Picture: Very First State Dinner at the Trump White House for French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte (Photo: Der Spiegel)
The Trump White House hosted its very first state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte on Tuesday, April 24, 2018. Donald Trump was the first president since Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s to end his first year in office without hosting a foreign leader on a state visit. The first visit of a ruling monarch for a dinner at the White House was in 1874 with King David Kalakaua of the Sandwich Islands as the honored guest. It wasn’t until President Dwight D. Eisenhower that the modern protocol of the State Dinner was established, with the visit of South Korea’s president in 1954.
The Setting
The colour scheme was cream and gold and the dinner service consisted of china used by the Bill Clinton and George W Bush administrations. A White House statement said: “The first lady chose the Bush china with the green color palette to complement the spring green and white flowers that will be featured in the state dining room.” The china is by-partisan, even if the guest list isn't.
Pictures: The State Dining Room at the White House Set for the State Dinner (Photos: AP/ Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The Meal
The dinner consisted of only 3 courses. The meal was prepared by White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford.
The meal started with a goat cheese gateau with tomato jam, buttermilk biscuit crumbles, and lettuces from the White House garden.
The main course was a rack of spring lamb and Carolina gold rice jambalaya cooked in the tradition of New Orleans, a city founded by the French.
For dessert: a nectarine tart infused with White House honey and crème fraîche.
The Wines
Domaine Serene Chardonnay “Evenstad Reserve” 2015
The wine is the product of American and French collaboration — a combination of French plants from Dijon that thrive in the volcanic Oregon soil and colder temperatures. The wine was aged in 40 percent French oak barrels for more than 12 months.
This wine uses the motto “French soul–Oregon soil.” The grapes at Domaine Drouhin are harvested and sorted by hand and fermented in French Oak barrels.
Schramsberg Demi-Sec “Crémant” NV
Schramsberg Demi-Sec “Crémant” has been served in the White House for official and ceremonial events many times over the years. The subtle sweetness and creamy effervescence of the 2014 vintage is the perfect accompaniment for a nectarine tart.
Schramsberg: We are honored that the Schramsberg Cremant Demi-sec will be served this evening at the White House at the State Dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte. This marks the 36th time Schramsberg has been served at a U.S. state dinner and the 87th time at a U.S. state function since 1972 and the "Toast to Peace" in China.
Schramsberg – A Leading Sparkling Wine Producer Founded by a German
In 1826, in the small town of Pfeddersheim Germany, along the Rhine River, Jacob Schram was born. He came from a winemaking family. When he was sixteen, the young Schram immigrated to New York. He was educated in the trade of barbering, and in 1852 sailed across the Caribbean, crossed-over the Panama Isthmus, and continued up to San Francisco. He spent the next several years barbering, eventually moving his way north, to the Napa Valley.
In 1859 he married Annie Christine Weaver, also from Germany, and they started a family. For several years he continued to barber full time. Never far from his thoughts were his homeland and his roots in the vinelands of Germany. In 1862, Jacob purchased a large piece of land on the mountainsides of the Napa Valley. He was going to be a part of the emerging efforts by many fellow German countrymen in the Napa Valley to make wine; thus Schramsberg was born.
Entertainment was provided by the Washington National Opera from the Kennedy Center.
The Guest List
In a break with tradition, Trump did not invited Democratic members of Congress or journalists to the state dinner. There were around 150 guests in the state dining room – fewer than the hundreds of guests Barack Obama used to entertain in a tented pavilion erected on the south lawn.
Among those joining the main guests of honor were Apple CEO Tim Cook, who brought as his guest former Obama EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, statesman Henry Kissinger, Chief Justice John Roberts, media mogul Rubert Murdoch, managing director of the IMF Christine Lagarde and the president's daughter and son-in-law Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
Pictures: State Dinner at the Trump White House for French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte (Photos: Der Spiegel)
Comments by Jessica Sidman
Jessica Sidman, Washingtonian: When Trump has dined with world leaders in the past, the food has been more often an accommodation of his tastes than a gesture of diplomacy. At a dinner at Mar-a-Lago with Chinese President Xi Jinping last April, the menu included pan-seared Dover sole, dry-aged prime New York strip steak, and chocolate cake—Trump’s favorites. Was it a power move meant to assert dominance? A reinforcement of “America First” messaging? Or the President simply being selfish?
