German, Austrian and Alsace Wine Tasting at Wine Watch

I learned early to drink beer, wine and whiskey. And I think I was about 5 when I first chewed tobacco.

Babe Ruth

Proof that drinking does enhance your athletic performance!   We’re training for the wine drinking Olympics here at Wine Watch and rounding all the bases this week we have a workshop on the wines of Alsace, Germany and Austria.

It was just a few short years ago that Germany produced the world’s most expensive wines on Earth.  A few world wars and wine consumers taste changing from sweet to dryer wines have put Germany behind the other great European wine countries in popularity for now.  But, they still make some of the world’s best wines focusing almost entirely on a single varietal with Riesling making up over 50% of the planted varietals in this country.

Alsace is part of France today but its wines resemble those of Germany more than the rest of France with Riesling and other aromatic whites making up the majority of their production along with a tiny bit of Pinot Noir.  The wines of Alsace are varietally labeled and they seem a bit easier to understand than the rest of France which doesn’t usually put the grape varietal even on the label.

Austria is another great source of aromatic whites along with a bit of Pinot Noir as well as a few other unique reds like; Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, and St. Laurent.  This country bottle for bottle produces some of the most expensive wines in the world.  If you look at the average cost of a bottle of wine produced in Austria they are second only to the Swiss in highest on average price for a bottle of fermented grape juice.

Join us for a great tasting of mostly whites from three of the world's greatest areas for these refreshing summer wines.  Germany, Alsace and Austria make some of the best wines for summer and they are also incredible values- like this event!  Wine Watch Caterings Toni Lampasone will be making some tasty treats to accompany the wines, the fee for this walk around tasting is only $35!  We only have room for 35 tasters at this event so reserve your space NOW!  Call 954-523-9463.

Austria

2006 Kracher Zweigelt Rose Austria
Price: $14.25    Sale $12.54

This is probably a bit too old but that's why we open the bottles!  You never know till you try it and these two vintage Kracher wines are under screw cap which should mean fresher wine....you have to come out for this one to see firsthand the effect that this enclosure has on even entry level wines like these that are almost 10 years of age.

2006 Kracher Pinot Gris Austria
Price: $14.75    Sale $12.98

(88 Points) While Kracher never bottled many dry wines, his 2006 Pinot Gris offers excellent value. Ripe peach and Persian melon with a hint of pork rind on the nose lead to a silky-smooth palate long on fruit as well as refreshment, with a subtle creaminess adding allure. Beginning in 2003 (when heat and drought made botryti “ and thus genuine T.B.A. “ virtually impossible), Kracher revived the tradition at his family's estate of bottling Auslese, and that practice has been continued.

The inspiring and otherwise irrepressible Alois Luis Kracher died last December 5, after a nearly year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. His son Gerhard, 27, and still-active father will continue the work of this exemplary estate. Note: I tasted the Kracher wines of 2005 and 2006 for the reviews above this Spring, and the 2004s in late 2007 and again this Spring. Kracher was restrained in his early judgment of the challenging 2004 vintage, in which he could not start picking noble rot until November, and continued until Christmas. œThe first selections were wonderful; the second passage classic, good; the third “ kaput, was how he described it. From two months of work, he continued, we netted 6,000 liters of quality T.B.A., from which he promises a modest-sized collection so that “ as he puts it “ he wouldn't have to apologize for a vintage that is good but not great. I don't believe that this was a tactical confession on his part. Kracher was genuinely surprised by the quality that emerged as his 2004 collection evolved, and in the end, he bottled the same number of Trockenbeerenauslesen “ten“ as in the manifestly more classic botrytis vintage of 2005. Wine Advocate # 177 Jun 2008

2011 Nigl Gruner Veltliner Alte Reben Austria
Price: $35.00    Sale $30.80

(92 points)  Redolent of ripe citrus, showing plenty of verve to the richly spiced flavors of peach, wild cherry and baked pineapple. Delivers a luxuriant midpalate, offering a long and vibrant finish of pastry, licorice and candied apple. Drink now through 2022. 14 cases imported. –KM  Wine Spectator    Issue: Jun 30, 2013

2010 Domaine Wachau Riesling Federspiel Terrassen
Price: $15.00       Sale $13.20

Domäne Wachau is one of Austria’s most renowned wineries, based in Austria’s most prestigious wine growing region, the Wachau. Steep terraced yineyards, a cool, marginal climate and meagre primary rock soils define the wines. „Federspiel“ stands for dry, medium bodied and elegantly balanced wines of the Wachau.   The “Terrassen” wines are blended from various steep terraced vineyards throughout the Wachau valley and offer a perfect introduction to the unique wine style of the Wachau.

