schiller-wine

Picture: In the Stückfass Cellar of Weingut Salwey with Benno Salwey

The Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) covered 3 German wine areas (Baden, Pfalz and Rheinhessen) and Alsace. While our first stop in the Baden area was in the northern part of Baden, near the town of Baden-Baden (Weingut Schloss Neuweier), the other 4 producers we visited in Baden (Salwey, Franz Keller, Dr. Heger and Bernhard Breuer) were in the southern part of Baden, near the town of Freiburg. Colmar in France is at the same latitude and in fact, you could see the vineyards of Alsace.

I already provided an overview about the tour here: Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

This posting focuses on our visit of Weingut Salwey.

We tasted both in the wine cellar and at the large table in the courtyard. We started out in the barrique cellar, moved then to the large table in the courtyard and went back to the wine cellar, with the large Stückfass barrels.

Benno Salwey was our host.

Pictures: At Weingut Salwey with Benno Salwey

Weingut Salwey

Weingut Salwey is located in Oberrotweil in the Kaiserstuhl area. The Salwey family has been making wine since the mid 18-hundreds. Today it is owned and run by Konrad Salwey.

Weingut Salwey was founded in the 1950s by Benno Salwey, the grandfather of Konrad, as a mixed farming operation with animals. The adjustment to winemaking only took place in the 1970s. In 1985, Wolf-Dietrich Salwey, Konrad’s father took over the family operation. Weingut Salwey has been operated by Konrad Salway, the third generation, since the death of his father, Wolf-Dietrich, in 2011.

Konrad Salwey has 2 brothers and a sister. The sister is now in charge of Weingut Rinzberghof, north of Freiburg, which Wolf Diedrich Salwey bought at age 23. Benno Salway, who was our host, studied physics and just got his Ph.D. The third brother is not involved in winemaking.

Pictures: In the Barrique Cellar with Benno Salwey

Spät-, Grau-, and Weissburgunder

The Burgundy grapes always played a central role at this winery. Wolf Dietrich Salwey devoted much attention to the Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris, and became sort of an unofficial ambassador for Pinots from Baden. Konrad Salwey inherited his father’s passion for the Pinot varieties. The white wines are vinified in large oak casks; Spätburgunder, in native barriques. The Salweys have a special affinity with Grauburgunder, which has become a hallmark of the estate.

The climate there is Mediterranean, yet not too dry. This interplay provides excellent conditions for high-quality viticulture. Some 40 hectares (nearly 100 acres) of vines are grown on slopes of loess and weathered vocanic stone; in the Glottertal site, weathered gneiss. Grape varieties: 40% Spätburgunder, 40% Grauburgunder, 18% Weissburgunder. Weingut Salwey is one of the bigger producers around Kaiserstuhl.

Pictures: At Weingut Salwey

Classification System

Weingut Salwey always used a 3 tier quality classification for its wines. It is currently in the process of adjusting it to fully comply with the VDP classification. When we visited Weingut Salwey, the wines were presented in the following 3 quality classes:

First, Gutswein wines – fresh and crisp entry-level wines. Gutsweine are Weingut Salwey’s bestsellers.

Second, Reserve Salwey (RS) wines – the white wines are aged in large, old oak barrels, the red wines in barrique.

Third, Grosses Gewächs wines – the top quality level, from specific (the best) vineyards (Lagenweine). Again, the white wines are aged in large, old oak barrels, the red wines in barrique.

Weingut Salwey’s portfolio also includes Sekt made in the tradional mehtod and brandies.

Pictures: In the Stückfass Cellar of Weingut Salwey with Benno Salwey

The Wines Benno Salwey Poured

In general Weingut Salwey is going for an early harvest each year so the alcohol percentage remains low and the grapes keep fresh. Konrad likes to make elegant and fresh wines.

For all the wines we tasted, the remaining sugar level was in 1 g/l to 2 g/l range. The alcohol level was typically 12.5 %.

2014 Weingut Salwey Weissburgunder Gutswein Kabinett

2013 Weingut Salwey Weissburgunder + Chardonnay Gutswein

2014 Weingut Salwey Grauburgunder Gutswein Kabinett

The white Gutswein wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel.

2013 Weingut Salwey Weissburgunder RS

The white RS wines are fermented and aged in large (used) oak barrels.

2013 Weingut Salwey Grauburgunder RS

80% comes from loess soils in the Käsleberg. The remaining 20% has the origin in the grand cru plots in the Henkenberg and Eichberg where the roots bury themselves in old vulcanic soil.

2013 Weingut Salwey Henkenberg Weissburgunder GG

The Like the RS wines the white GG wines are fermented and aged in large (used) oak barrels.

2013 Weingut Salwey Kirchberg Weissburgunder GG

2013 Weingut Salwey Henkenberg Grauburgunder GG

The Henkenberg, on the road from Oberrotweil to Burkheim, is Weingut Salwey’s most important vineyards for grand cru Grauburgunder. The vulcanic soil dominates but is complemented with loess and calcareous clay on the top.

2013 Weingut Salwey Eichberg Grauburgunder GG

2012 Weingut Salwey Spätburgunder Gutswein

The red Gutswein wines are fermented and aged in used barrique.

2012 Weingut Salwey Spätburgunder RS

2013 Weingut Salwey Spätburgunder RS

The red RS wines are fermented and aged in new and used barrique.

2012 Weingut Salwey Henkenberg Spätburgunder GG

2012 Weingut Salwey Eichberg Spätburgunder GG

The red GG wines are fermented and aged in new barrique.

2006 Weingut Salwey Spätburgunder RS

Postings on the Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Posted and Forthcoming)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Fall Tours by ombiasy WineTours 2015 - A Very Special Treat: Experience Harvest Time !

Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour, Tasting (and Lunch) with Robert Schätzle, Owner and Winemaker, Weingut Schloss Neuweier in Baden– Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2015)

Wine Pairing Lunch at Röttele’s Restaurant (1 Star Michelin) at Schloss Neuweier, with Owner and Winemaker Robert Schätzle, Weingut Schloss Neuweier - German South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2015)

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Wine Taverns in Freiburg, Baden, Germany

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Salwey (VDP) in Baden with Benno Salwey

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Franz Keller (VDP) in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden

Wine Paring Lunch at Restaurant Schwarzer Adler (1 Star Michelin) in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber (VDP) in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Dr. Heger (VDP) in Baden.

Tour and Tasting at Maison Léon Beyer in Eguisheim, Alsace, France, with Marc Beyer

Tour and Tasting at Domaine Weinbach in Kaysersberg, Alsace, with Catharine Faller

Wine Pairing Lunch at Wine Tavern Jülg, Weingut Jülg, in Schweigen, with Johannes Jülg

Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz (VDP) in Siebeldingen, Pfalz

Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Müller-Catoir in Neustadt-Haardt, Pfalz

Tour and Tasting at Weingut A. Christmann (VDP) in Gimmeldingen, Pfalz, with Steffen Christmann

Tour and Tasting at Weingut von Winning (VDP) in Deidesheim, Pfalz

Tour and Tsting at Weingut Josef Biffar in Deidesheim, with Owner and Winemaker Fumiko Tokuoka

Wine Pairing Dinner at Restaurant FUMI at Weingut Josef Biffar in Deidesheim, with Owner and Winemaker Fumiko Tokuoka

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Markus Schneider in Ellerstadt, Pfalz, with Markus Schneider

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht in Kallstadt, Pfalz, with Franziska Schmitt

Tasting at Weingut Dreissigacker in Bechtheim, Rheinhessen, with Ute Dreissigacker

Tour and Wine Pairing Lunch at Weingut Eva Vollmer in Mainz-Ebersheim, Rheinhessen, with Eva Vollmer

Picture: Winemaker Dinner with Azienda Agricola Foradori (Trentino, Italy) at SchauMahl in Frankfurt, Germany - Myrtha Zierock Foradori and Chef Björn Andreas

Restaurant schauMahl in Offenbach, in the greater Frankfurt am Main area, is arguably one of the best restaurants in the region. Chef Björn Andreas is leading the restaurant to new heights. With a most efficient and charming service, Pit Punda and his Deputy Esra Egner make sure that you feel good.

Restaurant schauMahl runs an interesting series of winemaker dinners. If I am in town (Frankfurt) I always book immediately, because these dinners sell out very fast.

This time, it was Azienda Agricola Foradori from Trentino. The amazing wines of Elisabetta Foradori were presented by her daughter Myrtha Zierock Foradori, who recently joined the winery after finishing her studies in Freiburg, Germany.

Elisabetta Foradori, the owner of Azienda Agricola Foradori in Trentino, Northern Italy, is a distinguished innovator and trendsetter in the world of wine. Importantly, she was instrumental in raising the local grape Teroldego from an everyday, inexpensive wine to one that is found now on some of the best wine lists in the world.

Elisabetta Foradori is one of most influential winemakers of Italy. She has become one of the leading green/ natural/ biodynamic wine makers in Italy. Italy’s most influential wine guide, Gambero Rosso’s Italian Wines, has consistently given her flagship Teroldego wine – Granato – is highest rating of Tre Bicchieri, of three glasses.

History

Elisabetta Foradori’s grandfather, a Trentino lawyer, bought the estate in 1929, little more than a decade after the Italian-speaking Trentino and German-speaking Alto Adige were annexed by Italy from Austria following World War I. Her grandfather sold the wine in bulk, but her father, Roberto, started bottling in the 1960s. When he died of cancer, Elisabetta, his only child, was 11 years old. Eight years later, after studying oenology and agriculture, she took over the winery.

Before World War I, the region was part of Austria and most of the wine produced in the region was sold in Austria’s a capital. Business was good but that changed after World War II, when the region was annexed by Italy. When Elisabetta's grandfather bought the estate, it was in a state of bankruptcy. The estate has been in the hands of the Foradori family ever since.

Pictures: Opening the Wines - Myrtha Zierock Foradori and Pit Punda

Professor Rainer Zierock

Very early on in her career, Elisabetta Foradori met German Professor Rainer Zierock, who had a major impact both on her private and business life. In 1984, when Elisabetta Foradori began her winemaker career, Trentino was dominated by large wine co-operatives planting international varieties such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon was fashionable. Rainer Zierock pushed her not to go the international varieties route, but to keep and to focus on the local varieties, including Teroldego. The professional relationship led to marriage and three children, Emilio, Theo and Myrtha, who was our host, and, sadly, separation only five years later.

Professor Rainer Zierock died in 2009. He taught a various universities and worked as consultant in various countries. Following his relationship with Elisabetta Foradori, he established Weingut Ansitz Dolomytos Sacker in Unterinn am Ritten in the 1990s, together with Margret Hubmann. The small estate (2.7 hectares with 150 different grape varieties) was designed by Rainer Zierock, with a strong influence of Greek mythology.

Pictures: Winemaker Dinner with Azienda Agricola Foradori (Trentino, Italy) at SchauMahl in Frankfurt

Granato

Granato is probably Elisabetta Foradori’s best known wine. We had it at the end of the dinner. When Elisabetta Foradori took over, Azienda Agricola Foradori’s vineyards were planted with Teroldego clones that were producing grapes for cheap, bulk wine. Elisabetta Foradori changed this. She decided to focus on quality rather than quantity. She replanted extensively with cuttings she selected from the older vines, changed to high density planting and slashed grape production. Every aspect of the new vineyards was geared to limit quantity and boost quality.

In 1986, she released the first vintage of her signature wine, Granato. Elisabetta Foradori used grapes from only the oldest vineyards and she aged the wine for nearly two years in French oak barrels.

Biodynamics

In 2002, Elisabetta Foradori sprayed her first biodynamic preparations on her vineyards. She stopped fertilizing and tilling her vineyards, and instead started to encourage wild grass and weeds, which are mowed and raked into the soil. Based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, biodynamic agriculture and winemaking aim to strengthen ecosystems methods pegged to the phases of the moon.

Terra Cotta Amphoras

In 2008, Elisabetta Foradori started to ferment wine in terra cotta amphoras (large-scale vessels), a technique that dates to ancient Greek and Roman eras. It is one of the oldest winemaking methods in the world. Basically, you get the breathable qualities of wood without oak flavor. Today Elisabetta Foradori has about 150 upright amphoras in her underground cellar.

Single Vineyard Wines

In her most recent step, Elisabetta Foradori moved to single vineyard wines. She felt that with the biodynamic practice in the vineyard and the amphoras in the wine cellar, she had all the ingredients for making terroir-driven wines. Therefore she decided to make single vineyard wines from the Morei and Sgarzon vineyards – in amphoras. Morei and Sgarzon, both about 2 hectares, are located close to the Azienda Agricola Foradori’s vineyard. On the bottle, the vineyard names are printed in much larger letters than the grape variety Teroldego.

In addition, in 2007 Elisabetta Foradori took on an 8 hectares vineyard in poor condition just above Trento. The Fontanasanta vineyard was born, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc were uprooted and the local grape varieties Nosiola, Manzani Bianco and Teroldego planted.

In total, Elisabetta Foradori currently makes 4 single-vineyard wines in amphoras: A Manzoni Bianco und Nosiola from the Fontanasanta vineyard and 2 Teroldego wines from the Morei vineyard and the Sgarzon vineyard.

Myrtha Zierock Foradori and her Sibblings

Myrtha just finished her studies in Freiburg and joined Azienda Agricola Foradori on a full time basis.

Her oldest brother, Emilio, who has a university degree in philosophy also studied winemaking, is also back at the estate. He takes the lead the cellar.

Theo studied photojournalism and returns every year to help out at harvest time.

Myrtha’s youngest (half) brother (his father is Elisabetta Foradori long-time current partner, a Bolzano lawyer) is still in school.

schauMahl

Situated in a renovated Art Nouveau building, the interior of the restaurant schauMahl combines a cozy living room atmosphere with the world of One Thousand and One Nights, coupled with modern illumination. Intensive red light is coming out of a white corner. There are brick walls and furniture in a colonial style. In the window niche is a Buddha.

Picture: Arriving at schauMahl

Host Pit Punda is well known in the Frankfurt gastro scene from his days at Emma Metzler, Cyrano and Zarges. I glanced at the wine list: About 100 bottles, mainly German and Spanish wines.

Chef Björn Andreas is at the helm of the team in kitchen. He was promoted from Souschef to Chef about a year ago when former Chef Christoph Kubenz left. Chef Björn Andreas has worked for top chefs, including Alfred Friedrich.

Picture: Chef Björn Andreas

Gault and Millau: Es mag sich auf den ersten Bissen nicht viel verändert haben, und doch gibt es deutliche Unterschiede in der gesamten Stilistik. Kubenz war sensibel und leise, Andreas ist forsch, seine Gerichte sind muskulös. 15 Gault Millau points.

Picture: Owner Stefan Lang, Pit Punda and Esra Egner

Open Table: Eher steigen die Offenbacher Kickers in die erste Liga auf, als dass es in der Stadt ein gutes Lokal gibt. Dieser Spruch gilt nicht mehr, das Schaumahl lässt staunen: Küche, Keller, Service und Atmosphäre – hier stimmt alles. Das etwas windschiefe Jugendstilbau aus dem 18. Jahrhundert wurde nicht schick geschminkt, sondern behielt seinen Charakter und strahlt Landhauscharme aus. Dazu passt die natürliche und lebensfrohe Art von Gastgeber Pit Punda und seiner Vize Esra Egner.

Winemaker Dinner

Aperitif: Casa Coste Piane Valdobbiadene Prosecco

Greetings from Chef Andreas

2014 Foradori Fontanansanta Manzoni Bianco
Mais, Chorizo Lauch Ziegenkäse, Focaccia

2013 Foradori Morei Teroldego
2010 Foradori Sgarzon Teroldego Magnum
Kalbsfilet, Miso Zucchini Estragon

2013 Foradori Fontanasanta Noisola
Zander, Gurke Dill, Speck, Kartoffel

2011 Foradori Teroldego
2007 Foradori Granato
Kalbsbäckchen, Spinat Rosinen Kapern

2011 Preciso Lambrusco Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Vacherin, Blini Apfel Kaviat

2008 Vigna del Volta Malvasia Passito
Ananas, Kokosnuss Bowne Walnuss

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Picture: Paul Fürst, Annette Schiller, Sebastian Fürst and Christian Schiller

Our last, but not least, stop in Franken on the Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) was at Weingut Rudolf Fürst. We were hosted by one of Germany’s red wine giants, Paul Fürst. His son, Sebastian Fürst, who joined his father in leading the estate in 2007, joined us for part of the tasting.

Paul Fürst was Gault-Millau winemaker of the Year in 2003; he is also known as the Red Wine – Fürst. Weingut Rudolf Fürst belongs to the red wine elite in Germany.

Pictures: Welcome at Weingut Rudolf Fürst

Jancis Robinson, The Financial Times, November 2011: Rudolf Fürst is an acknowledged Pinot magician in Germany, not just with Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) but also the earlier-ripening Frühburgunder.

Hugh Johnson, Wineguide 2012: 18 ha estate in Bürgstadt where some of the best Franconian wines are produce, especially the burgundy style Spätburgunders (rightly regarded as the finest in Germany).

Franken

Franken, located in the northern part of Bavaria, is boasting a long tradition and some fine terroirs (mostly shell limestone and Keuper, a kind of marl). Its two leading grape varieties are Riesling and Silvaner. Typically, Franken wine comes in the distinctive, dumpily-rounded Franken “Bocksbeutel” wine bottle. The bottle’s unusual shape dates back to at least the 16th century. The Bocksbeutel may only be used for Franken wines. In Germany, it is a sign of excellence, while in the US, many consumers link this kind of bottle shape to lower quality wine.

Pictures: In Würzburg in the Evening

Weingut Rudolf Fürst

The Miltenberg basin in the western tip of Franken between the forested hills of the Odenwald and the Spessart, where Bürgstadt is located, provides ideal climatic conditions for first-class viticulture. The weathered colored sandstone of the Centgrafenberg vineyard in Bürgstadt and the extremely steep slopes of the Schlossberg vineyard in Klingenberg are home to the most extraordinary Frühburgunder and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir Précos and Pinot Noir) produced by Paul Fürst and his son Sebastian.

Pictures: White Wine Tasting

Frühburgunder (also known as Pinot Madeleine) is an old variety, autochthonous to this region, which yields full bodied wines and has attracted more and more attention over the last years. Roughly 60% of the wine produced is red.

In addition to the reds, brilliant white wines, such as Riesling, Weissburgunder and Franken’s signature wine, Silvaner, are also produced here.

The Fürst family has been producing wine in this area since 1638. In 1979 Paul and Monika Fürst built the new estate amidst the vineyards and in 2007 they were joined by their son Sebastian.

Pictures: Paul Fürst

The Vineyards

For the Fürsts and their viticulturist Sebastian Schür the vineyards are the biggest asset in the production of high qualitiy wines. Whether it's the high density of planting, best rootstocks and scions, low trellises, optimal humus content, plant protection and selective picking, all aspects are regarded as equally essential and from pruning to picking all the most important work in the vineyards is done by hand. Altogether Weingut Fürst has 20 hectares of vines, with 13 hectares of the Centgrafenberg vineyard the biggest block.

Centgrafenberg

Bürgstadt, 11 ha. As a result of the practice of gavelkind over centuries, the vineyards are split into 20 plots, creating a broad spectrum of soil composition. The higher the content of fertile loam, the better the soils are suited for growing white wines, whereas the more stony plots are perfect for the reds.

Hundsrück

Bürgstadt, 2.5 ha, partially terraced, Großes Gewächs since 2003, primary rock covered by 0.5-2m of warm, well drained and aerated surface soil The ideal vineyard soil, though quite unforgiving when it comes to mistakes in husbandry. Each year the Hundsrück makes for the most powerful and spicy Pinot in our portfolio.