Usually world leaders go out of their way to appeal to likes and dislikes of their foreign guests, not the other way around. Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, for example, took Trump for cheeseburgers during a visit to Tokyo last fall. (Tellingly, Trump was not once spotted with chopsticks during that 12-day, five-nation Asia tour.)
Perhaps because it’s an official, formal state dinner, the White House’s French fête showcases an understanding for the politics of food. There’s no steak and chocolate cake just because that’s what Trump likes. (We can’t imagine the President requesting his lamb with cipollini soubise.) Rather, the First Lady and her team have thoughtfully put together a menu that reflects the transatlantic partnership. That goes for the wine, too. The Chardonnay is made from French grapes aged in French oak barrels in Oregon, while a Pinot Noir uses the slogan “French soul, Oregon soil.” The menu draws from red states.
Between the buttermilk biscuit crumbles and jambalaya, the dishes clearly have a little bit of a Southern undertone. Coincidence that Trump dominated the vote in that part of the country? No celebrity chefs this time.
The Obama White House was a magnet for big food-world names. Restaurant industry titans like Rick Bayless, Marcus Samuelsson, Anita Lo, and Mario Batali all collaborated on state dinner menus. This time, White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford won’t be working with any celebrity chefs. It’s hard to imagine many who would jump at the opportunity, especially after the fallout between José Andrés—the unofficial godfather of DC dining—and Trump’s Pennsylvania Avenue hotel.
If the Trumps were going to choose any outside name to consult on the state dinner menu, it likely would have been Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The celebrity toque operates a French-American restaurant in Trump Tower, and also catered there the First Couple’s wedding. Then again, who needs a fancy restaurant chef? Trump calls the White House the “greatest restaurant” in DC.
Side Dinner in Paris and Washington DC
The evening before the state dinner, the Trumps and the Macrons had a private dinner at Mount Vernon on the banks of the Potomac river and visited the tomb of George Washington.
Last July, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump dined with French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron at their invitation inside the famous Le Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, with sweeping views of Paris laid out in front of them.
Picture: The Trumps and the Macrons at Mount Vernon and at the Jules Verne restaurant at the Eiffel Tower on 13 July 2017 (Photos: President Macron and Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS)
3-day Program
Upon arrival on Monday, April 23, 2018, the two couples plant a tree, a gift from the Macrons, together on the south lawn. The sapling, a European sessile oak about 4.5ft tall, comes from Belleau Woods, where more than 9,000 American marines died in a first world war battle nearly 100 years ago.
Pictures: Arrival Ceremony at the White House (Pictures: CBSN and AFP)
In the evening, the Macrons took a tour of historic monuments in Washington DC, before going to Mount Vernon, where the Trumps and the Macrons had a private dinner on the banks of the Potomac river and visit the tomb of George Washington.
On Tuesday morning, President Trump and the First Lady hosted a state arrival ceremony on the south lawn including the traditional “review of the troops”. There were meetings and a joint press conference during the day.
President Macron also addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
Picture: Address to the Congress (Photo: Emmanuel Macron/ twitter)
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: April 2, 2018)
Picture: Lunch at Château Pichon Longueville Baron
Château Pichon Longueville Baron in Pauillac is one of the most stunning estates in Bordeaux. It is currently owned by the insurance company AXA Millésimes.
We had a gorgeous wine lunch at Château Pichon Longueville Baron. This was preceeded by a vineyard and winery tour and a tasting. This posting covers the lunch. I already reported about the first part of the visit: Tour and Tasting at Château Pichon Longueville Baron in Pauillac - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017 France
Nicolas Santier, responsable du développement réceptif et tourisme, was our host. During the tour, we were welcomed by Jean-René Matignon, Technical Director.
