Burgweg

Introducing my first-ever Knipser Grosses Gewächs, red or white... I bought two bottles of this over a year ago from a local merchant in Basel, but decided to leave well alone until now.




Weingut Knipser, Spätburgunder Burgweg GG 2007, Pfalz, Germany
Burgweg is the name of the vineyard as a whole, but Knipers' plot is situated in the best part called "Im Grossen Garten" - a sheltered, relatively steep, limestone-rich south-facing slope on the western edge of Grosskarlbach overlooking an old mill. The property itself compares the limestone in Burgweg to the chalky soil found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or. Winery photographs incidentally show an attractive line of cypresses running up the vineyard's spine.

Dense ruby in appearance with black cherry and sappy redcurrant and raspberry. Whenever the soils are chalky, I invariably catch a whiff of menthol in there too. This wine is no exception. There's also a hint of oak ageing, but nothing intrusive.
Pure dark cherry on the palate. Again, the barrel notes are well integrated. Full-bodied in the mouth but a refreshing vein of acidity lends refreshment and refinement. The 14% alcohol is barely noticeable. Minerally characteristics are evident in a certain grip this wine has on the tongue. The tannins are mellow - a year's "speed-cellaring" in our basement may already have helped in this respect - but there is so much density in there that I would say this wine has an exceedingly long life ahead.
Ultra-long on the the finish. Impressive stuff.

Ideally, I would like to hold on to the second bottle for a few more years. Nevertheless, I think this wine is showing well at present and is probably hitting its first stage of maturity.