Pictures: In the Vineyards

Schlossberg

Klingenberg, 1.3 ha, steep terraces, red sandstone, one of Germany's famous historical pinot sites, In 2004 Paul and Sebastian bought 3 plots on this impressive slope, including the one between the wing walls of Clingenburg castle . Between 2004 and 2006 they were planted with the best Pinot vines and hundreds of yards of dry stone wall were restored.

Karthäuser

Volkach, shell limestone, Chardonnay ,Pinot Blanc, Silvaner, named for the adjacent charterhouse of Astheim.

Pictures: Red Wine Tasting

The Cellar Philosophy

Paul Fürst: Our cellar philosophy is simple, just sustain what comes in from the vineyards.

After fermentation on the skins in open vats, the red varieties are left in french oak barrels for 12 to 20 months to mature and settle. All red wines are bottled unfiltered. White wines are pressed gently, fermented and aged in both barrels and stainless steel tanks for 6 - 12 months. Lowtech vinification assures each wine gets the necessary time to develop.

Pictures: In the Cellar

The Wines Paul Fürst Poured

2014 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Bürgstadter Riesling

2014 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Riesling

2014 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Grosses Gewächs Riesling

The best plots of the Centgrafenberg are planted with Riesling and Silvaner vines. The wines express the minerality of the stony and meagre soils and are full flavored, yet refined and spicy. Carefully aged in 2400 liter barrels, these wines can be enjoyed for a long time.

2014 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Weisser Burgunder

Pinot Blanc thrives in the easternmost part of the Centgrafenberg. The high lime content and the sheltered location have a share in that. Vinification is carried out in the traditional burgundian way with low yield and high quality.

2013 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Bürgstädter Spätburgunder

The Bürgstädter Spätburgunder is aged in 80 % used oak and untoasted 2,400 L barrels.

2013 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder

2013 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Klingenberger Spätburgunder

The Klingenberger Spätburgunder is aged in 40 % new french oak.

2013 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Grosses Gewächs Spätburgunder

Paul Fürst: We are trying to have silkiness, not strong tannins, and nice acidity, not sourness in the wine.

2013 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Schlossberg Grosses Gewächs Spätburgunder

Paul Fürst: Pinot Noir and Riesling are both varieties that have to dance on the tongue.

2014 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg Frühburgunder

2011 Weingut Rudolf Fürst Hundsrück Grosses Gewächs Spätburgunder

Paul Fürst: I hate too much opulence in the wine. I like a crystalline elegant style. The Hundsrück used to be part of the rest of the Centgrafenberg but achieved VDP.Grosse Lage status in 2003. The vines here are around 40 years old.The Weingut Rudolf Fürst Hundsrück is one of the most expensive German red wines. See here: Germany’s Most Expensive Dry White and Red Wines

Pictures: Sebastian Fürst Joining

Stuart Pigott on German Red Wine

Stuart Pigott: Sophisticated German red wine? Really? Internationally, there’s still a lot of resistance to the idea that red wines from Germany can be better than moderately good and even this would be an exception to the rule. Amongst experts and Somms around the world the standard view is still of Germany as the prototypic cool climate wine producing nation, that therefore the white wines will always work better than reds, and even these will tend to be light in body and high in acidity. Many of those experts and somms are convinced that German red wines are hopelessly over-oaked, if necessary in defiance of evidence to the contrary. The truth is that a combination of climate change and greatly increased ambition in red winemaking already began altering this significantly during the early 1990s.

Bye-bye

Thanks Paul for a wonderful tasting, including the stunning Hundsrück.

Pictures: Bye-bye

Postings: Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Published and Forthcoming)

Preview: Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

The Art Marketer: OMBIASY PR & WINE TOURS - Germany-East

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tasting at Weingut Lützkendorf with Uwe Lützkendorf – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

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Weingut Thürkind in Gröst, Saale-Unstrut: Tour, Tasting and Lunch – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in the Saale Unstrut Region, Germany

Weingut Schloss Proschwitz, Prinz zur Lippe, in Zadel, Sachsen: Tour and Tasting with Prinz zur Lippe – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Dining with Prinz zur Lippe, Owner of Weingut Schloss Proschwitz, at the Lippe’sches Gutshaus - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Weingut Karl Friedrich Aust in Radebeul, Sachsen: Tour and Lunch with Tasting – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Visit of Weingut Klaus Zimmerling: The Wines of Klaus Zimmerling and the Art of his Wife Malgorzata Chodakoska - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

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Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wirsching in Iphofen in Franken with General Manager Uwe Matheus– Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Visit and Tasting at Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Cellar Tour and Tasting with Star Winemaker Paul Fürst at Weingut Fürst in Franken

Würzburg and its 2 Historic Wine Taverns: Juliusspital and Bürgerspital

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Graf Neipperg in Schwaigern, Württemberg

Tasting at Weingut Dautel in Württemberg with Christian Dautel

Wine Pairing Dinner at Restaurant Friedrich von Schiller in Bietigheim-Bissingen in Württemberg

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Herzog von Württemberg at Schloss Monrepos with Owner F.R.H. Carl Duke of Württemberg

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting with Rainer Schnaitmann at Weingut Rainer Schnaitmann in Fellbach, Württemberg

Wine Tasting at Weingut Simon-Bürkle in Zwingenberg, Hessische Bergstrasse

Picture: Winemaker of the Year Peter Jakob Kühn, Weingut Kühn, Oestrich, Rheingau, Giuseppe Lauria, Gault Millau (Rheingau) and Bernhard Kühn

The new Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland – for 2016 – was published earlier this month. It reviews on about 1000 pages more than 11.000 wines of 1000 wineries. Its rating symbol is a grape and Germany’s best winemakers are awarded one to five grapes.

Pictures: Editor of the Gault Millau Weinguide Deutschland 2016, Joel B. Payne

Ever since 1994, the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland has honored outstanding personalities of the German wine world and special wines. This year, I was able to participate in the book release event in Mainz, Germany, where Editor-in-Chief Joel B. Payne and his team of reviewers presented the awards.

Pictures: The Audience, including Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil

In addition to this posting, I will also post about the following:

Promotions in the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2016
Germany’s Top Winemakers (With 5/5 Grapes) - Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2016
Promotions and Demotions in the Top (5/5 and 4/5 Grapes) - Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2016
Peter Jakob Kühn, Weingut Kühn, Rheingau, is the Winemaker of the Year - Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2016

Awards

Wine Maker of the Year: Peter Jakob Kühn, Weingut Kühn, Rheingau

Pictures: Winemaker of the Year Peter Jakob Kühn, Bernhard Kühn, Angela Kühn,
Weingut Kühn, Oestrich, Giuseppe Lauria, Gault Millau (Rheingau) and Christian Schiller

See:
One of the Bio-dynamic Stars in Germany: Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn in Östrich, Winkel – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Collection of the Year: Florian Lauer, Weingut Peter Lauer, Mosel

Pictures: Florian Lauer, Weingut Peter Lauer, and Christian Schiller

Rising Star of the Year: Wolfgang and Ulrich Lickert, Weingut Luckert, Franken

Picture: Wolfgang and Ulrich Lickert, Weingut Luckert, Franken

Discovery of the Year: Hans Erich Dausch, Pfalz

Picture: Hans Erich Dausch, Pfalz

Sommelier of the Year: Frank Glüer, EssZimmer, München

Picture: Frank Glüer, EssZimmer, München

Wine List of the Year: Sebastian Georgi, 485 Grad, Köln

Picture: Sebastian Georgi, 485 Grad, Köln

Best Wines

Picture: The Winners

Bester Winzersekt: Brut 2005 Mon Rose Cuvée Reserve Raumland (Rheinhessen)

Picture: Volker Raumland, Sekthaus Raumland

Bester Spätburgunder: 2013 Schlossberg »Großes Gewächs« Fürst (Franken)

Picture: Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst

See:
Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Bester Weißer Burgunder: 2014 Chardonnay »R« Ökonomierat Rebholz (Pfalz)

Pictures: Hansjörg Rebholz, Birgit Rebholz and (son) Hans Rebholz, Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz

See:
Wine Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz in Siebeldingen, Pfalz – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Bester Silvaner: 2014 Würzburger Stein »Großes Gewächs« Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist (Franken)

Picture: Managing Director Robert Haller, Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist

Bester (trockener) Riesling: 2014 Rothenberg Grosse Lage, Weingut Kühling-Gillot (Rheinhessen)

Pictures: H.O. Spanier and Carolin Spanier-Gillot, Weingut Kühling-Gillot

See:
Wine Tasting at Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Bodenheim: Kühling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Bester feinherber Riesling: 2014 Ayler Kupp »Kern« – 9 – Peter Lauer (Saar)

Picture: Florian Lauer, Weingut Peter Lauer

Bester Riesling Kabinett: 2014 Scharzhofberger – 2 – Egon Müller (Saar)

Picture: Christian Schiller with Egon Müller in New York

See:
A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA

Beste Riesling Spätlese: 2014 Scharzhofberger Alte Reben – 6 – Egon Müller (Saar)

Beste Riesling Auslese:2014 Westhofener Abts E Keller (Rheinhessen)

Picture: Klaus Keller, Weingut Keller

Bester edelsüßer Riesling: 2014 Scharzhofberger Auslese Goldkapsel – 9 – Egon Müller (Saar)

Earlier Years

Germany’s Best Winemakers and Wines – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2015 Awards Ceremony in Mainz, Germany
Best German Wines and Winemakers: Gault Millau Awards – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2014
Best German Wines and Wine Makers – the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2013 Awards
2012: Best German Wines (Awards) – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2012
2011: Gault Millau WeinGuide Germany 2011– Ratings
Gault Millau Wine Germany 2010

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

One of the Bio-dynamic Stars in Germany: Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn in Östrich, Winkel – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA

Wine Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz in Siebeldingen, Pfalz – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Wine Tasting at Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Bodenheim: Kühling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Picture: At Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile in the Living Room

Led by Annette Schiller, the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) took place from September 15 to 24, 2015. The group comprised 8 wine lovers from the United States, including Annette and Christian Schiller.

I already provided an overview about the whole tour: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

This posting focuses on our visit of Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile in Saint-Emilion.

On that day in Saint-Emilion, we visited three entirely different châteaux and had 3 entirely different experiences.

The first visit, Château Angélus, was to one of the most prestigious châteaux belonging to the top 1% in the rankings of Bordeaux. See here: Tour and Tasting at Château Angélus– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

The second visit, Château Beausejour was to one of the 30,000 or so non-classified châteaux in the Bordeaux region that produce 95% of Bordeaux wines; we met a passionate winemaker who makes beautiful every day wines. See here: Tour, Tasting and Wine Lunch at a Petit Château and Organic Producer: Château Beauséjour – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

During the third visit, at Tertre Rôteboeuf, we met an outstanding winemaker who is a maverick and whose wines have become very expensive; unusually in this price category, he does not sell his wines through the “Place de Bordeaux” system.

Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile was our host at Tertre Rôteboeuf.

Pictures: Welcome

Tour and Tasting

We started the tour in the garden of Tertre Rôteboeuf, with a magnificient view of the vineyards of Tertre Rôteboeuf. Because of the unpleasant weather, we continued in the living room of the Mitjavile family, before going into the cellar for a cellar tour and tasting, including Tertre Rôteboeuf 2014 rom barrel.

The estate walk and barrel tasting with François Mitjavile was clearly one of the highlights of the 2015Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy. We met a very articulate and eloquent wine maker, a very cultivated person and a passionate communicator, who likes to illustrate what he wants to say about his wine with parallels from music, art and philosophy.

Tertre Rôteboeuf

Tertre Rôteboeuf is one of the finest châteaux in Saint-Emilion. Yet, relatively unknown. Why? First, it is not in the prestigious group of classified chateaux, although its wines are clearly in the same league as those wines that are made by chateaux that are classified. And, François Mitjavile does not sell his wines through the Place de Bordeaux, but has his own distribution channels. Nor is he a member of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB). This is as far as I know unique for a Bordeaux producer who is able to sell his wines at a price level at which François Mitjavile does. Obviously, François Mitjavile is far away from St. Emilion mainstream. He does not bother to be included in the prestigious Saint-Emilion classification, he does not sell his wines through the Place de Bordeaux nor does he care about a UGCB membership.

20 years ago, Tertre Rôteboeuf was unknown. But since then, Tertre Rôteboeuf has become a cult wine producer in St. Emilion and the price of Tertre Rôteboeuf has gone up significantly.

Tertre Rôteboeuf looks a bit garagiste - a small estate with a vigneron house build in the 18th century lovingly tended by Miloute and François Mitjavile, two kilometers south-east of the village of Saint-Emilion, not far from Château Troplong Mondot and Château Larcis Ducasse.

Pictures: Talking about the Tertre Rôteboeuf Vineyards

History

The origins of Tertre Rôteboeuf lie with a vineyard named Le Tertre that was owned by François Mitjavile's late father-in-law. After he passed away in 1961, the property was inherited by his daughter Miloute. She leased it to her cousins, who owned Château Bellefond-Belcier.

Meanwhile, François Mitjavile was working at his family's successful haulage business. He decided to change course in life and try his hand at winemaking.

Between 1975 and 1977, he went through the school of Château Figeac. When he returned to Le Tertre after the 2 year apprenticeship, he suffixed Rôteboeuf (its literal translation is the unsavory "hill of the belching beef").

1978 was the first vintage that François Mitjavile made entirely by himself. His breakthrough on the wine scene was with the 1985-vintage. Since 1994-vintage, he removed the word “Châteaux” from the label at his wines.

The Wines

The limestone based vineyards of Tertre Rôteboeuf (5.7 ha) are planted with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot-vines are on average 45 years old, while Cabernet Franc ones are 5 years older.

François Mitjavile's winemaking approach: He picks the grapes as late as possible and maintains low yields. The wine stays on the skins for a long time and is aged in 100% new oak barrels for 18 to 24 months. The very late harvest combined with long alcoholic fermentation and extraction at 35°C results in a voluptuous, full-bodied, and very complex wine. Super-ripe Merlot is the key.

The estate does not produce a second wine.

Wine Searcher Average Prices: Tertre Rôteboeuf

2014 US$148
2013 US$146
2012 US$177
2008 US$174
2005 US$336
2000 US$363

Pictures: Tasting with François Mitjavile in the Cellar of Tertre Rôteboeuf

Roc des Cambes in Cotes de Bourg

Roc de Cambes is a Côtes de Bourg estate and one of the finest producer in the appellation today. François Mitjavile bought it in 1988.

There are 12 hectares of vines, planted with 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. The soil here is a blend of chalk and clay. Vines are on average 50 years old. The grapes are harvested as late as possible, and are then vinified in temperature controlled cement vats.

When François Mitjavile bought Roc de Cambes, it was in quite bad shape. But in just a few years, François Mitjavile made Roc de Cambes one of the top producers of Côtes de Bourg. The second wine labeled - Domaine de Combes - comes under the basic Bordeaux appellation.

Wine Searcher Average Prices: Roc des Cambes

2014 US$ 51
2013 US$ 54
2012 US$ 60
2005 US$ 77
2000 US$ 74

Domaine de l’Aurage

Domaine de l’Aurage is the most recent addition of the Mitjavile family. Francoise’s son Louis Mitjavile is completely in charge (with his wife Caroline Mitjavile) of the estate. The vineyard area totals 18 hectares, o 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Annual production is around 7,500 cases.

What we Tasted in the Wine Cellar

2014 Tertre Rôteboeuf (from barrel)
2014 Roc des Cambes (from barrel)
2008 Terte Rôteboeuf (from bottle)
1997 Terte Rôteboeuf (from bottle)

Bye-bye

Thank you very much François Mitjavile for a phantastic event.

Pictures: Bye-bye

Postings on the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France (Posted and Forthcoming)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics

Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux– A Short Introduction

How Does the Negociant System in Bordeaux Work? Tour and Tasting at Millésima - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Tour and Wine Dinner at Domaine de Chevalier with Director Adjoint Rémi Edange and Owner/Director Olivier Bernard – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France

Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France

Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Angélus– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Tour, Tasting and Wine Lunch at a Petit Château and Organic Producer: Château Beauséjour – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Tour and Tasting at Château Tertre-Rôteboeuf, Saint-Emilion, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile

Tour and tasting at Château de Figeac, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé.

Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland

The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffelière, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Tasting at Château de Fargues, Sauternes, with Prince Eudes d’Orléans

Wine Lunch at Restaurant Château de la Tour in Cadillac and Tour at Château Du Cros, Loupiac, with Catherine Boyer, Proprietor of Château Du Cros

Tour and Tasting at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé.

Lunch at the 2 Michelin Starred Restaurant La Grande Vigne

Tour of the Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm and Oyster Tasting in Grand-Piquey, with Oyster Farmer Ralph Doerfler

What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Le Reysse, Vignobles Paeffgen, Médoc, in Bégadan, with Stefan Paeffgen

Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina

Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, with Didier Cuvelier

Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, 1ière Grand Cru Classé.

How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil

Lunch at Restaurant Le Peyrat in Saint-Estèphe with the Grape Pickers of Château Sociando Mallet

Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Basile Tesseron

Tour and Tasting at Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

Tourt and tasting at Château Palmer, Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Diana Paulin

schiller-wine: Related Posting (Tertre Rôteboeuf)

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile, France – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile

François Mitjavile, Winemaker of the Year 2013 (“Der Feinschmecker”), St. Emilion, France

Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

An Afternoon with François Mitjavile at his Tertre Rôtebeouf - A Saint Emilion Cult Wine Producer

Lunch at Place de L’Eglise Monolithe in Saint Emilion and Visits of 3 Châteaux: Tertre Roteboeuf, Figeac and Beausejour

Picture: The Riesling Gala 2015 at Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau

If you are a fan of Riesling – fruity sweet, noble sweet and dry - and like good food, and have not yet been to one of the 25 Riesling Gala events at Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau, you should mark your calendar and make an early reservation for the next Riesling Gala in November 2016. Tickets are for a bit more than Euro 200 and available from the VDP Rheingau and its participating members. What you will get is an amazing event in a breathtaking historic setting that starts at 11 am with a reception, goes on with a 6 course seated luncheon until 6 pm and ends with an after-party with more wine, also at the historic Kloster Eberbach.

All of the pictures in this posting are mine, with the exclusions of a few pictures I took from the facebook pages of Weingut Robert Weil, Mario Scheuermann and Hotel Restaurant Friedrich von Schiller.

For last years' Riesling Gala, see here:
Riesling Gala 2014 at Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau, Germany
Rheingau Riesling Gala 2013 at Kloster Eberbach, Germany

Glorious Rheingau Days

The Rheingau Riesling Gala is the grand finale and the highlight of the Glorious Rheingau Days, an annual celebration of the Rheingau Riesling, this year for the 28th times. Over 10 days or so, VDP members of the Rheingau present their wines at winemaker dinners and similar events at the Rheingau’s top restaurants or other interesting places.

The grand finale is the Rheingau Riesling Gala on the last day of the Glorious Rheingau Days (a Sunday) in the Laiendormitorium of Kloster Eberbach. It is a culinary and social event in which wine enthusiasts meet in the historic settings of the Laiendormitorium of Kloster Eberbach (the largest room of the Romanesque period north of the Alps) in order to celebrate the noblest of all grapes, the Riesling.

Pictures: Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau

From 11 am to 6 pm, VDP producers of the Rheingau, their guest winemakers from other regions and their 600 guests enjoyed a 6 courses dinner, each course prepared by a different top chef, almost all of them Michelin-starred.