Fresh, clear straw yellow with green reflections; present and pronounced on the nose, ripe aromas of white peach, apricot and delicate grapefruit, hints of exotic fruit; stone fruit aromas on the palate with an elegant structure; very fresh, crisp and well balanced by a great acidity and a dense fruit; long finish!

2009 Preisinger Zweigelt
Price: $23.00       Sale $20.24

Winemakers Notes: The grapes for this Zweigelt grow in the same top sites in the Pannobile Area like the ones that I use for the Pannobile. Hand picked in the first weeks of September, first selection in the vineyard, second selection in the winery, natural fermentation in stainless steel tanks, matured for 10 months in small barrels on the yeast. Juicy, full bodied and at the same time soft, this wine can be served right now and also ages pretty well. A wine about pleasure and joyful drinking.

Germany

2014 Villa Wolf Pinot Gris
Price: $12.50       Sale $11.00

The Pinot Gris variety was first identified in the Pfalz region. Villa Wolf Pinot Gris is made in a full-bodied, dry style with fresh, unoaked fruit and a crisp texture. Half of each vintage is made in large, neutral oak casks for depth and complexity. The other half is done in stainless steel to preserve freshness and enhance the vibrant fruit.  Fresh pear and pineapple citrus fruit on the nose with notes of pretty white flowers and a touch of stone like mineral.  Light and refreshing white with a short but plesant finish, light mineral notes, an incredible value!!  Finish 25+    Very Good

2013 Fritz Haag Riesling QBA
Price: $24.50       Sale $21.56

Low PH lively acidity minerality, this is the entry level wine QBA is what they call it 18.5 hectares all steep slopes 70%, hand selected all Riesling and this wine has a good amount of green apple and lime citrus with a hint of orange zest.  A very light and crisp wine with nice minerality and a short but very pleasant finish.  Finish 35+    Very Good    

2013 Robert Weil Riesling Tradition Spatlese
Price: $42.00       Sale $36.96

The Estate Spätlese is sourced from parcels that neighbor the estate’s classified single-vineyard sites. It also includes pre-selection fruit from the top sites, which gives the wine an extra dimension of fruit and mineral intensity. It is made with the same exacting standards and meticulous attention to detail as the single-vineyard wines, and is designed to showcase Spätlese’s riper, richer style from late-picked fruit.

Wine Watch Notes:  A very aromatic bouquet, try decantering these wines for a few hours it is amazing how they develop bouquet of white peaches, lime blossoms and a stone like minerality that intensifies as the wine opens.  A good amount of sweet tart like fruit on the tongue  with tongue tingly minerality through the finish, lovely balance and richness here.  Finish 45+    Excellent +

2011 Bernard Huber Pinot Noir Baden
Price: $54.00    Sale $47.52

A nice smoky character to the nose with complex all-spice and cinnamon to compliment the cherry berry fruit very complex bouquet. Lovely balance and texture on the tongue silky and wonderful freshness and all-spice on the finish very balanced and Burgundian in Nature. Finish 40+ This wine is a selection of younger vines that are from 4-12 years of age.  Excellent

1983 Deinhard Winkeler Hasensprung Riesling
Price: $160.00    Sale $140.80

This is a great old vintage showcasing Rieslings ability to age, should be a lot of fun to try this wine. YOLO!

Alsace

Zind Humbrecht Pinot Blanc 2012
Price: $21.75    Sale $19.14    Case $222

Following Alsatian tradition, Pinot Blanc is blended with Auxerrois to form this wine. Grapes come from a combination of Zind-Humbrecht's top vineyards, including Herrenweg and Rotenberg Vineyards. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 8 months in 40-year-old French barrels.

