Deutscher Wein ohne Angst
German Wine Without Fear
By James Wright

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AN ARCHIVED ARTICLE. THE WINES BELOW ARE SOLD OUT.

As I travel in Europe, it comes to pass on occasion that I am politely interrogated by winemakers about the taste and preferences of the garden-variety American wine consumer. I am obliged to shake my head, grin ruefully and respond as fluently as possible in bad German or worse French, that the major malfunction of the American palate is that it's become addicted to a condiment. I say, "well, y'know, in the US of A we eat a lot of hamburgers and a lot of hot dogs.

This is not because we are so dearly attached to the flavor of the hamburger in sich, or the hot dog lui-même, but rather because we like the taste of the mustard. And so it goes with wine, where a majority of the popular ones all feature an unholy amount of oak. Whereby the grape aromas are subsumed and covered under a blanket of vanilla, and most varietal character is lost. So that it doesn't matter what the varietal is, so long as it's got enough mustard on it. Pierre responds "je suis desolée,' and Fritz sez "bedaure sehr…"

Becoming acquainted with the fruit- and terroir- driven wines of Germany (and of the Loire, or Austria, or Alsace or New Zealand, for that matter) is like learning to appreciate Asian food made without monosodium glutamate—there's something missing at first, but before long, the purity of expression makes its advantages unmistakably perceptible. I might add that one also notices the ol' noggin greeting the light of day in better shape, as the histamines from oak-tannins are a primary cause of Hang-over.

One is frequently told that German wine labels are complex and difficult to read—but the truth is otherwise, that once one learns half a dozen words and some of the ways they go together, one is rewarded with the greatest amount of useful information to be found anywhere pasted on a wine bottle. Gutsabfüllung may sound like a hearty dinner, but it really means mise en bouteilles au domaine. There's no reason that the wines should not reflect their parent culture. Let 'em be German.

The most important varietal in German winemaking is the Riesling. Remarkable wines can be made from such types as Scheurebe, pinot gris (Grauburgunder), or pinot blanc (Weissburgunder)—but the Riesling is by far the foremost and finest, from one end of the country to the other. The way it adapts to the regional characteristics makes for a world of variety in the varietal's expressive nature.

What is it makes Riesling special? There is one characteristic that makes it nearly unique—and the nearly is quite significant: the way it transmits the message of the earth in which the grapes are grown to the taster. And the only thing that keeps it from being totally unique in this respect, is the fact that pinot noir behaves in a similar fashion—whether one says gout de terroir or Bodengeschmack, this characteristic sets pinot noir in Burgundy and Riesling in Germany apart from all other varietals. In fact, I must sadly report to my acquaintances who make wine on the Côte d'Or, that the true spiritual counterpart to their glorious red burgundies is not white burgundy, but rather the stylistically unique wines from that land to the northeast, from the Rhine and Mosel river valleys.

So what I propose is this: that anybody who loves red burgundy can open an entirely new wing in the cellar by experiencing German Riesling. And furthermore promise that this new wing on the old bird will prove to be one that's very fine of feather, indeed.

Even as the wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux evolve, even as California viticulture continues to develop, so does winemaking in Germany. The baroque grandmaster of Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht in the Pfalz, Bernd Philippi, explained to me as follows: Once upon a time the Germans were accustomed to drinking sweet wine by itself at home. They then went out to dinner, ordered dinner—which came in fifteen minutes and was then consumed within the next fifteen, at which point they returned home and drank sweet wine some more.

In the late eighties and early nineties a culinary revolution occurred, one of young chefs who had worked in one-star restaurants in France and returned home to open fine-dining establishments— returned with the notion of how wine was something that fitted admirably into the big picture of fine dining, which was an up-and-coming notion in and of itself. This created a demand for wines that were more aptly suited for gastronomy, and led to an entire generation of dry and off-dry German wines. I would point out that it was a similar culinary influence which accounts for the eminent drinkability of much California pinot noir.

Sweet or dry? Or in-between?

One must make a distinction between wines that are merely sweet, and those wines in which a degree of sweetness is just one component. Some of the most searingly dry wines ever tasted have been made from Riesling in Germany. Some of them were good, even exceptional wines. The northerly location of Germany encourages the production of acid in Riesling, which exhibits a high natural acid content to begin with. Some Rieslings are finished with a bit of residual sugar because they're designed to be drunk young—a Kabinett wine, for example—and the residual sugar holds the aggressive acids in check—it prevents the wine from biting you back. A wine of slightly higher degree, Spätlese, finished totally dry, could be favored with a few years of benign neglect in the cellar, and then emerge with its acids somewhat attenuated, and prove equally agreeable. This wine will be one that works and plays better with others, so far as sharing the dinner table with the best one's kitchen has to offer is concerned. The greatest German dry wines are Spätlese or Auslese grade.