The wines served differed, depending on who was hosting you and who his or her guest winemaker was. This year, my wife Annette and I were the guests of Wilhelm Weil, whose guest winemaker was Ernst Loosen from the Mosel. So, we enjoyed the superb wines of Weingut Robert Weil and Weingut Dr. Loosen. Please note that Robert Weil wines are part of the “Friends of Erni” portfolio at Loosen Bros. USA.

The Rheingau

It is remarkable: For its entire length of nearly 560 miles, the Rhine flows north with one exception – a 28-mile stretch where the river changes its course. Here, it flows to the west, thereby enabling both the river and the vineyards facing it to bask in the warmth of the sun all day long. This is the Rheingau, one of the medium-size German wine regions. It is a quietly beautiful region, rich in tradition. Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for Hochheim's wines contributed to their popularity in England, where they, and ultimately, Rhine wines in general, were referred to as Hock.

Picture: The Rheingau

The third President of the USA - and notable bon viveur - Thomas Jefferson visited the Rheingau in 1788 and wrote that the wine of the "Abbaye of Johnsberg is the best made on the Rhine without comparison … That of the year 1775 is the best." He also referred to the Rheingau’s Riesling as the "small and delicate Rhysslin which grows only from Hochheim to Rudesheim". Impressed by the quality of the Rheingau Riesling wines, he bought 100 grapevines to take back to his estate in Virginia.

The Rheingau enjoys a distinctly continental climate with cold winters and warm, but not hot, summers. The Rheingau is dominated by Riesling, accounting for 4/5 of the vineyard area. Wilhelm Weil, our host, produces only Riesling wines.

Reception

The event started with a reception, where Rheingau Charta Rieslings were served.

Picture: Annette Schiller and the Winemaker of the Year (Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2016) Peter Jakob Kühn, Weingut Kühn, Oestrich

Pictures: Annette and Christian Schiller with SKH Bernhard Prinz von Baden, Weingut Schloss Salem and Weingut Schloss Staufenberg

Pictures: Dieter Greiner, Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach, Alois Lageder, Weingut Lageder and Annette and Christian Schiller

Picture: Annette Schiller, Claudia Stern, Stefanie Weegmüller, Weingut Weegmüller

Picture: Annette Schiller, Eva Raps and Urban Kaufmann, Weingut Lang, Rheingau

Picture: Norberth Barth, Sekt- und Weingut Bart, Werner Schönleber, Weingut Emrich-Schönleber

Picture: Annette Schiller and Achim von Oetinger, Weingut Oetinger

Picture: Guiseppe Lauria

Gala Luncheon

6 courses in 6 hours, i.e. every hour one course with 2 wines, from Weingut Weil and Weingut Dr. Loosen at our table.

After each course, you had a bit of time to walk around, talk with other guests and try the wines of other winemakers.

Pictures: Riesling Gala at Kloster Eberbach with 600 Guests

Welcome Greetings by Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil

Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil and President of the VDP Rheingau, welcomed the guests, with all participating winemakers and the Rheingau Wine Queens.

Pictures: Welcome

In the Kitchen

To prepare world class food for 600 guests implied a major effort in the kitchen.

Pictures: In the Kitchen

Starter

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Wilhelm Weil, Weingut Robert Weil, Kiedrich

Pictures: Wilhelm Weil and Monika Diel, Armin Diel and Martina Weil, Weingut Robert Weil and Schlossgut Diel

Picture: Professor Monika Christmann and Annette Schiller

Picture: Philipp Erik Breitenfeld and Dirk Würz, Weingut Balthasar Ress

Pictures: Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen and Regine Schork, Hotel Restaurant Friedrich von Schiller

First Course: Chef Nils Henkel

gebeizte fjordforelle
butternusskürbis, lebercreme, miso, kernöl

2014 Graach Riesling Trocken
VDP.Ortswein
Weingut Dr. Loosen

2014 Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling Trocken
VDP.Erste Lage
Weingut Robert Weil

Pictures: Chef Nils Henkel

Pictures: The Wines

Picture: Alexander Jung, Weingut Jung, and Cornelius Dönnhoff, Weingut Dönnhoff

Picture: Theresa Breuer, Weingut Breuer

Picture: Stefanie Weegmüller, Weingut Weegmüller

Picture: Billy Wagner, Restaurant Noblelhart und Schmutzig and Peter Jakob and Angela Kühn, Weingut Kühn

Picture: Heiner Lobenberg, Lobenbergs Gute Weine, and Oliver Bock, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Picture: Monika Christmann, Leo Gros and Annette Schiller

Second Course: Chef Hans Stefan Steinheuer

kalbsblutwurst
mit geräuertem aal, apfel und kalbskopf im sud

2011 Ürzig Würzgarten Trocken GG
VDP.Grosse Lage
Weingut Dr. Loosen

2011 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Trocken EG
VDP.Grosse Lage
Weingut Robert Weil

Pictures: Chef Hans Stefan Steinheuer

Picture: The Wines

Picture: Josi Leitz, Weingut Leitz and Johannes Jung, Weingut Jung

Picture: Roderick von Berlepsch, Restaurant Der Zauberlehring, Daniela Weis and Nik Weis, Weingut Sankt Urbans-Hof

Pictures: The Wittes (Schloss Johannisberg and G.H. Mumm) and the Schillers

Picture: Peter Seyffardt, Weingut Diefenhardt

Picture: Annette Schiller and Christian Ress, Weingut Balthasar Ress

Picture: Annette Schiller and Stefanie Weegmüller, Weingut Weegmüller

Pictures: Pause

Pictures: The Weis', Weingut Sankt Urbans-Hof, Father and Son, Annette and Christian Schiller

Third Course: Chef Dieter Müller

kastaniencremesuppe
trüffel, gänseleber-geflügelflan

1998 Ürzig Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese
VDP.Grosse Lage
Weingut Dr. Loosen

2002 Robert Weil Riesling Spätlese
VDP.Grosse Lage
Weingut Robert Weil

Pictures: Christian Schiller and Dieter Müller

Picture: The Wines

Picture: Eva Raps and Urban Kaufmann, Weingut Lang

Pictures: Cornelius Dönnhoff, Weingut Dönnhoff, and Josi Leitz, Weingut Leitz

Fourth Course: Chef Sonja Frühsammer

kabeljau
auf liebstöckelbohnen
mit ochsenmaul-vinaigrette

2013 Wehlen Sonnenuhr Riesling Trocken GG
VDP.Grosse Lage
Weingut Dr. Loosen

2013 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Trocken GG
VDP.Grosse Lage (Magnum)
Weingut Robert Weil

Pictures: Chef Sonja Frühsammer

Picture: 2013 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Trocken GG

Picture: Achim and Julia von Oetinger, Weingut von Oetinger

Pictures: Dieter Kürten, ZDF Sportstudio, and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel

Pictures: Annette Schiller and Ernst Loosen, Weingut Dr. Loosen

Pictures: Andreas Stigler, Weingut Stigler, and Annette and Christian Schiller

Picture: Dieter Greiner, Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach, and SKH Bernhard Prinz von Baden, Schlossgut Salem

Fifth Course: Chef Matthias Schmidt

hirschkalb
rote bete in lauberde gegart
holunderbeeren, fichte, kornelkirsche, wacholder

2011 Erden Prälat Riesling Trocken GG
VDP.Grosse Lage Reserve

2012 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Trocken GG
VDP.Grosse Lage
Weingut Robert Weil

Pictures: Chef Matthias Schmidt

Pictures: The Wines

Pictures: Martin Wurzer-Berger, Journal Culinaire, Regine and Chef Burkhard Schork, Hotel und Restaurant Friedrich von Schiller

Pictures: Billy Wagner, Noblehart und Schmutzig, Berlin, and Annette Schiller

Sixth Course: Chef Elmar Simon

variation von pflaume & sellerie
gebrannte mandeln, zimt, isla del ron

2014 Erden Treppchen Riesling Spätlese
VDP.Grosse Lage
Weingut Dr. Loosen

2006 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Auslese
VDP.Grosse Lage
Weingut Robert Weil

Pictures: Chef Elmar Simon

Pictures: The Wines

Pictures: Hans Reiner Schulz and Monika Christmann, both University of Geisenheim, and Annette Schiller

Picture: Eva Raps and Urban Kaufmann, Weingut Lang

Pictures: The Weis and the Witte Couples and their Wines - Weingut Sankt Urbans-Hof and Schloss Johannisberg

Picture: Guiseppe Lauria, Gault Millau (Rheingau)

Closing Ceremony

At the end of the luncheon, the chefs came to the stage again with their teams.

Pictures: Closing Ceremony

Picture: Christian Schiller and Chef Dieter Müller

Pictures: Chef Hans Stefan Steinheuer at our Table

After-Party

The event ended with an after party, where one could taste all the wines that were poured during the luncheon … but also could go for a draft beer. I finsihed the 2015 Riesling Gala with a Curry Wurst.

Pictures: Dancing

Picture: Curry Wurst

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

One of the Bio-dynamic Stars in Germany: Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn in Östrich, Winkel – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

A German Riesling Feast in New York City: Rieslingfeier 2015, USA

Riesling Gala 2014 at Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau, Germany

Rheingau Riesling Gala 2013 at Kloster Eberbach, Germany

Picture: Peter and Cecilia Jost, Weingut Toni Jost, Bacharach, Mittelrhein

The Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (organized by Annette Schiller) took place from September 6 – 12, 2015. The group was small - there were 7 of us, including Annette and Christian Schiller. We visited a total of 14 wineries in 5 different wine regions: Rheingau, Mittelrhein, Ahr, Mosel and Nahe.

I already provided a summary of the tour: Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

This posting focuses on the visit of Weingut Toni Jost in Bacharach in the Mittelrhein Region.

Cecilia Jost was our host.

The visit of Weingut Toni Jost was in the morning. Weingut Toni Jost is just a couple blocks down the narrow central alley in old town Bacharach from Hotel Altkölnischer Hof where we had spent the night before. It is a 3 star charming, family run hotel with all modern amenities in the center of the romantic 1000 year old town of Bacharach.

The evening in this more than 1000 year old town with its castles, church spires, medieval city wall, and half-timbered houses on the shore of the Rhine River was fascinating. This was pure “Rheinromantik”. We had a lovely dinner in a local wine tavern.

Picture: Hotel Altkölnischer Hof in Bacharach

Pictures: Dinner in Bacharach

Weingut Toni Jost

For over 180 years, the Jost family has been cultivating vineyards in Bacharach. In addition, One third of the vineyards are located in the Rheingau region, in Walluf and Martinsthal. Because of these vineyards in the Rheingau the estate has been a member of the VDP Rheingau since 1989. In 1987 Peter Jost was founding member of the VDP Mittelrhein.

Picture: Weingut Toni Jost

Weingut Toni Jost, Peter and Cecilia Jost

Cecilia Jost: My father, Peter Jost, Dipl. Ing. Weinbau, took over the running of the estate from his father Toni in 1975. Out of respect for his father, who had preserved the vineyard through the difficult war and post-war years, he continued to call our estate Toni Jost. Up until then it had been customary to call an estate after the owner, be that Toni, Philip or Adam Jost.

In 2009, I finished my studies at Geisenheim University and – after internships in Baden, Austria and in New Zealand, joined the estate. I am now the sixth generation to join the estate.

Pictures: Welcome

Bacharacher Hahn and Rheingau Vineyards

Cecilia Jost: Our family has been cultivating vineyards in Bacharach for 180 years. At all times, the focus has been on acquiring areas in Bacharach's top site, the so-called Hahn. Today, this site is almost exclusively ours, which also explains the name for our estate, Hahnenhof.

Picture: Bacharacher Hahn

One third of our vineyards are located in the Rheingau region, in the Walluf and Marthinstal areas. Since 1953, it has belonged to our wine estate through inheritance on my mother's side.

Today the estate covers 15 hectares of vineyards, 80% Riesling, 15% Spätburgunder, plus a parcel of Weißburgunder and a parcel of Dunkelfelder.

Wine Making Philosophy

Cecilia Jost: Great wines are not made in cellars, they grow in vineyards. Wines of character are marked by their origins: the grapes come from terroirs which are unique as to their soil and microclimate. It is the task of the winemaker to underscore the special features of the terroir.

For this purpose, the type of grape selected has to be optimally adapted from the beginning to the particular site, then the potential of the plants has to be precisely encouraged and these plants have to be provided with an environment in which they can thrive. Perhaps the most important instrument is small yields. It is in the concentration that the structure of authentic wines becomes evident, and that the wine in the glass reflects the uniqueness of its origin. High yields level the finer distinctions, make the wines faceless.

The subsequent work in the cellar is determined by the effort to preserve the potential for character and uniqueness that developed in the vineyard. Only so does an autonomous unmistakable wine emerge, the opposite of an anonymous product designed by a “winemaker” for a trendy taste based on market analysis.

Pictures: Tasting with Cecilia Jost at Weingut Toni Jost

Both in the vineyards and in the cellar we combine the experience of six generations of wine-making and the most up-to-date oenological and ecological knowledge. To guarantee quality, we harvest as late as possible and pass through the vineyards several times selectively harvesting.

The grapes are handled very carefully and are not crushed; the must ferments particularly slowly and at low temperatures. The maturation of the wines takes place, depending on their suitability, in stainless steel tanks or in wooden casks; the best Spätburgunder wines age in barriques casks for 12 to 15 months. For us it is important that all our wines are given sufficient time to rest and mature before bottling. This guarantees their character and longevity.

The Wines Cecilia Poured

The tasting was a most interesting one. We started with Sekt and then had 3 pairs, with a wine from the Mittelrhein in the left glass and a similar wine from the Rheingau in the right glass.

NV Weingut Toni Jost Hahnenhof Riesling Sekt

2014 Weingut Toni Jost Hahnenhof Devon S Riesling trocken
2014 Weingut Toni Jost Hahnenhof Alte Reben Riesling trocken

2013 Weingut Toni Jost Hahnenhof Hahn Riesling VDP.Grosses Gewächs
2013 Weingut Toni Jost Hahnenhof Walkenberg Riesling VDP.Grosses Gewächs

2012 Weingut Toni Jost Hahnenhof Bacharacher Hahn Riesling Spätlese
2012 Weingut Toni Jost Hahnenhof Wallufer Walkenberg Riesling Spätlese

Bye-bye

Thank you very much Cecilia for the great tasting.

Picture: Bye-bye

Postings on the Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Posted and Forthcoming)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Fall Tours by ombiasy WineTours 2015 - A Very Special Treat: Experience Harvest Time !

Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Wine and Music at Eberbach Abbey in the Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour and Wine Tasting with Lunch, with Mark Barth at Wein- und Sektgut Barth in Hattenheim, Rheingau– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Spreitzer in Oestrich, Rheingau, with Bernd Spreitzer – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Wine Tasting at Weingut Toni Jost in Bacharach, Mittelrhein

Cruise on the Rhine River from Bacharach to Boppard, Mittelrhein

Wine Tasting at Weingut J.J.Adeneuer in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Ahr

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Weingut Meyer-Näkel in Dernau, Ahr

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel

Wine Tasting at Weingut St. Urbans-Hof in Leiwen, Mosel

Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Weingut Van Volxem in Wiltingen, Saar, Mosel

Wine Tasting at Weingut Hexamer, in Monzingen, Nahe

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Gut Hermannsberg, in Niederhausen, Nahe

Tour and Wine Dinner at Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe

Tour and Tasting at Sektmanufaktur Bardong in Geisenheim, Rheingau

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Domaine Schloss Johannisberg in Geisenheim, Rheingau

Picture: Christian Schiller with Wolfgang Wagner in the Zu den 3 Steubern. Wolfgang Wagner stopped a few Years ago to Produce his own Apple Wine. See: An Apple Wine Tavern as Traditional as can be in Frankfurt am Main: “Zu den 3 Steubern” of Wolfgang Wagner, Germany

Frankfurt has a large number of traditional apple wine taverns, where you sit on communal benches, eat hearty local food and drink sour and tart German apple wine. Typically, there is only one apple wine – the house apple wine – available, in some cases made on the premise.

The apple wine tavern is as distinctive a Frankfurt institution as the Bierkeller is of Munich or the Weinstube of Mainz. Many of the best-known establishments are concentrated in Sachsenhausen, but others are dotted all over the city. They are strongly traditional. They offer hearty local cuisine, usually at moderate prices.

German apple wine has an alcohol content of 4%–9% and a tart, sour taste. Traditionally, it is not bubbly. Arguably, the capital of German apple wine is Frankfurt am Main.

I have compiled a list of Schiller’s Favorite Apple Wine Taverns and published it on schiller-wine. See here: Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

In the old days, the apple wine taverns would make their own apple wine. This has changed dramatically. In Sachsenhausen, for example, except for the Buchscheer, which is not in the central part, none of the apple wine taverns still make their own apple wine. Wolfgang Wagner in the Zu den 3 Steubern used to make his own apple wine until recently, but he also stopped. See: An Apple Wine Tavern as Traditional as can be in Frankfurt am Main: “Zu den 3 Steubern” of Wolfgang Wagner, Germany

Still, there are a number apple wine taverns in the Frankfurt region where you can drink “home-made” apple wine. With the help of somebody who knows the Frankfurt apple wine scene pretty well, I have compiled a list of apple wine taverns where you still can enjoy apple wine made on the premises.

Did I miss anybody? Should any of those listed not be on the list? Please comment.

Picture: Otto Schiller at Zur Buchscheer, one of the Frankfurt Apple Wine Taverns that Makes its Own Apple Wine. See: Apple Wine Tavern Zur Buchscheer in Frankfurt am Main, Germany – The Traditional Way: Apple Wine Made on the Premises

Frankfurt Apple Wine Taverns that Make their own Apple Wine - Frankfurter Apfelweinlokale die noch selbst Keltern

Apfelwein Scheid Zur Post Eckenheim Eckenheimer Landstraße 302
Äppelwoistübchen Grillmayer Nieder Erlenbach Zur Obermühle 15
Gasthaus Rudolph Liederbach Alt Niederhofheim 30
Gasthaus Zum Einhorn Bonames Alt-Bonames 2
Hof Gimbach Kelkheim Gimbacher Weg
Homburger Hof Eckenheim Engelthaler Str. 13 (begrenzt/limited)
Momberger Heddernheim Alt-Heddernheim 13
Schuch’s Restaurant Praunheim Alt-Praunheim 11
Zum Lemp Berkersheim Berkersheimer Obergasse 12
Zum Rad Seckbach Leonhardsgasse 2
Zum Taunus Sossenheim Michaelstrasse 18
Zur Buchscheer Sachsenhausen Schwarzsteinkautweg 17
Zur Krone “Riwweler” Sossenheim Alt-Sossenheim 37
Zur Krone Sektbach Wilhelmshöher Str. 163
Zur Stalburg Nordend Glauburgstrasse 80

schiller-wine - Related Postings

Best Apple Wine/ Hard Cider: Frankfurt-Tipp 2015, Germany

Impressions from the Apple Wine Festival 2013 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Wine in Frankfurt am Main? - Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt, Germany

In the Glass: Gluehwein at Frankfurt am Main Christmas Market

The Premium Apple Wines of Andreas Schneider - Obsthof am Steinberg - in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Apple Wine Tavern Zur Buchscheer in Frankfurt am Main, Germany – The Traditional Way: Apple Wine Made on the Premises

Apple Wine in Frankfurt am Main, Germany and Cider in the World

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

In an Apple Wine (Cider) Mecca: The Apple Wine Bistrorant Landsteiner Muehle of Apple Wine Sommelier Michael Stoeckl near Frankfurt am Main, Germany

An Apple Wine Tavern as Traditional as can be in Frankfurt am Main: “Zu den 3 Steubern” of Wolfgang Wagner, Germany

Mainlust “Desche Otto”– an Ultra Traditional Apple Wine Tavern, with an Innovative Twist, off the Beaten Track in Schwanheim, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

2014 Apfelwein Weltweit - Apple Wine World Wide - in Frankfurt, Germany: Schiller’s Favorites

Picture: Annette Schiller and Château Figeac's Director Frédéric Faye

Château de Figeac is one of the 15 Premier Grand Cru Classé B Châteaux in Saint-Emilion. Its prominent neighbor is Château Cheval Blanc. The vineyards of Château de Figeac border the Pomerol appellation vineyards and thus the vines grow on a very different terroir than the rest of the Saint-Emilion vines. The Figeac wines show a more “Left Bank” character than the rest of the Saint-Emilion wines.

