditional yet modern family-run winery. It would probably be fair to say that red wine is their speciality, yet we liked virtually all the wines we tasted - red and white. Erich Stachel himself greeted us as we arrived. Apart from pouring us wine, he happily chinwagged with us about this and that: from extolling the virtues of his hard-working Polish harvest workers, to lamenting the Greek economy, or reminiscing about the south of England. Once he had poured the wines, Herr Stachel also invited us down into the cellar where his son Matthias was hard at work cleaning one of the stainless steel vats from the inside. Having once cleaned a wooden vat from the inside myself, I can assure you that this is no job for claustrophobes.



The Stachels, father and son. Note the head lamp worn by Matthias Stachel - essential headwear for anyone diving head-first into the pitch blackness of a wine vat.




In short, we had a great time chez Stachel. We made sure we bought a few bottles before leaving, because the quality on offer was impressive. My favourite was the top Spätburgunder Heiligenberg from 2007, but other highlights included the Riesling Alte Reben, the smooth Cabernet Sauvignon and the peppery Syrah.

Next stop was Weingut Faubel. Visiting as we did on the second weekend in February, with the new vintage yet to be bottled, the number of white wines on offer was severely limited at this particular winery. This, I suspect, was also a result of their relatively small harvest in 2010. As I'd heard and read good things about Faubel, this was a disappointment. Nevertheless, I bought a decent bottle of a Riesling from 2009 that was still on sale.

Following a hearty lunch at the Golden Ox, we walked down the road to Immengarten Hof. It was here that we appreciated the positive effect a spacious, modern vinotheque with a relaxed ambience can have. Unfortunately, this particularly winery lacks such a conducive setting. Despite the patience and friendliness of our host, it was hard to muster much enthusiasm for wine-tasting in the small, creaky, faintly dining-room-like room in which we sat. In mitigation, the freezing temperatures outside (around -10C) probably didn't help matters either. Secondly, the same issue reared its head again regarding a lack of white wine. The few whites we did taste were exclusively of basic Gutswein quality. We joked with our friends that they should have scheduled their wedding differently... Thankfully, things looked better on the red front, with the two interestingly named blends, "Fourplay" and "Cupido", standing out.

Our fourth and final winery visit was at Dengler-Seyler. We were the last visitors to their very swish tasting room that afternoon. Winemaker Matthias Seyler was therefore able to pay us a lot of attention, which we very much appreciated. I wouldn't say we "saved the best till last" in view of the great time we'd also had at Stachel. Nevertheless, all the wines we tried at Dengler Seyler were immaculate and impressive without exception, from Riesling and Weissburgunder through to Spätburgunder. It was obvious that Herr Seyler is someone with a deep love of his profession and the natural environment in which he works. Among other things, he explained how he and his counterparts from other wine estates visit Burgundy once a year to select barrels for their cellars and how much he respects the work of local coopers who provide him with the hand-crafted products he requires.

In terms of red wine, Herr Seyler's top Spätburgunder "R" from 2009 impressed me greatly. However, I thought the "lesser" 2008 Spätburgunder "Tradition" stole the show on account of its elegance, balance and drinkability. The whites were on the same quality plane, if not higher. We tried two of the three top Rieslings, Heiligenberg and Heidenstock, and were able to identify the clear differences characterising these two different lieux-dits. The second-level Riesling, DerDenglerSeyler, is a blend of these, the winery's top three vineyard blocks (the third site being Schlangengässel), all of which are situated in Heiligenberg - the name of the vineyard as a whole. One other Riesling worth mentioning was the 2010 Riesling Kabinett - a wine without any designation as to its level of sweetness. However, it was off-dry on the palate - and quite electifying at that. We bought two bottles respectively of that, the Riesling Heiligenberg and the Spätburgunder Tradition.

In conclusion, Stachel and Dengler-Seyler are two wineries firmly on my radar now. I think our two friends also feel the same way. What wines they choose for their wedding - this, after all, was the objective of our a little jaunt in the first place - remains to be seen, but it was pleasure to make acquaintance with some exciting wines.





Barrels at Weingut Stachel

Wine-tasting weekend in the Pfalz

Just a quick post after our return from the Pfalz at the weekend, where we went wine-tasting with two friends of ours who are due to get married soon. We spent Saturday in Maikammer at Erich Stachel, Faubel, Immengarten Hof and Dengler-Seyler. Yesterday, we did a quick tour of Deidesheim. Pictured is a narrow street in Neustadt, our base for the weekend. More details to follow.