Zind Humbrecht Zind  2012
Price: $32.25    Sale $28.38    Case $329

Chardonnay and Auxerrois grapes come from Clos Windsbuhl Vineyard. The altitude of the vineyard coupled with the town of Hunawihr’s cooler climate means that the Clos Windsbuhl is often one of the last estate vineyards to be harvested. This explains the aromatic quality of the Clos’ wines and the consistent balance of acidity, a guarantee of good aging. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 8 months in 40-year-old French barrels.

Zind Humbrecht Calcaire P Gris 2012
Price: $44.75    Sale $39.38    Case $457

Grown in the village of Turckheim, Pinot Gris vineyards are at higher altitudes with very little top soil, resulting in a great structure. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 18 months in 40-year-old French barrels.  Smoky, mineral aromas mingle with stone fruit (peach, apricots) on the nose. The first sensation on the palate is a light roundness, quickly balanced by a ripe acidity that brings and enjoyable vivacity to the mouth. The finish shows some interesting tannins which also help to keep the richness of the wine in harmony.

Zind Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl 2011
Price: $85.25    Sale $75.02    Case $870

The altitude of the vineyard coupled with Hunawihr’s delayed climate means that the Clos Windsbuhl is often one of the last estate vineyards to be harvested. This explains the aromatic quality of the Clos’ wines and the consistent balance of acidity, a guarantee of good aging. Zind-Humbrecht's dedication to terroir expression guides all winemaking practices, which include extended pressing cycles, abbreviated clarification cycles (to retain natural yeasts and proteins in the must), natural malolactic fermentation and extended aging on the lees. The wine is aged 18 months in 40-year-old French barrels.

Refined, mineral nose that opens up to display vibrant citrus and white fruits. The palate has a smooth, delicate, mineral structure but quickly firms up around the acidity. Beautiful ripe, integrated acidity.

2007 Domaine Ostertag Fronholz Pinot Gris Alsace
Price: $51.25    Sale Price: $35.50

(91 Points) Effusively musky, carnal, decadently floral (narcissus and faded lily) as well as peachy scents in the Ostertag 2007 Pinot Gris Fronholz are followed by a palate of subtle oiliness, imposing richness, and ripe peach succulence, supported by the subtle sweetening effect of high glycerin (in a wine of already well over 14% alcohol) and 12 grams of residual sugar that are utterly discreet. Yet, in the manner of the best Pinot Gris of its vintage, this retains lovely freshness, vivacity, and primary juiciness. Nut paste; spiced pear and peach; and musky liquid floral perfume linger on the palate as well as in the empty glass. This should remain a treat for at least 6-8 years, though one should monitor it thereafter for signs of alcoholic heat. Ostertag uses mostly older barrels for Fronholz as he thinks it’s cool, sometimes “ as in 2007 “ Riesling-like personality is temperamentally opposed to flavors of oak.

Andre Ostertag was like most of his region’s best growers very selective about what he chose to bottle in 2006. He is especially enthusiastic about his uncompromisingly intense 2007s and the sense in which the Rieslings resemble a throwback to the moderate must weights and refreshing acidity that was common in Alsace before the string of warm vintages that has been nearly uninterrupted since 1988. I was surprised to find myself as impresses as I was with the 2007 Pinot Gris bottlings here, but Ostertag says it was simply unfair until very recently to compare his results with that grape to those with Riesling, because the vines of the former were too young. They’ve passed 20 years of age now, and that, he opines, is why they can start to show their real potential (and, I would add, stand up to Ostertag’s use of barriques). While I hate to take up space with this matter, readers should be aware that wines from this estate that formerly bore the village name Epfig will now merely be coded with the capital letter because of certain limitations that the authorities have now imposed on the use of village designates and the definition of village level names. (Frankly, I wouldn’t even want to understand the regulation if I thought it would prove intelligible!) eRobertParker.com # 188 Apr 2010