In 1892, the Manoncourt family took over the Château, restored it to its former glory, and transformed the estate into one of the most elegant châteaux in Saint-Emilion.

Pictures: At Château Figeac with Gwennaelle Brieu Château Figeac's Director Frédéric Faye

We visited Château Figeac as part of the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), organized and led by Annette Schiller. The tour took place from September 15 to 24, 2015. The group comprised 8 wine lovers from the United States, including Annette and Christian Schiller.

I already provided an overview about the tour: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

This posting focuses on our visit of Château Figeac.

Gwennaelle Brieu was our host. We also had a chance to talk with Figeac's Director Frédéric Faye and met winemaker Jean Albignon.

Château Figeac

Because of its fine gravel based soil (which is uncommon in the Right Bank), Merlot accounts only for 30 % of the plantings (which is very low by Saint Emilion standards). The Château Figeac Gand Vin is dominated (70%) by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in equal parts. Château Figeac is known as the most Médoc of the Saint Emilion chateaux.

Pictures: Arriving at Château Figeac

Château Figeac is an old estate. It takes its name from a Roman called Figeacus who built a villa here. Today, one can still see a water-supply system dating from the Gallo-Roman period, foundations of buildings from the Middle Ages and defensive walls along with the remains of a Renaissance chateau incorporated into its structure.

Until the late 18th century, Château Figeac had been in the hands of one family for almost 500 years. With almost 200 hectares, Château Figeac was one of the largest wine estates at the time, but parts were sold and the estate was subdivided several times until 1892, when the Manoncourt family purchased Château Figeac. (A sizable chunk which was purchased by the Ducasse family in 1832 formed the nucleus of what would eventually become Cheval Blanc.)

Pictures: Cellar Tour at Château Figeac

For most of the past 70 years, Château Figeac was been associated with Thierry Manoncourt, who took over the management of the property in 1946, and his wife Marie-France; Thierry Manacourt passed away in 2010. It was under his leadership that Château Figeac rose to the front ranks of Saint-Émilion estates. His son-in-law Comte Eric d'Aramon took over the daily running of the estate in 1988. In 1992, Thierry Manacourt divided the business between his 4 daughters, bestowing the larger share on his eldest daughter, Laure.

Château Figeac tends to harvest early with a view of retaining freshness. After Haut Brion and Latour, Château Figeac was the third estate in Bordeaux to introduce stainless steel tanks; there are now 20 temperature controlled vats, 10 in oak and 10 stainless steel. Since the mid-1970s, Figeac has been aged in 100% new oak. The time spent in new oak varies according to the vintage character. The 1997 vintage was aged 12 months, while the 2009 vintage saw new oak for 18 months.

Pictures: In the Vineyard at Château Figeac

The following wines are produced: Château Figeac (Saint-Emilion - Premier Grand Cru Classé B), La Grange-Neuve de Figeac (second wine) and Chateau Petit-Figeac (bought in 2002 as most of the vineyard was in the middle of their Château Figeac vineyard. The wine is now made at Château Figeac). In total, the Figeac estate amounts to 54 hectares of which 40 are planted with vines. Annual production is 10 000 cases.

The family also owns two other wineries: the nearby Château La Fleur-Pourret (4, 5 hectares, Château La Fleur Pourret was part of Château Figeac many years ago, also bought in 2002), and Château de Millery (just over 1 hectare), in the southern sector of St.-Emilion known as St.-Christophe des Bardes.

Pictures: Tasting at Château Figeac

New Management Team

For many years, Madame Manancourt's son-in-law, Comte Eric d'Aramon, was the DG of Château Figeac, but he was removed in 2013, when the Manoncourt family appointed Jean-Valmy Nicolas as Joint Managing Director and Frédéric Faye as Manager of Château Figeac. Jean-Valmy Nicolas (a graduate of France’s HEC business school) is the joint owner of Chateau La Conseillante in Pomerol and a professional at an investment company, based in Paris.

Pictures: Christian Schiller with Winemaker Jean Albignon and Technical Director Frédéric Faye at Château Figeac

Frédéric Faye (an engineering graduate of Bordeaux’s ENITA), has been at Château Figeac since 2002, when he began as Vineyard Manager before being promoted to the post of Technical Manager. He now has overall management of the vineyard and the wine-making, as well as the sales of the wines.

Pictures: Château Figeac's Technical Manager Frédéric Faye Explaining

As part of these changes, in March 2013, Michel Rolland signed a consulting contract with Château Figeac, with the aim of bringing it up to Premier Grand Cru Classé A.

Pictures: Château Figeac's Technical Manager Frédéric Faye and Annette Schiller

Wine-searcher Average Prices in US$

2014 79
2013 77
2010 271
2005 163
2000 180

Postings on the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France (Posted and Forthcoming)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics

Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux– A Short Introduction

How Does the Negociant System in Bordeaux Work? Tour and Tasting at Millésima - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Tour and Wine Dinner at Domaine de Chevalier with Director Adjoint Rémi Edange and Owner/Director Olivier Bernard – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France

Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France

Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Angélus– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Tour, Tasting and Wine Lunch at a Petit Château and Organic Producer: Château Beauséjour – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile, France – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour and tasting at Château de Figeac, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé.

Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland

The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffelière, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Tasting at Château de Fargues, Sauternes, with Prince Eudes d’Orléans

Wine Lunch at Restaurant Château de la Tour in Cadillac and Tour at Château Du Cros, Loupiac, with Catherine Boyer, Proprietor of Château Du Cros

Tour and Tasting at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé.

Lunch at the 2 Michelin Starred Restaurant La Grande Vigne

Tour of the Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm and Oyster Tasting in Grand-Piquey, with Oyster Farmer Ralph Doerfler

What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Le Reysse, Vignobles Paeffgen, Médoc, in Bégadan, with Stefan Paeffgen

Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina

Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, with Didier Cuvelier

Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, 1ière Grand Cru Classé.

How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil

Lunch at Restaurant Le Peyrat in Saint-Estèphe with the Grape Pickers of Château Sociando Mallet

Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Basile Tesseron

Tour and Tasting at Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

Tourt and tasting at Château Palmer, Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Diana Paulin

schiller-wine: Related Posting (Château Figeac)

Touring Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé B, in Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux(2013)

Bordeaux Trip September 2012, France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Château Figeac, Saint-Émilion - A Profile, France

Lunch at Place de L’Eglise Monolithe in Saint Emilion and Visits of 3 Châteaux: Tertre Roteboeuf, Figeac and Beausejour

Picture: Ludwig Knoll - Weingut am Stein, Würzburg

The Eichelmann WeinGuide Deutschland 2016 – one of the 4 main wine guides in Germany (along with GaultMillau, Feinschmecker and the relatively new Falstaff) - was released in November 2015.

In the Eichelmann WeinGuide Deutschland 2016 Gerhard Eichelmann presents 865 winemakers and reviews 9750 wines. For the rating of the winemakers, he employs a system that awards a winery up to five stars, where 5 stars indicate “world class, top international producers”. There are about 2 dozens of German winemakers in this group and I will post separately about the new list. The wines are assessed using a 50-100 point scale rating system.

Additionally, in each issue of the Eichelmann WeinGuide Deutschland a (1) Rising Star of the Year as well as the producers of the best collections of (2) red wines, (3) white wines and (4) noble-sweet wines are named. Further, Gerhard Eichelmann presents a “Classic of the Year” Wine and an Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Best White Wine Collection: Ludwig Knoll - Weingut Am Stein Würzburg

Franken
30 hectares
30% Silvaner, 20% Riesling

Gerhard Eichelmann: Ludwig Knoll creates expressive, pure wines with a relatively low alcohol: Modern wines. In terms of quality, the level of quality of the entry level wines is high, the 2014 Grosses Gewächs GG wines from the Stettener Stein Grosse Lage belong to the best of what the vintage has to offer in Germany. Grand Collection, congratulations to Ludwig Knoll and his team.

See:
Visit and Tasting at Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Pictures: Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll

Best Red Wine Collection: Weingut Konrad Schlör Wertheim-Reicholzheim

Baden
6 hectares
Spätburgunder 22%, Schwarzriesling 20%, Müller-Thurgau 17%

Eichelmann: Weingut Schlör is in Reicholzheim, where it produces in the First Grosse Lage fascinating red wines from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, which are among the great red wines of the vintage 2013 in Germany, wines that score with finesse, purity and elegance.

Best Noble-sweet Collection: Weingut Glaser-Himmelstoß Nordheim Franken

14 hectares
Silvaner 26%, Müller-Thurgau 25%, Riesling 10%

Eichelmann: For two decades, Wolfgang Glaser belongs with its wines to the top in Germany. His fascinatingly pure noble-sweet wines always played a major role in his portfolio. In 2014 Wolfgang Glaser’s noble-sweet wines cover the whole range, up to fascinating TBAs from Scheurebe and Rieslaner.

Rising Star of the Year: Weingut Bischel Appenheim

Rheinhessen
18 hectares
Riesling 20%, Spätburgunder 17%, Weissburgunder 15%, Grauburgunder 15%

Eichelmann: Christian and Matthias Runkle are the shooting stars of the last decade. They managed in just ten years to establish themselves at the top. The portfolio is clearly structured, the entry level impressive and the top Rieslings from Hundertgulden, Scharlachberg und St. Laurenzikapelle clearly show the differences in the terroir. Also Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, Silvaner and Pinot Noir are always excellent.

Klassiker des Jahres/ Classic of the Year: Riesling Auslese*** Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Weingut Markus Molitor Bernkastel-Wehlen

In addition to the 4 Wineries of the Year, Gerhard Eichelmann presents a Classic of the Year to be added to the "Mondo Classic Library", a list of the German Grand Cru wines from a grand vineyard. This year, Gerhard Eichelmann’s choice is the Riesling Auslese*** Zeltinger Sonnenuhr of Weingut Markus Molitor in Bernkastel-Wehlen

Picture: Markus Molitor and Eike Kaspari, Weingut Markus Molitor

Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement: Ernst Dautel Bönnigheim (Württemberg)

Only for the second time was the Prize for Lifetime Achievement awarded, to Ernst Dautel.

Eichelmann: With a lot of persistence has Ernst Dautel pushed his ideas about wine. He has experimented a lot and always progressed. He has done pioneering work, for Bönnigheim, for Württemberg, for Germany. Since the mid-eighties he makes his wines in barrique, even Kerner and Riesling. In 1988, Ernst Dautel planted Chardonnay; in 1990, he produced his first Cuvée. The experimentation has paid off. He has established his winery in the top league of German wine. He has helped advance Württemberg wine and German Wine.

See:
Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg– A Profile, Germany
Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Pictures: Ernst Dautel, Christian Dautel and Christian Schiller at Weingut Dautel in Württemberg

schiller-wine: Related Postings Eichelmann

For previous years, see:

Germany's Top 27 Winemakers: 5 out of 5 Grapes - Eichelmann WeinGuide Deutschland 2015

Best German Wines and Winemakers – Eichelmann Wine Guide Deutschland 2015 Awards, Germany

Germany’s 26 Top Winemakers - Eichelmann WeinGuide Deutschland 2014

Best German Winemakers – Eichelmann Wine Guide Deutschland 2014 Awards, Germany

Best German Wines and Winemakers – Eichelmann Wine Guide Deutschland 2013 Awards, Germany

Best German Wines - Eichelmann Wine Guide 2012 Awards, Germany

Wine ratings: German wine --- Eichelmann 2010 (Awards)

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Visit and Tasting at Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Weingut Dautel in Wuerttemberg– A Profile, Germany

Picture: Zum Deutschen Haus, Freiburg

Freiburg is a beautiful, walkable city on the edge of the Black Forest known for being in the sunniest corner of the country. The university and its students keep it vibrant and cultural.

What Freiburg has to offer in terms of wine bars and the top wines from the region where it is located in, Baden, is rather limited. There is no wine bar where you can taste the well-known Baden high-end producers like Salwey, Franz Keller, Johner, von Gleichenstein or Dr. Heger, to name a few. However, it is easy to find wine taverns where you can drink good day-to-day wine (or good beer) made in the Baden region.

I visit Freiburg regularly, as part of the Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours. For the 2015 visit see: Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

This list is part of the Schiller's Favorites series (see below).

Rido

Gartenstrasse 13

Wine Bar and Wine Store

Rido is my favorite wine bar in Freiburg. It offers about 80 wines by the bottle from all over Europa, which you can also buy at a 20% discount for “to go”.

However, it is not a place if you want to focus on wines from Baden. Rido does carry a few premium producers from Baden, but the selection is broad, including wines from France, Italy and Spain.

The food is Tapas style and includes Flammkuchen, cheese and charcutterie. Flammkuchen is a thin crispy dough with cream sauce and toppings. A bit like a pizza. The classic toppings of onion and bacon are from just over the river in Alsace France.

Pictures: Rido

Grace

Humboldstrasse 2

Restaurant and Wine Bar

Grace is a stylish bar in the city center, also serving lunch and dinner.

Picture: Grace

Alte Wache – Haus der Badischen Weine

Münsterplatz 38

Nicely located on the Münsterplatz next to the Cathedral, Alte Wache pours exclusively wines from Baden. Alte Wache carries the wines of a number of excellent Baden winemakers, many of them co-operatives. But you do not find the top names.

Picture: Alte Wache

Hotel Oberkirch Weinstuben

Münsterplatz 22

An institution in Freiburg. The popular Oberkirchs Weinstuben (the dining room of the Hotel Oberkirch) is a cozy and historic wood-beamed restaurant next to the historic Kaufhaus on the Münsterplatz. Alternatively, you can take a seat on the Münsterplatz.

Pictures: Hotel Oberkirch Weinstuben

Zum Deutschen Haus

Schusterstrasse 40

Gasthaus

Traditional German Pub. Reasonably priced, typically very crowded and loud. Full of locals in a very German atmosphere. Day-to-day wine from the regional.

Hotel Zum Bären Wein- und Bierstuben

Oberlinden 12

Germany for Dummies: Zum Bären is the oldest inn in Germany, with a pretty painted façade and a list of innkeepers that goes back to the 14th century. Regional wines. This wonderfully atmospheric and unpretentious inn has only 25 rooms and one of the best restaurants in Freiburg for traditional Schwarzwald (Black Forest) fare and regional wines from the nearby Kaiserstuhl vineyards.

Picture: Zum Bären

Adelhäuser Weinstube

Adelhauser Straße 7c

Close to the Martinstor, a small, cosy wine tavern that offers wine from around the world and the wines of Weingut Lothar Heinemann from Baden. In terms of food, you can have just a little bite or a full meal.

Englers Weinkrügle

Konviktstraße 12

Weinkrügle means small wine mug. Yelp: For an intimate and local experience. A really nice and cosy wein stube. My first impression was that I had walked into someone s living room. We then picked a table in the back corner which was really nice and intimate. The waitress was very nice and attentive. We tried some local wines and they were all very tasty.

Webers Weinstube

Hildastrasse 35

Popular place that stays open until 3 pm in the morning. Serves only wines from Weingut Weber in Ettenheim (Baden).

Drexler’s Wein & Essen

Rosastrasse 9

Restaurant

One of Germany’s 18 best wine places, according to Geroldsteiner, but not a wine bar.

Feierling Gaststätte und Biergarten

Gerberau 46

Pub and Beer Garden

The Feierling in the heart of the Altstadt close to the Augustiner Kloster serves excellent beer, made on the premises, and is famous for it among the locals. In summer it also has an enjoyable beer garden outside.

Kastaniengarten

Schlossbergring 3

Beer Garden

The Kastaniengarten lies perched on the slope of the Schlossberg, overlooking both the city and the valley leading into the Black Forest. On nice summer days, this is the best location to relax over a cool beer, and enjoying the views of the Munster, the old city gates and the inner city. Additionally, in good weather conditions you can see as far as the Alsace in France.

Schiller’ Favorites

Here is a complete list of Schiller's Favorites:

Europe

Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Wine Taverns in Freiburg, Baden, Germany
Schiller's Favorites: Frankfurt Apple Wine Taverns that Make their own Apple Wine
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Winemakers in the Saale-Unstrut Region, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany
Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, 2013, Germany
Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France
Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France, 2014
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France
Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, 2012 France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City) (2012), France

UK, Spain, Austria, Hungary

Schiller's Favorite Winebars in London, UK
Schiller’s Favorite Tapas Bars in Logroño in La Rioja, Spain
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, 2012, UK
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary
Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria (2011)

USA

Riesling Crawl in New York City – Or, Where to Buy German Wine in Manhattan: Schiller's Favorite Wine Stores, USA
Schiller's Favorite Oyster Bars and Seafood Places in Seattle, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, 2012, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California

Asia

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Singapore
Schiller s Favorite Winebars in Beijing, 2014, China

Africa

Schiller's Favorite Wines of Madagascar
Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

Postings on the Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Posted and Forthcoming)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Fall Tours by ombiasy WineTours 2015 - A Very Special Treat: Experience Harvest Time !

Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour, Tasting (and Lunch) with Robert Schätzle, Owner and Winemaker, Weingut Schloss Neuweier in Baden– Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2015)

Wine Pairing Lunch at Röttele’s Restaurant (1 Star Michelin) at Schloss Neuweier, with Owner and Winemaker Robert Schätzle, Weingut Schloss Neuweier - German South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2015)

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Salwey in Oberrotweil, Kaiserstuhl, Baden, with Benno Salwey – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Wine Taverns in Freiburg, Baden, Germany

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Franz Keller (VDP) in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden

Wine Paring Lunch at Restaurant Schwarzer Adler (1 Star Michelin) in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber (VDP) in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Dr. Heger (VDP) in Baden.

Tour and Tasting at Maison Léon Beyer in Eguisheim, Alsace, France, with Marc Beyer

Tour and Tasting at Domaine Weinbach in Kaysersberg, Alsace, with Catharine Faller

Wine Pairing Lunch at Wine Tavern Jülg, Weingut Jülg, in Schweigen, with Johannes Jülg

Tasting at Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz (VDP) in Siebeldingen, Pfalz

Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Müller-Catoir in Neustadt-Haardt, Pfalz

Tour and Tasting at Weingut A. Christmann (VDP) in Gimmeldingen, Pfalz, with Steffen Christmann

Tour and Tasting at Weingut von Winning (VDP) in Deidesheim, Pfalz

Tour and Tsting at Weingut Josef Biffar in Deidesheim, with Owner and Winemaker Fumiko Tokuoka

Wine Pairing Dinner at Restaurant FUMI at Weingut Josef Biffar in Deidesheim, with Owner and Winemaker Fumiko Tokuoka

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Markus Schneider in Ellerstadt, Pfalz, with Markus Schneider

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht in Kallstadt, Pfalz, with Franziska Schmitt

Tasting at Weingut Dreissigacker in Bechtheim, Rheinhessen, with Ute Dreissigacker

Tour and Wine Pairing Lunch at Weingut Eva Vollmer in Mainz-Ebersheim, Rheinhessen, with Eva Vollmer

Picture: Hospices de Beaune

We started the day with a tour of the Hospices de Beaune, had lunch in Beaune, and visited 2 wine producers, including tastings, in the afternoon: Joseph Drouhin and A.F. Gros.