Picture: Château Pichon Longueville Baron in Pauillac
Château Pichon Longueville Baron
Château Pichon Longueville Baron (often referred to as Pichon Baron) in Pauillac is one of 15 Deuxièmes Crus in the Classification of 1855. It was once part of a larger estate, owned by Pierre de Rauzan, along with Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. In 1850 the estate was divided into the two current Pichon estates facing each other as one enters Pauillac along the D2 highway.
Château Pichon Baron stayed in the de Pichon-Longueville family until 1933 when the last surviving family member sold it to Jean Bouteiller, member of a family well-known in the Bordeaux wine scene. His heirs did not manage to keep the quality of the wines and in 1987 the estate was bought by AXA Millésimes. With the new owner, reconstruction of the fermenting room and cellars, and renovation of the château itself, began in 1988.
Pictures: With Jean-René Matignon, Technical Director, at the Sorting Table
Excellent terroir across from the 1st growth Latour property, stretching south bordering the Léoville estates in Saint-Julien gives the wines elegance, balance, and finesse. Château Pichon Baron's 73 hectares are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (35%), Cabernet Franc (4%) and Petit Verdot (1%). The average age of the vines is 30 years.
Grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, and then macerated for 20-30 days, and fermented at 28-32 °C in temperature controlled stainless steel vats of varying sizes. The wine is transferred into oak barrels for aging after finishing its malolactic fermentation.
The estate also produces a second wine, Les Tourelles de Longueville. Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is the estate's latest addition.
The property is currently managed by Christian Seely.
Pictures: In the Cellar of Château Pichon Longueville Baron
The AXA Wine Portfolio
Château Pichon Baron, 2nd Cru Classé Pauillac, France Château Suduiraut, 1er Cru Classé Sauternes, France Château Petit-Village, Pomerol, France Château Pibran, Pauillac, France Domaine de l’Arlot, Nuits-Saint-Georges, France Domaine Disznókö, Tokaj, Hongrie Quinta do Noval, Douro, Portugal AXA also owns one of the larger Bordeaux wine negociant companies, Compagnie Medocaine.
Tasting
We tasted all 3 wines. The 2016 and 2015 vintages were from barrel, the others from bottle. I have put the wine searcher average prices in US$.in brackets.
Pictures: Tasting at Château Pichon Longueville Baron, Pauillac
2016 Les Griffons De Pichon Baron US$49 2016 Les Tourelles de Longueville US$42 2016 Château Pichon Longueville Baron US$161 2015 Château Pichon Longueville Baron US$160 2010 Château Pichon Longueville Baron US$234 2009 Château Pichon Longueville Baron US$209
Lunch at Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
Following the tour and tasting, we walked over to the chateau for lunch.
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Picture: The Winners of the Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2017 - Maximilian von Kunow, Weingut von Hövel, Amelie von Schubert, Weingut Maximin Grünhaus, and Franz-Josef Eifel, Weingut Franz-Josef Eifel (Photo: Feinschmecker/ Facebook)
The results of the Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2017 - Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings - were published in the February 2018 issue of Der Feinschmecker, Germany's leading gourmet journal.
Der Feinschmecker: The Riesling Cup 2017 goes to the winery Franz-Josef Eifel (Mosel) for the 2016 Trittenheimer Apotheke Alte Reben Riesling trocken and the winery Maximin Grünhaus (Mosel/ Ruwer) for the 2016 Abstberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs - because of equality of points both wineries share first place. In third place follows the winery von Hövel (Mosel/ Saar) with the 2016 Saar Riesling trocken. Congratulations!
Picture: Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2017 Award Ceremony in Munich
Dry Riesling in Germany
There are approximately 47,000 hectares planted with Riesling worldwide. Germany—with 22,500 hectares—accounts for about half of the total. From a global perspective, Riesling is a niche grape variety, accounting for less than 1% of world wine production. From a global perspective, it is the fruity-sweet style (with the fermentation stopped so that the wine remains sweet and the level of alcohol low) and the rare noble-sweet style (lusciously sweet wines due to noble rot or frost in the vineyard) that are receiving the attention of the connoisseurs of premium wines.