Book review

"111 deutsche Weine, die man getrunken haben muss", Carsten Henn

In my leisure time, most of the reading I do is of material covering the daily news and sport. In terms of actual books, I love the factual genre and don't go in for fiction much (unless it's by JRR Tolkien). Wine books are a favourite of mine among other things. Especially ones that offer a generous mix of words and visuals. For this and some other good reasons, Carsten Henn's "111 deutsche Weine, die man getrunken haben muss" (probably best translated as "111 German wines you should drink before you die") hits the spot.

Firstly, Carsten Henn has an effortless way with the German language. This, I suspect, is thanks to his literary background as the author of "whodunnits" set in the world of wine and vineyards. His prose, combined with tasteful snapshots of each of the 111 German wines in question, results in an aesthetically pleasing, almost "coffee table" style work that the reader can dip into as he or she pleases, knowledge of German permitting.

As for Carsten Henn's choice of wines, there are admittedly some moot points. The book covers all of Germany's wine regions and - within this remit - includes the widest spectrum of styles and grape varieties one could imagine. Now and again, this approach feels slightly provocative when the traditional rubs shoulders with the quirky. How about a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the Mosel? A Chardonnay from the Ahr? Or a Chenin Blanc from the Kaiserstuhl? Nevertheless - for this amateur reviewer at least - it is an approach that works. Riesling does get its tuppence worth (and more) in this book - as do the Pinot varietals (red and white) - but it would be a shame to overlook the numerous other styles that characterise German wine to greater or lesser degrees in the 21st century (e.g. aromatic varietals Muskateller, Scheurebe and Gewürztraminer in the Pfalz, Huxelrebe in Rheinhessen, the Württemberg specialities Trollinger and Lemberger, Franken's beloved Silvaner, and new-fangled or native reds Saint Laurent, Regent, Portugieser and Dornfelder).

Another final aspect to note is that none of the wines cost more than 25 euros at the time of publication. Each wine is denoted on a "dot" scale from one to four: from the cheapest price range (5 to 10 euros; one dot) to the most expensive (20 to 25 euros; four dots). This, coupled with the aforementioned images of the wines themselves, is as good an advertisement for German wine that you could ask for.

Recommended.

A schooling in Pinot

Jenny and I much enjoyed the following wine at the Ziereisens' pre-Christmas do, so we promptly bought two bottles of it before leaving. Because I acquired another bottle last week from a different source, I thought it wouldn't hurt to crack one open at this relatively early stage in its development.

Weingut Ziereisen, Blauer Spätburgunder "Schulen" 2008, Baden, Germany
A minty, herbally nose with quite a whiff of wet wood. I use "wood" as a descriptor (instead of "oak") deliberately, because this was a well integrated component. Less the smell of a carpenter's (that I would tend not to appreciate anyway), and more that of a damp forest. Lovely tart freshness on the palate, with black cherry and smooth tannins. A dense but light wine, if you get my meaning. With a pleasingly old-school 12% alcohol.

Personally, I thought opening a bottle now wouldn't hurt based on tasting the 2002 vintage of the same wine while we were visiting. There is a school of thought that would argue that 10 years' ageing would have improved such a wine. And indeed, the more mature notes of the 2002 Schulen offered plenty of interest. However, it wasn't half as exciting as 2008 in our view.

Riesling, Pinot & Co.

Organised by the German Wine Institute, "Riesling, Pinot & Co." is an international wine roadshow of sorts for German wine. Last Monday saw the 2012 season kick off in Zurich. Other venues this coming year will include Helsinki, Copenhagen, San Francisco, New York, Amsterdam and Brussels.

I took the train across to Zurich to be there at the Konzerthaus, and there was an interesting cross-section of producers awaiting me. Apart from a sprinkling of VDP producers showcasing their wines at the Konzerthaus, the focus also seemed to be on covering as colourful an array of quality regardless of affiliation. Hence, we had VDP stalwarts such as Mosbacher, von Kesselstadt and Künstler rubbing shoulders with the likes of the Südpfalz Connexion (Messrs Kranz, Siener, Leiner, Scheu and Gies), Weingut Johner, Winzerhof Thörle (whose Pinot Noir came third in that recent London taste-off) and my local favourite Weingut Claus Schneider.

As is normal at such events, I only got round to tasting half as much as I wanted to. I should be more efficient and ruthless, although the opportunity to talk to the vintners in question tends to outweigh other considerations.

Nevertheless, I was especially glad to taste something from the former East Germany for the first ever time, courtesy of Schloss Proschwitz near Dresden. They had a Weissburgunder, a Frühburgunder and a Spätburgunder on show. I liked all three.

I devoted some time to the Mosel, namely [sharp intake of breath] Weingut Witwe Dr. H. Thanisch, Erben Müller-Burggraef. This reminded me that I need to drink more wines from the Mosel and, specifically, traditional Kabinetts and Spätleses with residual sugar.