I already reported about the whole trip here: Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

This posting focuses on the visit of the Hospices de Beaune.

Karoline Knoth was our guide.

Pictures: Arriving

Hospices de Beaune

The Hôtel-Dieu, one of the finest examples of French fifteenth-century architecture, is a stunning building, most famous for its elaborate tiled roofs. Until recently, it housed the Hospices de Beaune, founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of Burgundy, as a hospital for the poor. Services for patients are now provided in modern hospital buildings and the original hospital building, the Hôtel-Dieu, is now a museum.

The Hôtel-Dieu consists of a pair of two-storied buildings arranged around a stone courtyard. The building wings are well-preserved today; they contain half-timber galleries and ornate rooftops with dormer windows.

Today, you can walk through the former hospital and marvel at the sensitivity and attention afforded patients who often possessed little more than the clothes on their backs. Cared for by an order of nuns, the patients lived in large halls that still afforded them privacy and dignity.

Karoline Knoth guided us in a very entertaining and informative way through the Hôtel-Dieu, starting in the open courtyard to view the beautiful roofs and including the Hall of the Poor and the restored kitchen.

Over the centuries, many donations - farms, property, woods, works of art and of course vineyards - were made to the Hospices de Beaune, by grateful families and generous benefactors.

Pictures: At the Hospices de Beaune with Karoline Knoth, M.A.

Domaine des Hospices de Beaune

Today, the Hospices de Beaune owns 61 hectares of donated vineyard land, much of this classified Grand and Premier Cru. Since 1852, the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune sells its wine through an auction, which takes place on the third Sunday in November amid a three-day festival devoted to the food and wines of Burgundy called Les Trois Glorieuses. The charity is preceded by a black tie dinner at the Clos de Vougeot on day one and followed by the lunch La Paulée de Meursault on day three.

For an interesting video about the auction, see here.

Pictures: The Wines of the Domaine de Hospices de Beaune

Lunch: Brasserie le Carnot in Beaune

After the tour, we had lunch at the Brasserie le Carnot.

Pictures: At Brasserie le Carnot in Beaune with Owner Denise Marabito

Postings on the Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France (Posted and Forthcoming)

Preview: Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015 and 2016)

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Champagne Jean Josselin in Gyé-sur-Seine: Tour and Tasting with Jean Pierre Josselin - Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

The Wines of Tonnerre, France – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Domaine Séguinot-Bordet in Maligny, Chablis: Tour and Tasting with Owner and Winemaker Jean-François Bordet – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Domaine Brocard in Chablis: Lunch, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Odile Van Der Moere, Responsable de Cave – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Dinner at Hostellerie Chateau de la Barge in Creches-sur-Saone - Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Domaine Ferret in Fuissé, Poully-Fuissé, Mâconnais: Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Cyril Laumain, Chef de Cave – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Visit of the Abbey of Cluny and Lunch at Hostellerie d'Heloise in Cluny– Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Domaine Theulot Juillot in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Nathalie and Jean-Claude Theulot – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Olivier Leflaive: Vineyard Walk and Cellar Tour, with Patrick Leflaive– Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Lunch and Winetasting at La Table de Olivier in Pouligny Montrachet– Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Wine Tasting at Domaine Mestre Père & Fils in Santenay with Jonathan Mestre - Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Visit: Domaine Bouchard Père & Fils in Beaune - Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015, France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne, France

Visit: Hospices de Beaune with Karoline Knoth - – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Domaine A-F Gros in Beaune: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Owner and Winemaker Mathias Parent

Visit: Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune

Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-George: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Mathilde Nicolas (Brand Ambassador)

Wine Tasting at Domaine du Château de Prémeaux in Nuits Saint Georges with Owner and Winemaker Arnaud Pelletier

Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion in Vosne-Romanée: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Bernard Rion and Alice Rion

Domaine Guillon & Fils in Gevrey Chambertin: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Jean-Michel Guillon

Visit: Château du Clos de Vougeot

Picture: Cruise on the Rhein River in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region

The Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (organized by Annette Schiller) took place from September 6 – 12, 2015. The group was small - there were 7 of us, including Annette and Christian Schiller. We visited a total of 14 wineries in 5 different wine regions: Rheingau, Mittelrhein, Ahr, Mosel and Nahe.

I already provided a summary of the tour: Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

This posting covers our cruise on the Rhine following the tasting with Cecilia Jost, Weingut Toni Jost in Bacharach to Boppard, passing the famous Loreley Rock and the slopes of the Mittelrhein wine region. Time to indulge in the breathtakingly beautiful view of the Rhine River and its banks dotted with castles, fortresses, and ruins dating from the middle ages. The Middle-Rhine valley is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Upon arrival in Boppard, we had lunch at the beautiful Belle Epoque restaurant Le Bristol in the Hotel Bellevue right at the Rhine river.

Pictures: Lunch at the Beautiful Belle Epoque Restaurant Le Bristol in the Hotel Bellevue right at the Rhine River

Boat Trip on the Rhine River

Time to indulge in the breathtakingly beautiful view of the Rhine River and its banks dotted with castles, forts, and ruins dating from the Middle Ages, passing the famous Loreley Rock and the slopes of the Mittelrhein wine region.

Beginning just below Bonn and extending about 100 km south along the banks of the Rhine, the Mittelrhein is a beautiful region of steep, terraced vineyards and some of the wine world's most splendid scenery, medieval castles and ruins clinging to rocky peaks, sites of ancient legends where Siegfried, Hagen and the Loreley seem to spring to life.

Pictures: Cruise on the Rhein River in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region

Nearly three quarters of the vineyards are planted with Riesling. Viticulture was established in the region by the Romans, once they had established the cities of Cologne (Colonia) and Bonn (Bonna). The region saw its heyday in medieval times, at a time when the Cistercian order built the Kloster Heisterbach abbey above Oberdollendorf. The small town of Bacharach is an ancient centre of the wine trade. The name of the town of Bacharach comes from the Roman "Baccara" = "Altar of Bacchus".

The Mittlerhein below St. Goarshausen is one of the few vineyards in the world where phylloxera has not yet struck. Small, family-run wineries are typical of the region. But winemaking in the Mittelrhein is shrinking at a rapid pace. Today, with 500 hectares vineyard area, it is less than 25% of what it was 100 years ago. The slopes are extremely steep, discouraging young winemakers to continue with the tradition of their fathers, while consumers are flooded with reasonably priced and good quality wines from all over the world. However, increasingly young and dynamic winemakers, such as Cecilia Jost, are successfully trying to reverse this trend.

Postings on the Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Posted and Forthcoming)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Fall Tours by ombiasy WineTours 2015 - A Very Special Treat: Experience Harvest Time !

Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Wine and Music at Eberbach Abbey in the Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour and Wine Tasting with Lunch, with Mark Barth at Wein- und Sektgut Barth in Hattenheim, Rheingau– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Spreitzer in Oestrich, Rheingau, with Bernd Spreitzer – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Wine Tasting at Weingut Toni Jost in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Cecilia Jost– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours, Germany

Cruise on the Rhine River from Bacharach to Boppard, Mittelrhein

Wine Tasting at Weingut J.J.Adeneuer in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Ahr

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Weingut Meyer-Näkel in Dernau, Ahr

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel

Wine Tasting at Weingut St. Urbans-Hof in Leiwen, Mosel

Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Weingut Van Volxem in Wiltingen, Saar, Mosel

Wine Tasting at Weingut Hexamer, in Monzingen, Nahe

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Gut Hermannsberg, in Niederhausen, Nahe

Tour and Wine Dinner at Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe

Tour and Tasting at Sektmanufaktur Bardong in Geisenheim, Rheingau

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Domaine Schloss Johannisberg in Geisenheim, Rheingau

Picture: Label of Château Mouton Rothschild 2013 Designed by Korean Artist Lee Ufan

Each year, the esteemed French wine producer Château Mouton Rothschild chooses a master artist to create a label. The 2013 artist is Lee Ufan, a painter, artist and philosopher of Korean origin, who lives in Japan.

See also:
Spanish Artist Miquel Barceló Designed the Château Mouton Rothschild 2012 Label, Bordeaux
French Artist Guy de Rougement Designs Château Mouton Rothschild 2011 Label
The Label of 2010 Château Mouton-Rothschild Designed by Jeff Koons from New York City, Bordeaux
The label of 2007 Chateau Mouton Rothschild designed by Bernar Venet

Château Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac

The Château Mouton-Rothschild vineyard totals 84 hectares. In terms of red grapes, 80% is Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. There is also Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle, for the estate's white wine. The wine is fermented in oak vats (they are one of the last châteaux in the Médoc to use them) and then aged in new barrique barrels.

Baron Philippe de Rothschild

The birth of Château Mouton-Rothschild took place in 1853, when Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild - from the English line of the Rothschild family - purchased the estate - which was called Château Brane-Mouton - and renamed it using his name. The estate was in English hands in the 15th century but returned to French hands after the 100 Years War.

It was under Baron Philippe de Rothschild - who was only 20 years old, when he gained control of the property - that winemaking and wine selling at Château Mouton-Rothschild – and in general in Bordeaux – changed drastically.

The Baron was the first Bordeaux winemaker to insist on bottling all his wine at the estate. This new practice created a need for more storage at the property. In 1926, the Baron constructed the famous Grand Chai, the majestic 100-meter first year cellar, which has become a major attraction for visitors to Mouton.

The now famous series of labels designed by artists started in 1945.

In the 1930s, long before the idea of second wines had become standard practice, the Baron created a second wine for Mouton, Cadet de Mouton. It quickly became Mouton Cadet, first a blended wine, then a branded wine (again the first of its kind in Bordeaux) and is today the largest selling French branded wine in the world.

Finally, in 1973, Mouton was elevated to premier grand cru en 1855. The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 was largely based market prices. It was established by the negociants of Bordeaux. Despite the market prices for their wines equaling that of Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild was excluded from premier grand cru status, possibly because the estate was not in French ownership.

Pictures: At Château Mouton Rothschild, see: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Baroness Philippine de Rothschild and her 3 Children

Baron Philippe de Rothschild had one child, Baroness Philippine Mathilde Camille de Rothschild, who was the head of the Mouton Rothschild portfolio until her death in August 2014.

Baroness Philippine had 3 children: Camille Sereys de Rothschild (born 1961), Philippe Sereys de Rothschild (born 1963) (with Jacques Noël Sereys, a French theatre director and actor, with whom she was married from 1961 to 1999), and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild (born 1971) (Jean-Pierre de Beaumarchais, a biographer and scholar, with whom she was married when she passed away).

Baroness Philippine de Rothschild’s youngest son, Julien de Beaumarchais, took over from his mother in choosing the artists for Mouton Rothschild’s famous labels as of the 2014 vintage (the label for the 2013 vintage was still chosen by Baroness Philippine de Rothschild). De Beaumarchais, who studied art history, said he would make his decision ‘in consultation with the family’. The move comes despite the Baroness' other son, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, was named as President of the Supervisory Board of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, following on from his mother.

Picture: From left to right, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, Camille Sereys de Rothschild, Julien de Beaumarchais.(Photo: Deepix Courtesy Château Mouton Rothschild)

The Mouton-Rothschild Portfolio

Like Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild is now a mix of privately-owned chateaux, international joint ventures and commercial branded wines:

Château Mouton-Rothschild (grand vin)

Petit Mouton (second wine): 6,000 cases

Château d’Armailhac: In 1933, the Baron purchased a neighboring vineyard, Château Mouton d’Armailhacq. The property was renamed Château d’Armailhac in 1989 by his wife, the Baroness Philippine. Part of the reason for the purchase was, the estate came with a Bordeaux negociant firm which eventually became known as Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. 17,000 cases.

Château Clerc Milon: 13,000 cases

Mouton Cadet: Bordeaux’s oldest and largest branded wine, with 15 million bottles sold each year across 150 countries.

Opus One: In 1980, the Baron entered into a joint venture with Robert Mondavi to create Opus One Winery in Oakville, California, now co-owned with Constellation Brands. 25,000 cases.

Almaviva: In 1997, Château Mouton Rothschild teamed up with Concha y Toro of Chile to produce a quality Cabernet Sauvignon-based red wine in a new winery built in Chile's Maipo Valley. 10,000 cases.

Château Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac and Mayor Amschel Rothschild in Frankfurt am Main

The roots of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild – and the Rothschild empire in general – are in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Towards the end of the 18th century Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a money changer from Frankfurt am Main, born in 1744, had five sons and decided to install them in the five major European centers of the time.

* Amschel Mayer Rothschild (1773–1855): Frankfurt - died childless, passed to sons of Salomon and Calmann
* Salomon Mayer Rothschild (1774–1855): Vienna
* Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777–1836): London
* Calmann Mayer Rothschild (1788–1855): Naples
* Jakob (James) Mayer Rothschild (1792–1868): Paris

Picture: The House of the Rothschilds in Frankfurt am Main

The Rothschild brothers became one of the major forces in the far reaching changes that swept through Europe, while their father had not been allowed to purchase land outside of the Frankfurt am Main ghetto. During the 19th century, they were the bankers to monarchs and governments, bankers to Napoleon’s Europe and then in the industrial area the builders of the modern economy through their investment in railways. Baron Philippe, who died in 1988, belongs to the London branch of the large Rothschild family.

Labels Designed by Artists

The custom of having an artist design each year the label of the Mouton Rothschild wine goes back to the year 1924, when Chateau Mouton Rothschild was ready to release its first vintage bottled at the Chateau itself.

Until then, wineries sent their wine in casks to wine merchants in the city of Bordeaux, who then undertook the responsibility of stocking the casks for the two-year aging process, before bottling the wines. Although labels had been in use since the middle of the 19th century, they served merely to provide basic information about the wine contained in the bottle--or what, at any rate, was supposed to be in the bottle.

Picture: The Château Mouton Rothschild 2012 Label Designed by Spanish Artist Miquel Barceló

Rothschild commissioned for the occasion the popular poster designer Jean Carlu to design a label. Carlu's cubist-inspired label shocked the wine community--Philippe Rothschild was to scrap the label design only two years later--but nonetheless succeeded in calling worldwide attention to the new era of Rothschild wines. In the years leading up to the World War II, the Rothschild chateau continued to experiment with its wine labels.

France's capitulation to the Nazi invaders and the installation of the collaborative Vichy government nearly spelled disaster to the Rothschild wine business. The chateau itself was occupied by the Nazis and made a German headquarters, while the Vichy government placed operations of the vineyard under its agricultural department's control. Philippe Rothschild and his family were captured--Rothschild's wife was killed in a Nazi death camp--but Philippe Rothschild managed to escape, finally joining up to fight with the Free French army under General Charles de Gaulle.

Returning to his chateau after the war, Philippe Rothschild decided to allow his first post-war vintage to celebrate the Allied victory. Rothschild asked friend Philippe Julian to design a new label for the 1945 vintage. Based on Churchill's famed V-sign, the label sparked a new era for Mouton Rothschild.

Philippe Rothschild, who had already been among the pioneers in recognizing the marketing potential of a wine's label, now decided that the label for each year's vintage was to feature an original piece of artwork--commissioned from Rothschild's circle of friends, only some of whom were artists. Yet all received the same payment: five cases from that year's vintage, plus five cases chosen from the Rothschild cellars.

In 1955, the Rothschild label took on a still more serious role. That year's label featured a design from famed painted Georges Braque. From then on, the Rothschild labels were to become a showcase for the world's top contemporary artists.

Lee Ufan Label for the 2013 Vintage

The commission for the illustration of the 2013 vintage was given to Lee Ufan, a painter, artist and philosopher of Korean origin born in 1936.

Born in a South Korean mountain village in 1936, Lee Ufan received a traditional education, though open to Western culture. He moved to Japan, his adoptive country, in 1956 and took a degree in philosophy at Tokyo’s Nihon University. Ever since, his art has been nourished by constant reflection on the relationship of the self to the other and to matter, on identity and difference.

Picture: Lee Ufan (Photo: Studio Lee Ufan Courtesy Château Mouton Rothschild)

His painting and sculpting career truly began in the mono ha, or “School of Things”, movement in the late 1960s, displaying an abstract minimalism and use of natural materials which had affinities with arte povera in Italy and process art in the English-speaking world. He soon discovered and imposed a highly personal aesthetic language: in space, his sculptures combine bare rock with plates of steel or glass, while in his painting, simple forms with a single color but different shades are laid on the canvas in long strokes or concentrated on a random point, seeming to originate in a single creative act.

He thus achieves a mesmerizing effect conducive to meditation, weaving his spell with art of great intensity, harmony and restraint.

Pictures: Art Work of Lee Ufan (Photo: myblog.arts)

The now world - famous artist has won many prestigious awards, including the UNESCO Prize at the Shanghai Biennale in 2000 and Japan’s Praemium Imperiale in 2001, and has exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris and the Guggenheim and MoMA in New York. A museum devoted to him, designed by Tadao Ando, was inaugurated at Naoshima, Japan, in 2010, and a dozen of his works were displayed in the park of Versailles Palace in 2014.

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Spanish Artist Miquel Barceló Designed the Château Mouton Rothschild 2012 Label, Bordeaux

French Artist Guy de Rougement Designs Château Mouton Rothschild 2011 Label

The Label of 2010 Château Mouton-Rothschild Designed by Jeff Koons from New York City, Bordeaux

The Label of 2007 Chateau Mouton Rothschild designed by Bernar Venet

(German) Winemakers in the World: The German Roots of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Empire

The Emerging Wine Giant China - Mouton Cadet Bar Opening

The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics

Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux– A Short Introduction

How Does the Negociant System in Bordeaux Work? Tour and Tasting at Millésima - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Tour and Wine Dinner at Domaine de Chevalier with Director Adjoint Rémi Edange and Owner/Director Olivier Bernard – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France

Picture: Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland

Led by Annette Schiller, the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) took place from September 15 to 24, 2015. The group comprised 8 wine lovers from the United States, including Annette and Christian Schiller.

I already provided an overview about the whole tour: Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

This posting covers our visit of Château Le Bon Pasteur. We toured Château Le Bon Pasteur and had a fabulous wine lunch at the estate. Dany Rolland and Benoit Prevot, General Manager and Winemaker, joined us on the tour and were our hosts for lunch.

Change of Ownership

Château Le Bon Pasteur was acquired by the Rolland family around 1920. The grandson of the original owner, Michel Rolland, well known around the world as “flying winemaker” and wine consultant, and his wife Dany, also an oenologist, created a model vineyard and produce outstanding wines. Not so long ago, they sold it to Pan Sutong, a Hong Kong businessman and entrepreneur.

According to Forbes 2015 World Billionaire's list published in March 2015, Sutong was placed at number 153 with an estimated net worth of $8.6 billion. Pan Sutong is a wine lover. In 2011, his Goldin Group bought the Sloan Estate in the Napa Valley. The Sloan 2002 and 2007 vintages were awarded 100 points by Robert Parker.

Pictures: Benoit Prevot, General Manager and Winemaker, Welcoming us

In 2013, the Group purchased three châteaux in Bordeaux, namely Château Le Bon Pasteur in Pomerol, Château Rolland-Maillet in Saint-Émilion and Château Bertineau St-Vincent in Lalande-de-Pomerol. As Goldin Financial’s long-term working partner, Michel Rolland facilitated this acquisition. Similar to Sloan, despite the transfer of ownership, nothing changed in terms of wine-making procedures and staff.

Pomerol

Pomerol is remarkable for being unremarkable. It is not a long-established area. There are no beautiful chateaux. There is no real town center, just roads connecting the lands and small, farmhouse style wineries. Pomerol has no classification system. With 800 hectares, it is a small area, with small domains. By contrast: The vineyards of St. Emilion cover more than 5000 hectares; the production of Petrus is just 10% of that of Lafite.