2011 Ostertag "Vignoble d'E" Pinot Noir
Price: $33.00    Sale $29.04

To call André Ostertag a revolutionary winemaker is to tell just half the story. He is a pioneer, certainly, but also an ardent environmentalist (as demonstrated in both his wine and his sculpture, another passion). After training in Burgundy, André returned to the family domaine in Alsace with renewed zeal: he lowered yields considerably and introduced viticultural and vinification techniques from other regions to his own home ground. The 1996 vintage marked his first collaboration with KLWM, and the following year he brought biodynamic viticulture to his fourteen hectares of vineyards, including his flagship parcel in the Muenchberg Grand Cru. There is poetry to Ostertag’s practices. He looks for the nuance of terroir rather than the typicity of a grape varietal. In an act of rejection against the official classifications dictated by the A.O.C., he made up his own categories: Vins de Fruit that express fruit character rather than that of a specific vineyard site, Vins de Pierre reflecting the terroir from which they originate, and Vin de Temps that rely on time and weather to encourage the development of botrytis. He ferments the majority of his wines completely dry, so their versatility at the table surpasses that of many other wines from the region. In Ostertag’s experience, a careful use of oak subtly enhances the traditional Alsatian varietals from the Pinot family, giving them greater depth on the palate. He uses oak sourced exclusively from the Vosges Mountains and, for his Pinots, prefers barriques to the traditional foudres. He rejects formulaic, scientifically engineered wines, and since going biodynamic in 1997, has been an active member of the natural farming community. As he so beautifully explains in Kermit Lynch’s Inspiring Thirst,…true quality is that which succeeds in surprising and moving us. It is not locked inside a formula. Its essence is subtle (subjective) and never rational. It resides in the unique, the singular, but it is ultimately connected to something more universal. A great wine is one in which quality is contained. Such a wine will necessarily be uncommon and decidedly unique because it cannot be like any other, and because of this fact it will be atypical, or only typical of itself.

2012 Lucien Albrecht Riesling Reserve Alsace
Price: $15.00    Sale Price: $12.75

Wine Enthusiast 87 points - This lemon-scented Riesling has a bright apple character and hints of peach. It is also delightfully fragrant, while the finish is bright. (Oct 2013)

2012 Tim Adams Riesling Clare Valley
Price: $35.00    Sale Price: $18.50

Fresh green apple and white peach like fruit with a note of petrol and jasmine floral notes. A very zesty wine on the tongue with a bit of effervescence here on the tongue, lime citrus and a note of slate like mineral on the finish, very dry style sweet tart fruit. Finish 40+ Excellent

Florida Wine Company

2013 Hofer Gruner Veltliner Von Den Rieden Liter
Price: $23.75    Sale $20.90   Case $243

Auersthal is just barely beyond Vienna’s northern suburbs, in a dead-still little wine village in the Weinviertel. Hofer belongs to a group called Bio-Ernte which has standards for organic certification that are above the EU guidelines. The vineyards lie in a rain-shadow and have to endure hot summers. In fact Hofer plants his Riesling in a fog-pocket as he gets so little rain. The wines are pressed conventionally (no whole-cluster) with skin contact, and all whites are done in stainless steel.

2013 Weingut Walter Glazer Zweigelt Riedencuvee
Price: $20.25       Sale $17.82          Case $207

Walter Glatzer farms 54 hectares in the ancient region of Carnuntum, the largest border community of the Roman Empire where Celtics, Romans, and later monastic settlements tended vines for over 2000 years.  Carnuntum has a unique combination of exposition, soil and microclimate that provides perfect conditions for viticulture. Vines in Carnuntum benefit from the contrast created by the warm Pannonian plane to the northeast, the cooling currents off the Danube, and wind protection from the Maria Ellend forest, to the north. This climate creates wide diurnal temperature swings, giving the wines a freshness and brightness that makes them a pleasure to drink.

The gently rolling hills of stony, dense loam and gravel soils are perfect for red grape varieties, while the sand on the alluvial plane stretching to the Danube are ideal soils grüner veltliner and other white varieties. Glatzer plants his vineyards to a about 5000 vines per hectare to help reduce vine stress and believes in high canopy training which focuses more energy, and consequently more ripeness in the fruit.