My experience of Rheinhessen is still relatively limited, but I enjoyed what I tasted. Weingut Riffel was a worthwhile discovery. Erik Riffel comes across as extremely passionate about his wines and the vineyards in which they are grown. His top Riesling, "Turm", was fascinating to smell and taste - imbued with an unusual kick in the nose and the taste of stone (quarzite, apparently) on the palate. Unfortunately, Winzerhof Thörle and Weingut Seehof, Fauth were somewhat of a rush job at the very end of the evening. Of the former, I tried notably the same Spätburgunder from the Saulheimer Hölle vineyard that earned plaudits in London, albeit this one was from the next vintage (2009). The wine seemed very polished but rather too young at this stage. Of Florian Flauth from the latter winery, I noted that he looks a little bit like Chris Martin from Coldplay.

These two aforementioned final stops on my tour were such a rush because of the time I spent at the stands of the following:

Aside from his wines, Patrick Johner from the eponymous Weingut Johner in Baden is also noted for his blog. Although I'd never met the man before, his was consequently a face I already recognised. To be honest, I sometimes feel a bit of a fraud in the company of fellow (wine) bloggers - especially ones who know more than just a bit about wine, as Patrick Johner undoubtedly does. I was therefore in two minds about mentioning my blog to him. In the event, I did. His response was to pour a 2006 Chardonnay for me that wasn't on the official list and ask what I thought it smelt of. "It's a bit a buttery and bread-like" was my answer. That wasn't quite what Herr Johner had in mind: he said it reminded him of chicken broth! Moving swiftly on (in all senses of the meaning), I was particular taken by the young 2011 version of his Weissburgunder/Chardonnay blend. This is an early bottling that shows more overt fruit than the main version that will be bottled in March. Having rested on its lees longer, the latter will be more of a wine for laying down. Despite having been filled very recently, bottling no. 1 is very drinkable. More a wine for instant enjoyment than for philosophising.

I also made a bee line for the Südpfalz Connexion - first Kranz, then Siener, then Scheu (I had to forgo the other two unfortunately). Among other things, it was interesting to compare the Spätburgunders from Boris Kranz and Peter Siener. Kranz's style is very much based on freshness with crunchy dry tannins, while Siener's Pinot Noir is smoother and silkier. I would say the latter interpretation is probably more approachable in youth, but the former will likely come into its own a few years further down the line.

There was an interesting exchange I had with Klaus Scheu regarding vineyard names. He is not permitted to use his old vineyard parcel names Raedling and Strohlenberg on his labels; only those vineyards officially registered in the now infamous German wine law of 1971 are allowed. In his village of Schweigen, Sonnenberg is the one recognised vineyard. No other names can be written out - which is why Scheu renders Raedling and Strohlenberg on his labels as R**DL**G and ST**B**G (excuse my French). Although such names are genuine relics from days of old, when many a lieu-dit within a specific vineyard was demarcated, designated, valued and taxed accordingly, German law is - if you'll excuse the tautology - a rigid beast. It doesn't help either that these two particular sites are actually situated just over the border in France.

Other notable ports of call included Benzinger, Kiefer and Schneider:

I enjoyed tasting Benzinger's Rieslings and red wines, including a Dornfelder that was incredibly smooth and un-Dornfelder-like. A couple of their wines have already been subject of closer examination in this blog. One got the thumbs up, the other sort of did despite the slight caveat I inserted.

Weingut Kiefer's hospitality may be vaguely familiar to the more regular readers of this blog, but their wines are also very decent, with one particular Spätburgunder ("Dreistern" 2007) and a Scheurebe sweety lingering in my memory of what I tasted that evening.

An enjoyable chat with Susanne Scheider of Weingut Schneider in Weil, the town I lived in from 2000 to 2009, was what really caused me to lose track of time at the end of the evening. Not that I was complaining. During my stay in Weil, I'd never really conversed at length with either Frau or Herr Schneider, so it was good to put that right. Susanne served me a wine that wasn't on the official line-up: their top-of-the range, barrel-aged 2009 Pinot Noir, a very youthful wine that will need lots of time - precisely something that I lacked last Monday.

Arachnophobes look away now

Something non-wine-related today.

My brother-in-law and his wife visited us with their seven-month-old son last weekend. Quite an undertaking for them given the round-the-clock attention Baby Harry demands. We had a lovely time and everything passed off smoothly. Apart from simply chilling out, we went to the Fondation Beyeler in nearby Riehen (the village in which Roger and Mirka Federer got married) to see the "Surrealism in Paris" exhibition that runs until the end of this month. I'm not really the arty type, but surrealism has always fascinated me.

And almost just as intriguing as the paintings and sculptures indoors was the giant arachnid outside in the museum gardens.