Pictures: In the Vineyard

Nevertheless, Pomerol has managed to earn itself a place among the region's most-respected names. The list of the Pomerol’s best properties includes Le Pin, one of the precursors of the Garagistes style, Petrus and Lafleur, with all three of them regarded as "hors classe" growths, and: Eglise-Clinet, Trotanoy, Vieux-Château Certan, L´Evangile, Certan-de-May, La Fleur-Pétrus, Clinet, Bon Pasteur, Le Gay, Rouget, Clos l'Eglise, Nénin, Petit-Village, Lagrange and Gazin. Pomerol, with the wines of Chateau Petrus and Chateau Le Pen, now commands higher prices than those of the long-established Medoc.

Pomerol has the highest Merlot share in Bordeaux, with Merlot accounting for 80% and Cabernet Franc for the rest. Vines are old and yields are extremely low.

Pictures: In the Cellar with Dany Rolland

Over the centuries, Pomerol had always been in the shadow of Medoc, Graves and even St. Emilion. Only at the beginning of the 20th century, things changed when Belgians and primarily Dutchmen were more and more interested in the red Pomerol wines. It was not until the 1950s that British merchants woke up to the wines and began to import them into the UK.

Château Le Bon Pasteur

Château Le Bon Pasteur was acquired by the Rolland family - Joseph and Hermine Dupuy - in 1920. The grandson of the original owner, Michel Rolland, well known around the world as “flying winemaker” and wine consultant, and his wife Dany, also an oenologist, created a model vineyard and produce outstanding wines. In May, 2013, Le Bon Pasteur (including the two affiliated properties) was sold to Sutong Pan, the first Asian investor to buy a truly legendary Pomerol estate. Dany and Michel Rolland continue to manage the estate and make the wine.

Pictures: Tasting and Reception

In the beginning, the owners grew the grapes, but sold the harvest in bulk to negociants. The Dupony family later passed Le Bon Pasteur on to their children, Serge and Geneviève Rolland. In 1978, the Rolland family continued the tradition and gave Chateau Le Bon Pasteur to their children Michel and Jean-Daniel Rolland. This gave birth to the modern era for Le Bon Pasteur and the start of the career for Michel Rolland.

The property Le Bon Pasteur originally consisted of vineyards in the three communes of Pomerol, Saint-Émilion and Néac, the last one in the appellation Lalande-de-Pomerol. Originally all three wines were called Le Bon Pasteur, with the respective appellation indicated. From 1978, the wine from Saint-Émilion has been called Château Rolland-Maillet and that from Lalande-de-Pomerol called Château Bertineau Saint-Vincent. They are all produced at Le Bon Pasteur.

Pictures: Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland

Le Bon Pasteur consists of 7 hectares with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Production averages 2,500 cases.

Starting with the 2010 vintage, the grapes are fermented in barrel, with the barrels being regularly turned during the maceration period. Also, in 2010, Michel and Dany Rolland started to include about 1/3 whole clusters in the fermentation. The wines are aged for 15 to 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels and then bottled without fining and filtering.

The closest neighbor is Château l’Evangile, and possibly some parts of the next neighbor Château La Conseillante are also visible.

Pictures: Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland

Michel and Dany Rolland

Michel Rolland grew up on Château Le Bon Pasteur. He studied at the prestigious Bordeaux Oenology Institute, where he met his wife and fellow oenologist, Dany Rolland, and graduated as part of the class of 1972. In 1973, Michel Rolland and his wife bought into an oenology lab in Libourne. They took over full control of the lab in 1976 and expanded it to include tasting rooms. Michel and Dany Rolland's two daughters, Stéphanie and Marie, also work at the lab.

After having sold Château Le Bon Pasteur, Château Bertineau Saint-Vincent in Lalande de Pomerol and Château Rolland-Maillet in Saint-Émilion, the Rollands still own several properties in Bordeaux, including Château Fontenil in Fronsac, and Château La Grande Clotte in Lussac-Saint-Émilion. In addition, they are joint venture partnerships with Bonne Nouvelle in South Africa, Val de Flores in Argentina, Campo Eliseo in Spain and Yacochuya and Clos de los Siete in Argentina.

In addition, Michel Rolland consults for many producers in Bordeaux, in Argentina, South Africa (Simonsberg Stellenbosch), and Spain (Toro).

Pictures: Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland

Tasting, Reception and Lunch with Dany Rolland

After the tour and before lunch we tasted the 2012 vintage of (the wine searcher average prices in US$ per bottle are given in parenthesis):

Château Rolland-Maillet in Saint-Émilion (US$ 35) and Château Bertineau St-Vincent in Lalande-de-Pomerol (US$ 25), the other two estates that the Rollands sold to Pan Sutong.

Pictures: Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland

From there, we moved to the lunch table and the wines that Dany Rolland had selected for lunch.

Appetizer

Mariflor Argentine Mendoza Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (US$ 20)

Scampi in salad and crisp vegetables

Château La Grande Clotte Blanc 2013 (US$ 28)
Château La Grande Clotte Blanc 2010 (US$ 31)

Pictures: Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland - Photos to Remember a Great Event

Duck tenderloin a “la fleur de sel”

Château Fontenil France Fronsac 2008 (US$ 22)

Château Le Bon Pasteur France Pomerol 2007 (US$ 87)

Val de Flores Argentine Mendoza 2006 (US$ 55)

The Val de Flores vineyard is ten hectares and is planted with Malbec which are more than fifty years old. The vineyard is situated at the foot of the Andean mountains at Vista Flores in South Mendoza. The vineyard soils is alluviums and deep silts. This wine was aged for 14 months in new French oak barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Yacochuya Argentine Salta 2006 (US$ 57)

Charlotte in raspberry & shavings of dark chocolate

Coffee & Canneles

Bye-bye

Thanks Dany Rolland and Benoit Prevot for a most entertaining event.

Pictures: Bye-bye

Postings on the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France (Posted and Forthcoming)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics

Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux– A Short Introduction

How Does the Negociant System in Bordeaux Work? Tour and Tasting at Millésima - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Tour and Wine Dinner at Domaine de Chevalier with Director Adjoint Rémi Edange and Owner/Director Olivier Bernard – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France

Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France

Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Angélus– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Tour, Tasting and Wine Lunch at a Petit Château and Organic Producer: Château Beauséjour – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile, France – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour and Tasting at Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé B, in Saint-Émilion– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffelière, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Tasting at Château de Fargues, Sauternes, with Prince Eudes d’Orléans

Wine Lunch at Restaurant Château de la Tour in Cadillac and Tour at Château Du Cros, Loupiac, with Catherine Boyer, Proprietor of Château Du Cros

Tour and Tasting at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé.

Lunch at the 2 Michelin Starred Restaurant La Grande Vigne

Tour of the Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm and Oyster Tasting in Grand-Piquey, with Oyster Farmer Ralph Doerfler

What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Le Reysse, Vignobles Paeffgen, Médoc, in Bégadan, with Stefan Paeffgen

Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina

Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, with Didier Cuvelier

Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, 1ière Grand Cru Classé.

How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil

Lunch at Restaurant Le Peyrat in Saint-Estèphe with the Grape Pickers of Château Sociando Mallet

Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Basile Tesseron

Tour and Tasting at Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

Tourt and tasting at Château Palmer, Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Diana Paulin

Pictures: Römer (City Hall) and Frankfurt Skyline at Night

The 2 leading German restaurant guides – Michelin and Gault/Millau – just came out with their 2016 ranking. This prompted me to update my earlier list of the best restaurants in the greater Frankfurt am Main region(Michelin 2013 and Gault Millau 2013). The Michelin groups its top restaurants into star categories (1 to 3) and Gault Millau groups its top restaurants into toque categories (13 to 20).

There are no 3 star Michelin restaurants in the greater Frankfurt am Main area. The highest ranked restaurant in the Gault Millau Guide is Villa Rothschild Kempinski in Koenigstein im Taunus with 18 toques.

Michelin Stars

2 Stars

Lafleur in Frankfurt

Tiger Restaurant in Frankfurt

Villa Rothschild in Königstein

1 Star

Jean and Kronenschlösschen in Eltville am Rhein

See:
Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel, Wirsching – Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Pictures: Kronenschlösschen
Burg Schwarzenstein in Geisenheim

Camelo Greco, Erno’s Bistro, Francais, Gustav, Villa Merton, Seven Swans, SRA by Juan Amador, Weinsinn in Frankfurt

See also:
Winemaker Dinner with John Kolasa (Château Canon und Château Rauzan Ségla) and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos at Restaurant Le Français in Frankfurt, Germany

Pictures: Steigenberger Hotel Frankfurter Hof and Restaurant Francais

Ente in Wiesbaden

Picture: Ente in Wiesbaden

Favorite in Mainz

Schellers in Bad Homburg

Gault Millau Toques

18 Toques

Lafleur in Frankfurt

Villa Rothschild in Königstein

17 Toques

Carmelo Greco, Français, Lohninger, Tiger-Restaurant in Frankfurt

Schwarzenstein in Geisenheim

16 Toques

Emma Metzler, Erno’s Bistro, Gustav, Weinsinn in Frankfurt

See also:
Lunch and Beaujolais at Weinsinn in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Pictures: Christian Schiller with Owner Matthias Scheiber and Chef Andre Rickert and his Team at Weinsinn

Schaumahl in Offenbach

See:
Winemaker Dinner with Azienda Agricola Foradori (Trentino, Italy) at SchauMahl in Frankfurt, Germany

Pictures: The schauMahl Team: Björn Andreas, Pit Punda, Esra Egner

Dirk Maus, Buchholz (will close end of 2015), Favorite in Mainz

Ente in Wiesbaden

15 Toques

Adler Wirtschaft, Kronenschlösschen in Eltville

Goldman, Heimat, Seven Swans, Villa Merton in Frankfurt

Pictures: Christian G.E. Schiller with Owner/Sommelier Oliver Donnecker and Chef Gregor Nowak at Heimat

Schützenhof in Glashütten/Taunus

Sra Bua by Juan in Neu-Isenburg

Kraftwerk in Oberursel

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt

I grew up with apple wine in Frankfurt. Although there are 3 beer breweries in Frankfurt and the world renowned Rheingau and Rheinhessen wine regions just 30 minutes away from Frankfurt by S-Bahn or car, I would say that Frankfurt am Main is a city of cider.

Frankfurt has a large number of traditional apple wine taverns, where you sit on communal benches, eat hearty local food and drink sour and tart German apple wine. Typically, there is only one apple wine – the house apple wine – available, in some cases made on the premise.

See more:
Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Picture: With Host Louie at Mainlust "Desche-Otto"

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz

Not more than 30 minutes away from Frankfurt by S-Bahn on the Rhein River in the wine region Rheinhessen is Mainz, which is - along with Bilbao in Spain, Bordeaux in France, Cape Town in South Africa, Christchurch in New Zealand, Firenza in Italy, Mendoza in Argentina, Porto in Portugal and San Francisco in the US - one of the 9 wine capitals in the world.

But there is not a single wine bar in Mainz, as I know them from London, New York City, Berlin or Washington DC. However, there are a large number of cozy wine taverns in Mainz, a bit like the apple wine taverns in Frankfurt. Typically, wine taverns do not have an elaborated list of wines, nor do they serve fancy and sophisticated food. They serve good, local wines, at very reasonable prices, typically from a handful of local winemakers and good, hearty, regional food. My favorite is “Spundekaes mit Bretzeln”. You share the table with others.

See more:
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Picture: Weinhaus Bluhm, with Roland Ladendorf

schiller-wine - Related Postings

The Best Restaurants in the Greater Frankfurt am Main Region, Germany

Lunch and Beaujolais at Weinsinn in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Frankfurt Top Trendy Restaurants– Feinschmecker 2012, Germany

Wine in Frankfurt am Main? - Weingut der Stadt Frankfurt, Germany

Wine Bar: Paris Bar and Cafe in Frankfurt am Main

The Premium Apple Wines of Andreas Schneider - Obsthof am Steinberg - in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Kuenstler, Meyer-Naekel, Wirsching – Winemaker Dinner at Kronenschlösschen in Hattenheim, Rheingau, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

Frankfurt Top Trendy Restaurants– Feinschmecker 2012

Winemaker Dinner with John Kolasa (Château Canon und Château Rauzan Ségla) and Wine Journalist Panos Kakaviatos at Restaurant Le Français in Frankfurt, Germany

Winemaker Dinner with Azienda Agricola Foradori (Trentino, Italy) at SchauMahl in Frankfurt, Germany

15 Gault Millau Points in Offenbach – Restaurant schauMahl, Germany

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Picture: Alte Mainbrücke, Würzburg

Würzburg in Franken boasts 3 legendary wineries, Juliuspital, Bürgerspital and Staatlicher Hofkeller, with a long and most interesting history. They are also rather large (by German standards). Two of the three, Juliusspital and Bürgerspital, also house iconic wine taverns. While the third, Staatlicher Hofkeller, also has a wine tavern, but it lacks the specialness that the other two display.

The posting focuses on the Bürgerspital and the Juliusspital; it also includes a few other interesting wine places in Würzburg.

Bürgerspital and Juliusspital

Spital is an archaic term formerly used to mean “hospital” in German and makes up part of the name of the other two big Würzburg wine estates. The Bürgerspital and the Juliusspital were both once hospitals. One of them, the Juliusspital, is still one today. Funding for the hospitals came from wine produced from donated vineyards.

On the 23rd of June, in the year 1319, Johann von Steren established the Bürgerspital zum Heilige Geist to care for the sick and needy citizens of Würzburg. At the same time, he designated certain of his vineyards to provide the necessary financial support.

A couple of centuries later, Prince Bishop Julius Echter followed suit and founded the Juliusspital with the same general goals in mind and a similar motivation: to acquire divine salvation through the mortal and the eternal through the transient.

Today these two institutions are among the oldest and largest wine estates in Germany, with 140 and 170 hectares respectively, and still provide the major source of income for their charities.

Pictures: Annette and Christian Schiller at Alte Mainbrücke, Würzburg

Würzburg

This city of 130,000, nestled among vineyards along the river banks, is arguably the finest of Germany's Baroque and Rococo towns. Its history dates from the 8th century, when Frankish dukes, converted to Christianity by Irish missionary monks, laid the foundations of massive Marienberg Fortress on the crest of the highest of Würzburg's many terraced and vine-covered hills. One of the oldest churches in the country, the Marienkirche, consecrated in 706, still stands in that castle's courtyard.

From the Middle Ages until 1802, when Napoleon reshaped the map of Europe, imposed secularization and ceded the city to the newly created Kingdom of Bavaria, Würzburg was a rich, influential and virtually independent prince-bishopric whose rulers enjoyed both ecclesiastical and worldly powers. Most important though, nearly all those prince-bishops were connoisseurs and patrons of the arts. Their sponsorship and commissions attracted great artists and architects, who made the city the major cultural center that it is today.

Thus it was Würzburg where the painter Matthias Grünewald was born and did some of his earliest work as an apprentice to local masters. In 1483, during the reign of Prince-Bishop Rudolf von Scherenberg, Tilman Riemenschneider, the greatest of the Renaissance woodcarvers and sculptors, settled and established his studio in Würzburg, ultimately becoming the city's burgomaster. His work is omnipresent in Würzburg churches and in those of nearby towns and villages.

Two other prince-bishops hired Balthasar Neumann, Germany's preeminent Baroque architect, to build the Residenz, their diocesal palace, and commissioned Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo to decorate it with Rococo ceiling and wall frescoes.

To be sure, a great deal of what you see in Würzburg today is not what you think it is or what it purports to be, for much of what looks old is relatively new. Most of the city's architectural heritage was destroyed in a single World War II air raid in March 1945. But visitors today will hardly notice, for many beautiful churches, graceful bridges, ornate patrician houses and splendid hospices were rebuilt.

The Würzburg Residenz

Würzburg's most dazzling piece of architecture, and the one for which it is on UNESCO's list, is the Residenz, the palace of the prince-bishops, one of the largest and most richly decorated chateaus in all Europe. Its sponsor was Johann Philip von Schönborn, who was elected prince-bishop in 1719. The Residenz’ mind-boggling centerpiece is the grand staircase, capped by Tiepolo's 7,000-square-foot ceiling fresco. The vaulted ceiling is more than 17 feet high and is entirely unsupported by pillars.

Pictures: Würzburg Residenz

Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg

Once you have traversed the rooms and parlors of the Residenz, be certain to visit the Staatliche Hofkellerei Würzburg. The extensive and labyrinthine wine cellars stretch out deep below the building.

The Staatliche Hofkeller Würzburg is one of Germany’s largest wine estates. Founded in 1128, it is also one of the oldest. Initially, it was owned by the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg. From 1814 onwards, after the Vienna Congress, the Kingdom of Bavaria was the owner under the name Königlich Bayerischer Hofkeller (royal Bavarian state cellar), with an interlude from 1806 to 1814, when it was owned by Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany.

After the revolution of 1918, the Kingdom of Bavaria became part of the Weimar Republic as the State of Bavaria and the State of Bavaria took over the Staatliche Hofkellerei Würzburg as the successor of the Kingdom of Bavaria.

Today, the vineyard area totals 120 hectares. These holdings are spread over many communes.

Pictures: Staatlicher Hofkeller, Würzburg

Bürgerspital

The first vineyards of the Bürgerspital were planted in the 1300s and served to supply the Bürgerspital’s own needs. It is reported that in 1598, the residents of the old people's home were provided with a tankard - 1.22 litres - of wine. Today, the vineyard area of Weingut Bürgerspital totals 120 hectares, of which about 80 hectares are located in Würzburg.

Sites: Würzburger Stein, Würzburger Stein-Harfe, Würzburger Innere Leiste, Würzburger Pfaffenberg, Würzburger Abtsleite, Randersackerer Teufelskeller, Randersackerer Pfülben, Randersackerer Marsberg, Veitshöchheimer Sonnenschein.

Picture: Würzburger Stein

In Bürgerspital's old "Pfründner" cellar, there are modern stainless-steel tanks where the wines ferment temperature-controlled. In the adjacent vaults is one of Germany's biggest wooden barrel cellars: 200 valuable oak barrels, some of them adorned with precious carvings were used for cultivating wine hundreds of years ago. There is space for four annual harvests in the cellars.

The iconic Bürgerspital tavern -- with its 10 rustically furnished rooms and a retail store -- is in a wing of this institution. The food is regional and the wines are those of Weingut Bürgerspital. The last time I ate their I had steak tartare.

Pictures: Bürgerspital

Juliusspital

Weingut Juliusspital is Germany’s second largest winery with 177 hectares under vines.

At the center of the Juliusspital Foundation are a hospital, an assisted living home for elderly people and a hospice. This has been so for more than 400 years. Today, the buildings of the Juliusspital Foundation comprise many modern buildings but also very impressive and well maintained historical buildings.

As to the latter, the Fürstenbau, a palatial building, designed by the architect Antonio Petrini built in the Barock style with its historical cellar vaults, its garden pavilion and the fountain statues of Jacob van der Auvera, make the Juliusspital a unique monument of art and culture at the heart of the city of Würzburg. The historical cellars, which we had the opportunity to visit, with the old traditional wooden casks, are still in use for fermentation and aging.

Since its establishment, the profits of the Weingut Juliusspital have contributed to the financing of the social services of the Juliusspital Foundation. In addition to the vineyard land, the Juliusspital Foundation also owns farm land and forests.

The iconic Juliusspital tavern is part of the Juliusspital complex. It is large. The food is similar to the food at the Bürgerspital tavern. The wines are those of Weingut Bürgerspital. The last time I ate their I had “Nürnberger Bratwürste”.