Red wines, especially zweigelt and blaufränkisch, play the leading roles at Weingut Glatzer. After maceration and fermentation in stainless steel, gentle pump-overs, and a gentle pressing, Walter ages the entry level wines in large 2000 liter casks and the reserve wines, including Dornenvogel Zweigelt, in barrique for 12 months. White wines are fermented at low temperatures in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to retain as much freshness, fruit and varietal character as possible. A certain amount of lees-contact gives additional depth and complexity to all wines.

2013 Von Winning Riesling QBA
Price: $23.50       Sale $20.68          Case $238

The fact that this estate is crafting some of the very best dry wines in Germany is no fluke, rather a result of nearly obsessive winemaker Stefan Attman’s commitment to both dedicated cultivation of Deidesheim and Forst’s best sites and meticulous work in the cellar. Under the same ownership and winemaking team, the Dr. Deinhard label is designated for fruity styles vinified in stainless steel while the Von Winning label is reserved for the Grosses Gewächs sites vinified dry and in wood.  Von Winning maintains some of the oldest parcels in Grosses Gewächs vineyards smattered across Forst, Deidesheim, and Ruppertsberg. Attman’s every decision is informed by great enthusiasm and experiences at estates in the Cote d’Or and abroad.  For example, Attman’s newer vines are planted at a very high vine density- 9500 vines per hectare, as opposed to the more typical less than 5000.  This creates competition amongst the vines, forcing the roots to grow deep, naturally reducing yields. Attman has adopted the single cane trellising system, prevalent in Burgundy, and Grosses Gewächs wines ferment in 500mL French barrels. Von Winning practices organic and sustainable viticulture.

Attmann describes his winemaking as “not doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.” The estate’s premium wines are treated with a minimalist approach and with the highest respect in the cellar. Gentle clarification, a natural and spontaneous fermentation and the abandonment of fining agents create wines with a distinctive indigenous and very elegant style. Pumping the juice or wine is never necessary in the gravity flow winery, allowing for minimal, and gentle vinification.

2013 Hexamer Riesling Quarzit Nahe
Price: $23.50       Sale $20.68          Case $238

Harald Hexamer’s dedication is seen both his work in the vineyards and in the cellars.  Hexamer holds 7.5 hectares in the Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg, a steep south-east facing slope of red sandstone with deposits of quartzite, which is known for producing especially small berries. Hexamer often harvests riper grapes from another site (Marbach) but the wines of Rheingrafenberg grapes are “more filigree and better-structured.” Schlossböckelheimer In den Felsen (“In the Rocks”) is a small vineyard at 6.5 hectares, of which the Hexamer’s own 4.5.  The vineyard is markedly steep (70º) with south facing slopes composed of rocky porphyry and produces wines characterized by softer acidity and a subtle smokiness.
Hexamer’s meticulous work in the vineyard is marked by pruning to control yields (“often six to eight bunches per wine”) and hand-harvesting. The grapes are picked exclusively by hand and fermented very cold (below 12 degrees celsius) with cooling utilized only when necessary – “but we often pick so late we bring naturally cold fruit — below 10 degrees — back to the winery.”  Hexamer handles the wine as little as possible: no dosage is used, inoculations are made only with native yeasts, and all wines are whole-cluster pressed.  95% of all Rieslings at Hexamer are made in stainless steel and racked only once, three to six weeks after fermentation is complete. The wines are bottled early to preserve their vigor. For the Burgundian varieties, Harald constructed his own barrels in Meddersheim using oak from the Hunsrück forest seasoned for 5 years.  When tasting the wines, one sees the purity of the vineyards, the intensity of minerality and remarkable clarity. Hexamer’s wines are balanced in the ultraviolet spectrum; they’re steely, acid-driven, clean and transparent.

Menu
Apple and Brie purses with Riesling cinnamon and nutmeg aioli
Tuna Tartar with mango and pineapple
Chicken Sausage with lavender Mustard dipping sauce
Sweet Onion and Gruyere tart

The fee for this walk around tasting is only $35!  We only have room for 35 tasters at this event so reserve your space NOW!  Call 954-523-9463.