Rather than declare ourselves to be partisan of one style or another, one region, grower, or importer, we wish to make abundantly clear that what's important to us is the expressiveness of the individual wine: that the classic racy and hightoned characteristics of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer speak from the green bottle, and the classic grandeur of the Rhine pour forth from the brown bottle. And then there's the Bocksbeutel, which remains perpetually obliged to overcome a certain degree of guilt-by-association, since it not only looks like the bearer of fizzy rosé from Sogrape, but also—as the denizens of Franken put it—resembles the northernmost appurtenance of a southbound billygoat.

Speaking of that unusually-shaped vessel, for those of you who demand the best, we offer the Hans Wirsching 2000 Iphöfer Kronsberg Spätlese Trocken for $23.99. Franken is geographically distinct from the other wine-regions of Germany, having once been a part of the kingdom of Bavaria, and the wines echo the rococo splendor of that culture. This wine (slated for August arrival) is a massively luxuriant dry white, characterized by the most explosively aromatic tropical fruit bouquet imaginable. The broadly textured flavors are underlined by complementary minerality from the dark rich Keuperboden—brownish marl—of Iphofen. And since we're on the subject of Scheurebe, in addition to the dry style from Doc W, our perennial pfavorite Pfeffingen in der Pfalz offers a dessert-version, the 2000 Ungsteiner Herrenberg Scheurebe Beerenauslese (how many syllables was that?), for $29.99 per half bottle. Fabulously rich, vividly aromatic—like somebody set off an M-80 inside a pineapple buried in a barrel of mangoes. Serve it alongside a simple almond-cookie for best results.

I was happy to encounter the great Helmut Dönnhoff at a trade-tasting in Manhattan earlier this month. Asked the master his opinion of the 2001 vintage, and he grinned from ear to ear. No translation required. Asked him further, how he might compare 2001 with, say 1975, whereupon he smiled and said, "Not a bad comparison; a bit more material in '01, bigger wines, but yes, that same exquisite sense of equilibrium and balance…"

We still have a few half-bottles of the Dönnhoff 2000 Niederhäuser Hermannshölle Auslese, at $30.99. In this problematic vintage, Herr Dönnhoff produced wines that won't rank so very far behind the classics-to-come from 2001.There are those who prefer the high-toned raciness of his Oberhäuser Brücke, and some who vote for the old copper-mine in Schlossböckelheim, but for our money, the Hermannshölle, with its greater minerality and spiciness, is just what the foie gras has coming to it.

The wines of 2001 are first and foremost delicious. One needs no operator's manual to use them. The most modest of them are scrumptious and yummy, intended for immediate gratification, and the grandest will age and evolve well into the next couple of decades. Our preferred introduction, while we wait for some of the more august offerings to come in from 'cross the sea is the…

2001 Niersteiner Kabinett, Weingut J. u. H.A. Strub, $9.99
From the Rheinhessen at ten dollars for an entire liter, this wine screams value as well as flavor. The riverside vineyards around Nierstein have been famous since the days of Roman viticulture for the combination of sunshine and complementary minerality. Once a young lion of the German winemaking fraternity, Walter Strub has in the past five years become acknowledged at home and here also as a master. Owner of vineyard holdings in the great Nierstein Roten Hang sites of Pettenthal, Oelberg, and Hipping, he has become renowned for wines that are elegant, bright and crisp—which characteristics are achieved at no harm to the fruit of the Riesling—and although his reputation has grown, his prices have not.

This basic liter Riesling presents an inviting preview of what's to be expected tasting one's way through the Strub collection. The fruit is first thing out of the glass, but doesn't remain lonely for long—Rheinhessen classic, somewhere between pears, peaches, and Granny Smith apples—it is so quickly joined by the finely grained mineral nuances, and beautiful crisp acids (the first thing I ever learned to say correctly in German was schöne Saure, which means attractive acidity). It's hard to imagine a better companion wine for the things that come out of the kitchen in summertime—it would be wonderful alongside grilled chicken, or snapper in a lime and ginger marinade, or a hotdog with potato salad. Go easy on the tomatoes, and you can't get too far off target.

2001 Lingenfelder Estate "Bird Label" Riesling $9.99
Rainer Lingenfelder is a tireless wine ambassador to the English-speaking world, and a man who truly understands the importance of Spass. This German word simply read means "fun" but in fact implies a marked sense of joyfulness (and sometimes impish inventiveness) as well. His illustrious career included a stint among the barrels at Penfold's in the state of South Australia, before he returned home to work the family farm in Großkarlbach. His English website—www.lingenfelder.com—offers one a number of diverting moments, including sound-bites of salespeople from the British wine-chain Oddbins pronouncing the virtues of this particular cuvée, alongside various luminaries from the wild world of wine attempting to pronounce "Scheurebe," (with various degrees of success). Da Bird features that wonderful Pfalz ripeness, along with the grainy minerality and crisp acids in the finish. Wines—like dogs— tend to adopt the characteristics of their masters. This one exemplifies the estate's and Rainer's propensity for combining the brilliant with the earthy. (August arrival.)