See:
Tour and Tasting at the Historic Weingut Juliusspital in Würzburg, Franken – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Pictures: Juliusspital

Other Wine Taverns and Places

You will not find a wine estate at the Alte Mainbrücke, a stunning 500-year-old stone bridge, but you will find—especially on a sunny day—hundreds of wine drinkers. The bridge crosses the River Main and motor traffic is banned. It has become quite common for the Würzburg citizens, as well as visitors, to stroll across bridge, relax against one of its balustrades, sip a glass of wine and enjoy the amazing view.

On the left bank, you will see the imposing fortress—Festung Marienberg—standing guard over the city from and the Käppele, a beautiful baroque chapel. Along the steep banks of the Main, you can make out the Würzburger Stein. Where do you get your wine?

Pictures: Alte Mainbrücke and Festung Marienberg, Würzburg

Weinbistro Mainwein on the Alte Mainbrücke is an outlet of the GWF co-operative (Winzergemeinschaft Franken). The GWF has 2270 members. The vineyard area totals 1321 hectares. You can purchase wine by the bottle or by the glass.

Alte Mainmühle: Although this is also a nice restaurant, where it is necessary to make a reservation, you can have a snack and wine for takeout at the bar.

Weinhaus Stachel is the oldest restaurant of Würzburg and it’s got a lovely romantic inner courtyard where you can dine on warm evenings. Today a nice restaurant, Weinhaus Stachel once was the conspirative venue of the knights in the German Peasants’ War in the early 16th century. The mace hanging outside the door is referring to this history of the tavern. Gressengasse 1

The Würzburger Ratskeller is located in the Würzburg city hall. It has seventeen different rooms - one is in the old house chapel and another was once the city dungeon. There is also a beautiful inner courtyard where you can dine next to the fountain. Langgasse 1

Reisers am Stein is part of Weingut am Stein Ludwig Knoll, right in the middle of the Würzburger Stein, the biggest single vineyard in Franconia. Along with the Staatliche Hofkeller, the Bürgerspital and the Juliusspital, Weingut am Stein Ludwig Knoll owns parcels of the Würzburger Stein.

See:
Visit and Tasting at Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Pictures: Reisers am Stein, Würzburg

The restaurant and wine bar of Weingut am Stein Ludwig Knoll are leased out to Chef Bernhard Reiser, who cooks there at the highest level. Reisers is a one-star Michelin Restaurant and the wine bar was included by Geroldsteiner in a list of the 18 best wine places in Germany. The wines offered are of course Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll wines, but also other top wines. Mittlerer Steinbergweg 5

Schiller’ Favorites

Here is a complete list of Schiller's Favorites:

Europe

Germany

Schiller’s Favorites: 2 Legendary Wine Taverns in Würzburg – Juliusspital and Bürgerspital
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Wine Taverns in Freiburg, Baden, Germany
Schiller's Favorites: Frankfurt Apple Wine Taverns that Make their own Apple Wine
Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Winemakers in the Saale-Unstrut Region, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany
Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, 2013, Germany
Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France
Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France, 2014
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France
Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, 2012 France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City) (2012), France

UK, Spain, Austria, Hungary

Schiller's Favorite Winebars in London, UK
Schiller’s Favorite Tapas Bars in Logroño in La Rioja, Spain
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, 2012, UK
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary
Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria (2011)

USA

Riesling Crawl in New York City – Or, Where to Buy German Wine in Manhattan: Schiller's Favorite Wine Stores, USA
Schiller's Favorite Oyster Bars and Seafood Places in Seattle, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, 2012, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California

Asia

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Singapore
Schiller s Favorite Winebars in Beijing, 2014, China

Africa

Schiller's Favorite Wines of Madagascar
Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar

Postings: Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Published and Forthcoming)

Preview: Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

The Art Marketer: OMBIASY PR & WINE TOURS - Germany-East

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tasting at Weingut Lützkendorf with Uwe Lützkendorf – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Weingut Pawis (Saale Unstrut): Estate Tour and Wine Tasting with Markus Pawis – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Weingut Thürkind in Gröst, Saale-Unstrut: Tour, Tasting and Lunch – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in the Saale Unstrut Region, Germany

Weingut Schloss Proschwitz, Prinz zur Lippe, in Zadel, Sachsen: Tour and Tasting with Prinz zur Lippe – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Dining with Prinz zur Lippe, Owner of Weingut Schloss Proschwitz, at the Lippe’sches Gutshaus - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Weingut Karl Friedrich Aust in Radebeul, Sachsen: Tour and Lunch with Tasting – Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Visit of Weingut Klaus Zimmerling: The Wines of Klaus Zimmerling and the Art of his Wife Malgorzata Chodakoska - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wirsching in Iphofen in Franken with General Manager Uwe Matheus– Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Visit and Tasting at Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken– Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Würzburg and its 2 Historic Wine Taverns: Juliusspital and Bürgerspital

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Graf Neipperg in Schwaigern, Württemberg

Tasting at Weingut Dautel in Württemberg with Christian Dautel

Wine Pairing Dinner at Restaurant Friedrich von Schiller in Bietigheim-Bissingen in Württemberg

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Herzog von Württemberg at Schloss Monrepos with Owner F.R.H. Carl Duke of Württemberg

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting with Rainer Schnaitmann at Weingut Rainer Schnaitmann in Fellbach, Württemberg

Wine Tasting at Weingut Simon-Bürkle in Zwingenberg, Hessische Bergstrasse

Picture: Denman Zirkle and Sigrid Zirkle Carroll at the GWS (Washington DC Chapter)

By Carl Willner

(This is a guest posting by Carl Willner, President, German Wine Society, Washington D.C. Chapter)

On the evening of November 20, 2015, the Capital Chapter of the German Wine Society in Washington, D.C. had the pleasure of hosting representatives of Weingut Richard Böcking at Harbour Square, and tasting a broad selection of ten wines from their portfolio. Owner and Managing Partner W. Denman Zirkle, and his daughter Sigrid Zirkle Carroll, Director of North American Marketing, presented the wines, aided by Ann Sweeney Zirkle, Denman’s wife. This was a very enjoyable as well as educational event, and well attended with 46 members and guests. Mr. Zirkle commented afterward on how knowledgeable and interested the members of the German Wine Society were. I had met Mr. Zirkle and his wife at Christian Schiller’s Summer of Riesling event in August 2015 (see: Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA 2015), and as President of the Capital Chapter of the GWS, quickly invited them to organize a tasting event for our group. About half of the wines were obtained from distributors in the Northern Virginia/Washington D.C. area, while the rest were brought directly from the estate in Germany for the event.

The Richard Böcking estate, located in Traben-Trarbach along one of the great loops of the Mittelmosel, is one of the most ancient in the region, with a history dating back to 1623-24. It consists of five vineyards (einzellagen), the Burgberg, Schlossberg, Ungsberg, Hühnerberg, and Taubenhaus, the first four of which have traditionally been considered Grand Cru sites, with the steep slate slopes characteristic of the Mosel. Notably, the vineyards do not front directly on the Mosel, but are in two side valleys leading into the Mosel, the Schottbachtal and Kautenbachtal, on the Trarbach side of the river. These valleys, like the Mosel itself, provide the warm climate and south or east facing slopes needed for creation of fine Rieslings. Cultivation of grapes here dates back to Roman times, and the Böcking family was once one of the wealthiest in the Mosel, serving as regional treasurers for the Prince of Palatinate-Zweibrücken. Indeed, their estate even hosted the famed poet von Goethe in 1792. The seat of the winery today is the 14th century stone Rittersaal (Knights’ Hall), the largest secular building from the Middle Ages remaining in the Mosel, originally built as a wine cellar for Grevenburg Castle. Recorded cultivation at the Ungsberg, the oldest of the vineyards with extremely steep slopes of grey, blue and brown slate mixed with quartz, dates back 400 years, and these vineyards were planted with 50% or more Riesling grapes well before this became characteristic of the entire Mosel.

Picture: Prussian Map

But at the beginning of the 20th century, after ten successful generations, the family began to decline, with the estate passing between various cousins, and some vineyards lost, though the family kept the Trarbach properties. In 2010 the Böcking family faced a decision whether to sell the remaining vineyards, or attempt to revive the estate. Fortunately, they chose the latter, and under the leadership of Mr. Zirkle, Baroness Leweke von Marschall and her cousin Sigrid Carroll, who are both descendants of the Böcking family, and winemaker Simon Trös, the estate has begun to recover. Learning the German wine culture and legal environment has posed a particular challenge for Mr. Zirkle, who is American, though connected to the Böcking family from his first marriage through his late wife Dagmar von Maltzahn. Ms. Carroll, born in Germany, was also raised and educated in the United States, though she worked in the family vineyards in Germany as a teenager, learning the winemaking business.

Pictures: Denman Zirkle and Sigrid Zirkle Carroll at the GWS (Washington DC Chapter)

Since 2010, Weingut Richard Böcking has doubled its area under cultivation to 6 hectares (about 15 acres), and has plans to double this again. The estate produced its first new vintages in 2012, and at this event German Wine Society members and guests were able to sample wines from three different years. During the tasting, Denman Zirkle and Sigrid Carroll explained their estate’s philosophy of relying on ungrafted old vines (alte reben), over 40 years in age, in most of the vineyards. The Böcking properties are planted overwhelmingly with Riesling, though some have 10% Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). Almost all the wines we had during the tasting were Rieslings, with one Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder).

For most of the wines the Böcking estate produces, the goal is expressed by a German term, “geschmacklich trocken”, referring to wines that are in the range of dry (trocken) to half-dry (halbtrocken or feinherb). This is very consistent with the current trends and tastes among German consumers today, and about 60% of the estate’s production is consumed in Germany, with 40% exported. U.S. distributors for these wines are found in the New York/New Jersey area, the Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. area, and Montana, where Sigrid Carroll resides. The Böcking estate does, however, produce some wines that have more of the sweeter Riesling style and prädikat classifications, under their “M” label. We tried two of these during the tasting, a Kabinett and a Spätlese, and were interested to learn that the estate has now produced some Auslese as well and has been working on a Beerenauslese. Though we have diverse tastes in the German Wine Society, I had warned Mr Zirkle, as he noted during the tasting, that many of our members prefer the sweeter wines (which we think of as traditional now, though that is not necessarily true going further back in German wine history). But he, like the knight RichHeart that he uses as a symbol for some of his wines, bravely ventured into the lion’s den of sweet wine lovers, and was able to give us a very pleasant evening that nonetheless reflected the modern direction in German wines.

Our first flight of wines consisted of two young wines under the RichHeart label, the 2014 RichHeart Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder) and 2014 RichHeart Riesling, both bottled in the spring of 2015. These have some of the most attractive labels I have seen in decades of enjoying German wines, with paintings of the Traben-Trarbach area on the Mosel. The RichHeart wines, Mr. Zirkle explained, are not produced using grapes from the estate’s own traditional steep slope vineyards, but use grapes from other producers in the Middle Mosel. This has allowed the estate to expand its production considerably, with 10,000 bottles being produced in 2014 under the RichHeart label, while a total of 14,000 were produced from the various vineyards of the estate, limited by weather conditions in the Mosel. These dry to off-dry wines are fresh and fruity, though uncomplicated, with apple and pear aromas in the Weissburgunder.

Pictures: 2014 RichHeart Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder) and 2014 RichHeart Riesling

Next, we tried two wines the estate produces under the Devon name, a 2013 Devon Riesling and a 2014 Devon Riesling. The Devon name refers to the Devonian-era soil of the vineyards, and these wines are produced mostly from grapes cultivated in the estate’s Trarbacher Traubenhaus vineyards, though some of the grapes come from the estate’s Grand Cru vineyards. These are considered entry-level wines by the Böcking estate, with less complexity than the Grand Cru wines. The success of the first 2012 production of these wines, which was sold out by 2014, confirmed the estate’s decision to focus on light, drier Rieslings. There were noticeable differences between the 2013 and 2014 Devon wines in our tasting, though both could be paired well with holiday dinners. The 2013 Devon Riesling, bottled in May 2014, is described as having animating acidity, fine minerality and hints of green herbs, and has 10.5% residual alcohol, with 9 g/l of residual sugar. These wines are recommended to drink young.

Pictures: 2013 Devon Riesling and a 2014 Devon Riesling

Now we progressed to the various Alte Reben wines produced by the top Grand Cru vineyards of the Böcking estate. These next two flights were separated by year, with the first two wines 2012s, and the next two 2014s, giving us an opportunity to see how the wines mature, as well as to experience three different estate vineyards, the Ungsberg, the Burgberg, and the Schlossberg. The first Alte Reben flight included at 2012 Trarbacher Burgberg Alte Reben Riesling, and a 2012 Trarbacher Ungsberg Alte Reben Riesling. The second Alte Reben flight consisted of a 2014 Trarbacher Ungsberg Alte Reben Riesling, and a 2014 Trarbacher Schlossberg Alte Reben Riesling. The 2012 Ungsberg, a good representative of these wines selling at $35/bottle, has 12% alcohol and 10.8 g/l residual sugar, and was harvested in November 2012 after the first frost and bottled in July 2013. Those looking for these wines in the United States should note that the Alte Reben designation may not appear on the label here, as some local distributors prefer not to have it, though it is always found on these wines when sold in the E.U. All of these wines appear to have ageing potential.

The Ungsberg is perhaps the finest Grand Cru vineyard of the Böcking estate, with vines over 40 years old, producing Rieslings with a notable spiciness as well as minerality, yellow fruit aromas and delicate acidity from its mixed slate soil and very steep slopes in the Kautenbachtal. Notes of camomile and saffron can be detected. Indeed, the name of the vineyard, though of uncertain origin, harks back to the Roman-Celtic period and the healing and salve herbs growing on the slopes here. The Burgberg, lying directly below the medieval Grevenburg Castle in Trarbach, also is among the best vineyard sites in the estate, characterized by blue and gray slate as well as quartz, with ungrafted Riesling vines over 75 years old, allowing for very complex wines to be produced. Finally, the steep Schlossberg high above Trarbach, likewise characterized by blue and grey brittle slate and quartz, adjoins the Burgberg and has some of the most ancient vines in the estate, over 80 years old. An old Roman road, still intact, runs through this vineyard, attesting to the long importance this wine-growing area has had.

Pictures: Alte Reben Rieslings

Finally we came to the estate’s prädikat wines, sampling a 2012 “M” Trarbacher Burgberg Kabinett Riesling, and a 2013 “M” Trarbacher Burgberg Spätlese Riesling. The “M” is a tribute to Baroness Leweke von Marschall, who has played a leading role in reawakening this slumbering estate. The “M” wines are notably sweeter than the others, fruity and late-harvested, the 2012 displaying tastes of citrus fruits such as oranges and mandarins. The Kabinett, bottled in July 2013, has only 9% alcohol, with 90 g/l of residual sugar, while the Spätlese, bottled in August 2014, has 11% alcohol and only 37 g/l of residual sugar. Both of these wines have extended ageing potential, and in discussing them with Mr. Zirkle, he acknowledged that the estate might do better to let them mature even further before serving at tastings like this to show their full potential, though I thought that the Kabinett at least was showing a good deal of its potential already. It is intense, with upfront fruit and notes of honey and citrus, and distinct minerality. Indeed, the Kabinett was my favorite wine of the evening (I confess to falling more in the sweet wines camp), as it was for a number of others at the event, and we were not the only ones who liked it. This wine was distinguished at the January 2015 SAKURA competition in Japan with the prized “Double Gold” award, the only German wine there to win the highest distinction, and yet is surprisingly reasonable in price at $25/bottle. Evidently, whatever the direction of wine tastes in Germany, there is still a welcome home for such well-produced sweeter Rieslings in the Far East and in America.

Pictures: M Rieslings

During the tasting, Mr. Zirkle was asked about the voluntary organization of top German wine growers, the VDP. He explained that membership in the VPD is by invitation. The Böcking estate, with only three years of production under its current management, has not yet been invited to join, though he hoped that it would be. Based on our wonderful evening with the wines of this estate, I thought that the estate’s prospects looked bright, and also hope that they will earn the invitation to VDP membership. The Böcking name is coming to be known again in the world of German wines!

Pictures: Denman Zirkle, Sigrid Zirkle Carroll and Ann Sweeney Zirkle

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The Annual “New German Vintage” Tasting of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) led by Phil Bernstein - 2012 Vintage, Germany/USA

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Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Picture: Annette Schiller and Marc Adeneuer, Weingut Adeneuer

The Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), organized and led by Annette Schiller, took place from September 6 – 12, 2015. The group was small - there were 7 of us, including Annette and Christian Schiller.

The tour took us to the Rheingau, Mittelrhein, Ahr, Mosel and Nahe. In the Ahr, we visited 2 producers: Adeneuer and Meyer Näkel.

This posting cover the visit of Weingut Adeneuer.

For a summary of the whole tour, see: Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Marc Adeneuer was our host.

Picture: Weingut Adeneuer

The Ahr Region

With only 558 hectares the Ahr region is one of smaller of Germany's 13 regions. Despite its northern location (it is for example situated north of Mosel region) it primarily (almost 90%) produces red wines. It is believed that vines were cultivated in the Ahr valley already in Roman times, as is the case with nearby Mosel. The narrow Ahr river valley is responsible for the region's favored mesoclimate.

Picture: Welcome

Situated between 50° and 51° north, Ahr is the world's most northern region dominated by red wine grapes. So far north, very good sites with a warm microclimate are needed to properly ripen red wine grapes, and the Ahr vineyards are said to have a "Mediterranean" microclimate. Most vineyards are located on terraced slopes facing southwest to southeast along the middle and lower portions of river Ahr, over a stretch of 25 kilometers.

Spätburgunder is the dominant grape variety of the Ahr wine region.

Weingut J.J. Adeneuer

Weingut J.J. Adeneuer in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler in the Ahr Valley is a family-owned winery with 500 years of history. In 1984, the brothers Frank and Marc took over the operation from their aunt. Frank is the winemaker and Marc is the administrator/sales man.

The vineyards total 9 hectares: Rosenthal (Ahrweiler), Burggarten and Landskrone (Heimersheim), Schieferlay and Sonnenberg (Neuenahr), as well as Domlay and Gärkammer (Walporzheim).

Picture: Frank and Marc Adeneuer, Weingut Adeneuer

Spätburgunder accounts for 80 percent of the wine portfolio. In retrospect, it was the right decision for the brothers Frank and Marc Adeneuer to concentrate on Spätburgunder. They say: "At the end of the day, Pinot Noir is always good for a surprise and therefore, it requires more attention."

They are the sole owners of the renowned, spectacular site Walporzheimer Gärkammer, between Kräuterberg and Pfaffenberg. It is one of the smallest single vineyards in Germany. The Adeneuer family acquired the vineyard in 1714.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Adeneuer with Mark Adeneuer

The wines are individually produced in oak casks and kept strictly separated according to grape variety and site. The wines are made in big old barrels, with the exception of some of the top cuvees which see new oak. The latter are the #1 wines. The top wines age for 18 to 24 months in new oak. For the Adeneuer brothers, terroir is not just a trendy word, but rather "the soul of our wines."

Weingut Adeneuer has 4 (of 5) grapes in the Gault and Millau WeinGuide Deutschland and 3,5 (of 5) stars in the Eichelmann.

Tasting

Mark Adeneuer: Vintage 2014 as very difficult and a lot of sorting was needed. The results are very interesting. Vintage 2013 was good, it was not too warm. The wines have good structure and acidity. Fruit and tannins are very well balanced.

2014 Weingut Adeneuer Weissburgunder Trocken
2014 Weingut Adeneuer Blanc de Noir Spätburgunder Trocken
2014 Weingut Adeneuer Spätburgunder Weissherbst Trocken

2014 Weingut Adeneuer Ahrweiler Spätburgunder
2014 Weingut Adeneuer J.J. Adeneuer #2 Spätburgunder
2012 Weingut Adeneuer J.J. Adeneuer #1 Spätburgunder
2013 Weingut Adeneuer J.J. Adeneuer #1 Spätburgunder
2014 Weingut Adeneuer Spätburgunder

2013 Weingut Adeneuer Sonnenberg Frühburgunder VDP.Grosses Gewächs
2013 Weingut Adeneuer Rosenthal Spätburgunder VDP.Grosses Gewächs
2013 Weingut Adeneuer Gärkammer Spätburgunder VDP.Grosses Gewächs

2008 Weingut Adeneuer Ahrweiler Rosenthal Spätburgunder

Bye-bye

Thank you very much Marc for a great tasting.

Picture: Marc Adeneuer

Hotel Ännchen in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler

After the tasting, we checked in at Hotel Ännchen in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, a 3 star family run hotel within the medieval town walls in Ahrweiler on the pedestrian precinct.

We had dinner in the medieval Old Town and tried some more fine Ahr wines.

Picture: Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler

Postings on the Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Posted and Forthcoming)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Fall Tours by ombiasy WineTours 2015 - A Very Special Treat: Experience Harvest Time !

Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Wine and Music at Eberbach Abbey in the Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour and Wine Tasting with Lunch, with Mark Barth at Wein- und Sektgut Barth in Hattenheim, Rheingau– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Spreitzer in Oestrich, Rheingau, with Bernd Spreitzer – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Wine Tasting at Weingut Toni Jost in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Cecilia Jost– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Cruise on the Rhein River in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Wine Tasting at Weingut J.J.Adeneuer in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Ahr

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Weingut Meyer-Näkel in Dernau, Ahr

Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel

Wine Tasting at Weingut St. Urbans-Hof in Leiwen, Mosel

Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Weingut Van Volxem in Wiltingen, Saar, Mosel

Wine Tasting at Weingut Hexamer, in Monzingen, Nahe

Tour and Tasting at Weingut Gut Hermannsberg, in Niederhausen, Nahe

Tour and Wine Dinner at Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe

Tour and Tasting at Sektmanufaktur Bardong in Geisenheim, Rheingau

Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Domaine Schloss Johannisberg in Geisenheim, Rheingau

Picture: 2013 Weingut Rings, Kallstadter Saumagen, Spätburgunder, Pfalz, with Andreas Rings, Weingut Rings, in Frankfurt, Germany

Martin Zwick, the wine blogger from Berlin, is rapidly building up a reputation as being a mover and shaker in the German wine scene. This is due to the various Berlin Cups that he is organizing. It all started with the BerlinRieslingCup a few years ago, a blind tasting and ranking in November of what Martin Zwick considered the leading Grosses Gewächs wines - the ultra-premium dry wines of the VDP producers, Germany’s elite wine makers - that were released on September 1 of the same year. Initially, people did not pay much attention to the BerlinRieslingCup, but this has clearly changed over the years.

Pictures: Annette and Christian Schiller with Andreas Rings and his 2013 Weingut Rings, Kallstadter "Saumagen", Spätburgunder, in Frankfurt. The 2013 2013 Weingut Rings, Kallstadter "Saumagen", Spätburgunder was #1 in the BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015

But the BerlinCup is no longer just about Grosses Gewächs wines, Martin has added a (1) BerlinGutsweinCup – ranking entry level wines, a (2) BerlinKabinettCup – ranking lightly sweet wines at the Kabinett level and a (3) BerlinSpätburgunderCup – ranking German Pinot Noir wines.

Picture: At Weingut Schnaitmann with Rainer Schnaitmann during the Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) The 2013 Schnaitmann, Fellbacher "Lämmler" GG, Spätburgunder, Württemberg was #2 in the BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015.

Red Wine Revolution in Germany

There is a red wine revolution going on in Germany and the world increasingly takes note of it. Of course, given its location, the red wines of Germany tend to be not like the fruity red wines we know from warmer countries, but lean and more elegant, with a lot of finesse. 30 years ago, the share of red wine in total German wine output was not more than 10 percent; in the international wine scene, people would not talk about German red wine. But this is changing. Germany now produces red wines that can compete with the best of the world; the share of red wines in terms of production has increased to about 35 percent now in Germany and increasingly the international market takes note of what is happening in Germany.

Picture: Paul Fürst, Annette Schiller, Sebastian Fürst and Christian Schiller at Weingut Rudolf Fürst: Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken– Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015). The 2013 Fürst, "Hundsrück" GG, Spätburgunder, Franken was #3 in the BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015.

Pinot Noir in Germany

Today, Germany is the third biggest producer of Pinot Noir (called Spaetburgunder in Germany), after France and the US, with more planted than Australia and New Zealand combined. However, despite being the world’s third largest producer of Pinot Noir, the country exports just over 1% of its production.

Picture: At Weingut Bernhard Huber with Julian Huber during: Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015). The 2013 Weingut Berhard Huber, Malterdinger Bienenberg Wildenstein GG, Spätburgunder, Baden, was #4 in the BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015.

BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015

The BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015 took place in late October 2015. Tasted and ranked were wines from 2013. A group of sommeliers, wine retailers, wine bloggers, wine marketing people and Pinot Noir lovers tasted and ranked 39 wines. These were all ultra-premium wines, but not only VDP.Grosses Gewaechs wines.

Ranking - BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015

93 Punkte

2013 Rings, Kallstadter "Saumagen", Spätburgunder, Pfalz (Euro 38)
2013 Schnaitmann, Fellbacher "Lämmler" GG, Spätburgunder, Württemberg (Euro 48)

92 Punkte

2013 Fürst, "Hundsrück" GG, Spätburgunder, Franken (Euro 94)
2013 Huber, Malterdinger Bienenberg "Wildenstein" GG, Spätburgunder, Baden (Euro 120)
2013 Rings, "Felsenberg", Spätburgunder, Pfalz
2013 Braunewell, Essenheimer "Teufelspfad", Spätburgunder, Rheinhessen

91 Punkte

2013 Stadt Klingenberg-Benedikt Baltes, "Terra 1621", Spätburgunder, Franken (Euro 100)
2012 Koehler-Ruprecht, Pinot Noir Reserve, Pfalz
2013 Dr. Heger, "Häusleboden" GG, Spätburgunder, Baden (Euro 71)
2013 Huber, Hecklinder "Schlossberg" GG, Spätburgunder, Baden
2012 Holger Koch, Pinot Noir Reserve, Baden (Euro 48)
2013 Meyer-Näkel, Dernauer "Pfarrwingert" GG, Spätburgunder, Ahr (Euro 48)
2013 Siener, Birkweiler "Kastanienbusch", Pinot Noir, Pfalz

90 Punkte

2013 Möbitz, "Koepfle", Pinot Noir, Baden (Euro 39)
2012 Koehler-Ruprecht, Pinot Noir, Pfalz
2013 Stodden, Ahrweiler "Rosenthal" GG, Spätburgunder, Ahr
2012 Molitor, Brauneberger "Klostergarten"***, Pinot Noir, Mosel (Euro 80)
2013 Künstler, Hofheim "Stein" GG, Spätburgunder, Rheingau
2012 Molitor, Brauneberger "Klostergarten" **, Pinot Noir, Mosel (Euro 45)
2013 St. Antony, Nierstein "Paterberg", Pinot Noir, Rheinhessen
2013 Thörle, Saulheimer "Hölle", Spätburgunder, Rheinhessen

89 Punkte

2013 Johner, "SJ" , Blauer Spätburgunder, Baden
2012 Gutzler, "Morstein" GG, Spätburgunder, Rheinhessen
2013 Heid, "Fellbacher Lämmler" GG, Spätburgunder, Württemberg
2013 Jülg, Pinot Noir, Pfalz
2013 Enderle&Moll, "Muschelkalk", Pinot Noir, Baden
2013 Krebs "Musikantenbuckel", Spätburgunder, Pfalz

88 Punkte

2013 Ziereisen, "Rhini" Blauer Spätburgunder, Baden
2013 Bergdolt-Reif&Nett, "Hölle", Spätburgunder, Pfalz
2012 Wageck, "Burgweg", Spätburgunder, Pfalz
2013 Chat Sauvage, "Lorcher Kapellenberg", Pinot Noir, Rheingau (Euro 45)
2013 Aldinger, Marienglas "Gips" GG, Spätburgunder, Württemberg
2013 Allendorf, Assmannshäuser "Höllenberg" GG, Spätburgunder, Rheingau
2013 Frank John, Pinot Noir, Pfalz (Euro 45)

87 Punkte

2013 Zelt "Laumersheimer Kirschgarten" Spätburgunder, Pfalz
2013 Wageck, "Kalkmergel", Spätburgunder, Pfalz
2013 Metzger, "Melandor" , Pinot Noir, Pfalz (Euro 48)
2013 Thörle, Saulheimer "Probstey", Spätburgunder, Rheinhessen
2013 Siener, "Köppel" Kastanienbusch, Spätburgunder, Pfalz

86 Punkte

2013 Julianne Eller "Alsheim" Juwel, Spätburgunder, Rheinhessen

Michael Quentel's Notes in Weinwisser

Michael Quentel was one of the judges and published his tasting notes and general impressions on his website (in German). I selected a few (including of the most expensive wines) and re-issued them here. The pictures are mine.

2013 Lorcher Kapellenberg Pinot Noir, QbA trocken – Chat Sauvage, Rheingau (€45,-)

Recht dunkles Rubinrot; dunkle, leicht vom Alkohol getragene Nase, etwas rauchig, geschnittenes Holz, saftiger Ansatz, schöne aromatische Tiefe mit festem Kern, gutes Tannin, klare Frucht; fest gewirkte, gute Struktur; Holz ist sehr gut eingebunden; druckvoll, mit guter Länge. 89-90 Punkte

Picture: Michael Städter, General Manager and Winemaker at Weingut Chat Sauvage in Rüdesheim (2015). See also: Weingut Chat Sauvage – Bourgogne in the Middle of the Rheingau: Meeting Chat Sauvage’s Winemaker and General Manager Michael Städter, Germany

2013 Ihringer Winklerberg Häusleboden Spätburgunder GG – Dr. Heger, Baden (€71,40)

Mittleres, ziemlich transparentes Runbinrot, sehr schöner Glanz, wunderbar balancierte, ruhige Art, feine Textur, eleganter Stil. Die Komponenten Frucht (rot- und dunkelbeerig, subtile Kirschfrucht), Tannin und Säure sind perfekt aufeinander abgestimmt; schöne Struktur; sehr klare und reintönige Art, richtig guter Stoff, feinsandiges Tannin, nachhaltig und subtil zugleich, erstaunlich früh zu trinken, aber mit gutem Lagerpotential 92-94 Punkte

Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Joachim Heger. See: Visit: Weingut Dr. Heger in Baden– Germany-South Wine Tours by ombiasy (2014)

2013 Spätburgunder Terra 1261, QbA trocken – Weingut Stadt Klingenberg / Benedikt Baltes, Franken (ca. €100 – als Teil einer Lagenkiste)

Helles Rubinrot mit mittlerer Transparenz. Feine, dezent rotbeerige Frucht, etwas roh-fleischige Noten, Nuancen von Kirschen und getrockneten Kräutern, filigran gewirkte Nase. Am Gaumen hochelegant, perfekte Balance, mit sehr schöner aromatischer Tiefe, verspielt, feine und noble Tannine, mineralische Anklänge, mit ganz vielen Facetten, besitzt eine wunderbare Leichtigkeit des Seins. Aristokratisch und subtil bis lange Finale. 93-94 Punkte

2013 Fellbacher Lämmler Spätburgunder GG – Schnaitmann, Württemberg (€42,-)

Herrlich intensives und nachhaltiges Parfum; dicht und gleichzeitig vielschichtig und facettenreich – so schön! Am Gaumen ein wunderbare Aromen-Melange. Feinsaftig und eher kühl in der Aromatik, kein bisschen vordergründige Frucht, sondern eher vegetabil-kräutrige Noten, Kirschkerne, erdig und mineralisch; wunderbares Säurespiel, viel Substanz, noch recht fest gewirkt, aber mit sehr feinen Anlagen, nachhaltig und mit formidabler Länge. 93-95 Punkte

2013 Dernauer Pfarrwingert Spätburgunder GG – Meyer-Näkel, Ahr (€48,-)

Dichtes Rubinrot. Dichte Waldbeerenfrucht, Erdbeeren, dezente Kräutrigkeit. Am Gaumen schöner Extrakt. Dunkle Waldbeeren, Kirschfrucht und Erdbeeren, dahinter dezent kräutrige Noten. Etwas Extraktsüße – abgepuffert mit schöner Säure. Insgesamt mittelgewichtig mit guter Frische und fein eingepassten Gerbstoffen. Ausgewogener und harmonischer Spätburgunder, der bereits jetzt gut zu trinken ist. 89-91 Punkte

Picture: With Dorte Nägel at Weingut Meyer-Näkel during the Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

2013 Bürgstadter Hundsrück Spätburgunder GG – Fürst, Franken (€94,-)

Rubinrot mit mittlerer Transparenz und schönem Glanz. In der Nase feiner, tiefer und kühl-mineralischer Ansatz, überaus reintönige Aromen, eher dunkelbeerig und kräutrig. Am Gaumen die gleiche reintönige und transparente Art. Baut viel Zug und Druck auf, viel innere Stärke, dabei nie schwer. Packt zu, feinwürzig, mit herrlichem Säurebiss und subtiler Extraktsüße; feinsaftig und überaus klar. Hedonistischer Wein mit riesigem Potential und tollem Harmonie-Versprechen. Großartig; feistes Teil! 94-96 Punkte

2013 Bienenberger Wildenstein Spätburgunder R / GG – Huber, Baden (€120,-)

Von Anbeginn eine ungeheuer subtile und vielschichtige Aromatik. Betörende Nase mit ätherisch/balsamischen Anklängen, feinen Kirsch- und dunklen Beerennoten, auch würzige Aromen. Am Gaumen eine vergleichbar komplexes Aromenspiel zwischen Frucht, Gewürzen (z.B. roter Pfeffer) und erdig, mineralischen Anklängen. Kühle, sehr geschliffene Art. Hier ist alles bestens definiert, passend dimensioniert und auf eine lange Zukunft hin strukturiert. Frucht, frische Säure, feingliedrige Tannine und ein wunderschönes, langes und elegantes Finale. Groß! 94-95 Punkte

2013 Kallstadter Saumagen Spätburgunder, QbA trocken – Rings, Pfalz (€38,-)

Kühler, intensiver Duft von rotschwarzen Beeren und Kirschen, durchzogen mit einem wunderbaren Potpourrie von getrockneten Kräutern und Gewürzen. Am Gaumen geil-saftig (sorry des Ausdrucks), tief und nachhaltig. Der Wein hat Power und Frische, ist klar, kühl und substanzgeladen. Insgesamt fest gewirkt, mit ein paar schönen Pölsterchen an den richtigen Stellen und runden, weichen, aber nachhaltigen Tanninen. Irgendwie ein crowdpleaser, aber aktuell passt hier einfach alles. Alles ist richtig dimensioniert, dicht und very sexy! Frisch & jung, mit schönem Schmelz und herrlicher Frucht. Es gibt viel zu entdecken in den Ecken und Winkeln dieses Weins. Vielleicht nicht der nobelste aller Spätburgunder, aber selbst ein Weinintellektueller wird sich dem Charme des Saumagens nicht entziehen können. Eine perfekte Spätburgunder-Praline, die irre lang am Gaumen haftet. Jetzt schon super zu trinken. 93-95 Punkte

2012 Brauneberger Klostergarten Spätburgunder*** – Molitor, Mosel (ca.€80,-)

Sehr tiefe Burgundernase, unglaublich klar und reintönig, gerade aus und doch äußerst vielschichtig, es benötigt viel Zeit im Glas, damit der Wein sich zu offenbaren beginnt. Es deutet sich erst langsam an, was in dem Wein steckt. Dieser Stoff ist für ein langes, genussvolles Leben bereitet und stellt die hohe Winzerskunst dar. Sehr pur und rein, mit viel innerer Vibration und sehr fein definierten Aromen, dunkelfruchtig, dunkle Sauerkirschen, blütige Anklänge. Die Tannine bilden Struktur, sind in ihrer Wahrnehmung aber sehr feinkörnig und weich. Wunderbarer Tropfen mit riesigem Zukunftsversprechen. 91-94 Punkte

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Berlin Cups)

Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2015, Germany
Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2014, Germany
Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2013, Germany
Germany’s Ultra Premium Dry Riesling Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2012
Germany’s Top Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2011 Ranking

Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2015 - Rating Dry Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2014 - Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2013– Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany
Berlin Gutsriesling Cup 2012, Germany

Martin Zwick's BerlinKabinettCup 2015: Germany's Best 2014 Riesling Kabinett Wines
Martin Zwick's BerlinKabinettCup 2014, Germany
BerlinKabinettCup 2013 - Kabinett 2012, Germany

Germany's Best Pinot Noir Wines - BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2012/2014
BerlinSpaetburgunderCup 2011/2013, Germany

Schiller-wine - Related Postings

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Germany’s Grosses Gewächs GG Wines Released (2014 White and 2013 Red) - Notes from the Pre-release Tasting in Wiesbaden, Germany

Wine Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber– Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Frankfurt/Wein Celebrated with the German Wine Queen Nadine Poss and 5 Winemakers: Simone Adams, Weingut Simone Adams, Markus Berres, Weingut C.H. Berres, Stefan Braunewell, Weingut Braunewell, Carmen von Nell-Breuning, Dominikaner Weingut, and Stephan Attmann, Weingut von Winning

Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Künstler– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Visit: Winzerhof Thörle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Weingut Chat Sauvage – Bourgogne in the Middle of the Rheingau: Meeting Chat Sauvage’s Winemaker and General Manager Michael Staedter, Germany

Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken– Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Salwey in Oberrotweil, Kaiserstuhl, Baden, with Benno Salwey – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Winemaker Dinner with Azienda Agricola Foradori (Trentino, Italy) at SchauMahl in Frankfurt, Germany

Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken – Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany’s Best Winemakers and Wines – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2016 Awards: The Awards Ceremony in Mainz, Germany

Visit of an Ultra-premium Non-mainstream Bordeaux Producer: Tertre Rôteboeuf, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile, France – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Riesling Gala 2015 at Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau, Germany

Wine Tasting at Weingut Toni Jost in Bacharach, Mittelrhein, with Cecilia Jost – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours, Germany

Schiller's Favorites: Frankfurt Apple Wine Taverns that Make their own Apple Wine - Frankfurter Apfelweinlokale die noch selbst Keltern, Germany

Tour and Tasting at Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé B, in Saint-Émilion – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Best German Wines and Winemakers – Eichelmann WeinGuide Deutschland 2016 Awards, Germany

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and Wine Taverns in Freiburg, Baden, Germany

Visit: Hospices de Beaune with Karoline Knoth – Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Cruise on the Rhein River in the Mittelrhein Valley, an UNESCO World Heritage Region – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Korean Artist Lee Ufan Designed the Château Mouton Rothschild 2013 Label, Bordeaux

Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Top Restaurants in the Greater Frankfurt Area – Michelin and Gault/Millau Favorites (2016), Germany

Schiller’s Favorites: 2 Legendary Wine Taverns in Würzburg – Juliusspital and Bürgerspital

An Evening with the Richard Böcking Estate on the Mosel, Germany

Wine Tasting at Weingut J.J. Adeneuer in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Ahr, with Marc Adeneuer - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany's Best Pinot Noir Wines - BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015