2001 "Dr L" Estate Riesling $9.99
From Ernst Loosen and his brother (& webmaster) Peter. Loosen's website is www.drloosen.de—click on the Stars and Stripes/Union Jack icon for the English version, and to download his English-language newsletter Terroir. This wine begins with soft aromatics, apples and peachypears, which sidle in via the old olfactory apparatus, in the most subtle and come-hither way imaginable. Then the bomb explodes on your palate. Absolute gobs of fruit. Reaching tastebuds you won't recall having used for a while. Then the minerally, crisp hightoned finish—on the dryish side, for such a voluptuous wine, but not astringent. (Early August arrival.)

2001 Bopparder Hamm Feuerlay Kabinett, Weingart $12.99
From the Mittelrhein—that most picturesque region of craggy hillsides, ruined castles, and the rushing river—this Riesling seems almost perfectly round, essentially perfect It features a colossal mouthful of fruit—delicious and forward like a young Mosel, but bigger, fatter and richer. A palate-full of pear with cinnamon overtones, and an easily perceptible undercurrent of slatey minerality. This wine is practically a complete meal in a glass! Good food match would be a plate of asparagus and prosciutto, influenced by the merest modicum of mustard.

Weingut Domdechant Werner

PJ's tasting panel just enjoyed the pleasure of sampling a set of classic Rheingau wines from one of the most famous old names in that often danger-filled region of Germany. The three come from the storied Weingut (wine estate) of Domdechant Werner in Hochheim. For many years the operative term for Rheingau wine in the English speaking world was "Hock," which referred specifically to the preferred source in this bustling town of some current 16,000 inhabitants on the Main river. What we Amis would consider a boutique winery, but not such a small one by Rheingau standards, Domdechant Werner produces some 7500 cases of mostly Riesling, only half of which is exported—of which but a miniscule quantity reaches these distant shores—and looks proudly back upon the estate's origins in the eighteenth century.

The most striking thing about the trio…

1999 Hochheimer Hölle Kabinett $11.99
1999 Hochheimer Kirchenstück Spätlese $20.99
1999 Hochheimer Kirchenstück Auslese $35.99

…is the fine breeding, the exquisite elegance and balance that they have in common. In fact both the Spätlese and the Auslese won golden prize medals at the recent State of Hessen Landesweinprämierung. (Yes, the Germans love wine-fairs, and they love awarding prize medals and establishing hierarchies.)

Grown in a limestone-rich soil shot with clay on grand gently-sloping hillsides, these wines exhibit a warmth of classic Riesling fruit, enhanced with mineral nuances and supported by an extremely agile, stealthy acidity. These wines behave as though the recent German trend towards bigger, intensely dry wines with more alcohol had never happened. They're old fashioned, and as the song goes, that's the way love should be…

And what to do with the trio?

1999 Hochheimer Hölle Kabinett is the apéritif wine par excellence, a wine to enjoy with just the very least of accompaniments if any. Sunday afternoon in the parlor, with a Haydn string quartet playing on the phonograph, perhaps. Hölle is the German word for that bad address in the Hereafter, used to name a vineyard that's particularly warm, where well-ripened grapes and delicious wine are the rule rather than the exception.

1999 Hochheimer Kirchenstück Spätlese is a more masculine and intense wine, with a healthy hint of Edelfäule—the noble botrytis mold that blesses the grapes it touches with that extra bit of apricot-tinged complexity. Here one perceives peach- and pear-aromas, as well as the green-apple classic. And though it is not astringently dry, the Spätlese would provide a marvelous companion for a roasted tenderloin of pork with a horseradish sauce, or for poached salmon with a mustard-ginger sauce. It's got extremely substantial flavor, which belies the mere eight percent alcohol.

1999 Hochheimer Kirchenstück Auslese is a voluptuous, magnificently sculptured creation—one which adds a bit of pineapple to the fruit salad in the aromatics—where the fruit is magnified by the acidity and intensified by the mineral underpinnings and spiced with yet a greater bit of botrytis. It's a heavyweight Auslese—one which could stand in at dessert for an actual Beerenauslese— a wine that will continue to evolve with a dozen years of cellaring, although the ripe acids are not so prohibitively aggressive as to inhibit near-term enjoyment.

Speaking of the very fine '99 vintage, we have a small supply of the 1999 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Gold Capsule Auslese at $34.99 per half bottle. Unlike many familiar instances where one must search through the acids in a Saar wine in order to find the fruit, this is so luscious and rich, that one even admires the baby-fat and predicts a long and illustrious career for the youngster. Redolent of tropical fruits, pineapple, lychee and more, this fellow shows early elegance combined with fine potential for aging.

Please feel free to email me at james@pjwine.com or call me or one of PJ's other wine consultants at 212 567-5500—or stop by the store—for more on German wines.