Dry Riesling has played a minor role in the world of wine, but this is changing. The Rieslings from Alsace and Austria, both considerably smaller producers of Riesling than Germany (Alsace produces approximately 15% and Austria approximately 7% of what Germany produces), have always been in the dry category (although the Rieslings from Alsace have shown a trend toward an increasing level of remaining sweetness in the wine over the past decades), and, importantly, Germany, the dominating Riesling force in the world, has undergone a major trans-formation in the past 40 years: The fruity-sweet Rieslings have been crowded out from the wine lists in Germany, while the “dry wave”—“Trockenwelle”—has swept the country. When you go to a wine bar, wine store, or restaurant in say Frankfurt, Berlin, or Munich, it is very difficult to find a fruity-sweet Riesling. The wine lists are dominated by dry Riesling.
Picture: Annette Schiller, Max von Kunow, Johannes Hasselbach, Alwin Jurtschitsch and Christian G.E. Schiller at BToo. See:Weingut von Hoevel – The New Generation: Max von Kunow in Washington DC, USA/Germany
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: April 2, 2018)
Picture: Annette and Christian Schiller in Bordeaux
Below is a list of the wine tours, wine dinners and wine tastings planned by Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine for the coming months.
For questions concerning the ombiasy wine tours please consult the ombiasy website.
For all other events please send me (cschiller@schiller-wine.com) or Annette (aschiller@ombiasypr.com) an e-mail.
May 2018
Washington DC, Monday, May 7: Winemaker Dinner with Sofia Gorse of Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ième Grand Cru Classé at Restaurant 2941 Fairview Park Dr, Falls Church, VA 22042. See: Jean-Michel Guillon from Gevry-Chambertin in Washington DC: Winemaker Dinner at 2941 Restaurant with Chef Bertrand Chemel and Invitation: TWO !!!!! Exceptional Bordeaux Winemaker Dinners: Lafon-Rochet, May 7, and Haut-Bailly, May 8, 2018, Washington DC, USA
Washington DC, Tuesday May 8: Winemaker Dinner with Diana Paulin of Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé at Restaurant BToo in Washington DC. See: Winemaker Dinner with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken, Germany, and Chef Dieter Samyn at BToo in Washington DC, USA and Invitation: TWO !!!!! Exceptional Bordeaux Winemaker Dinners: Lafon-Rochet, May 7, and Haut-Bailly, May 8, 2018, Washington DC, USA
Germany and Alsace, May 12 - May 20: 2018 Germany-South and Alsace Tour by ombiasy WineTours. See: ombiasy WineTours and UPCOMING Ombiasy Wine Tours in 2018 to Germany and Alsace (May/ June) and to Bordeaux and Burgundy-Champagne (September)
June 2018
Germany, June 12 - June 21: 2018 Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours. See: ombiasy WineTours and UPCOMING Ombiasy Wine Tours in 2018 to Germany and Alsace (May/ June) and to Bordeaux and Burgundy-Champagne (September)
Frankfurt, Germany, September: Tasting the Best of Virginia Wines in Frankfurt - Virginia Governor's Cup Case 2017. See: Tasting the Best of Virginia Wines in Frankfurt, Germany, with Stuart Pigott: Virginia Governor's Cup Case 2016
Bordeaux, France, September 4 - 13: 2018 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours. See: ombiasy WineTours and UPCOMING Ombiasy Wine Tours in 2018 to Germany and Alsace (May/ June) and to Bordeaux and Burgundy-Champagne (September)
Bourgogne, France, September 20 - 30: 2018 Burgundy Tour by ombiasy WineTours. See: ombiasy WineTours and UPCOMING Ombiasy Wine Tours in 2018 to Germany and Alsace (May/ June) and to Bordeaux and Burgundy-Champagne (September)
October 2018
Rhône Valley, France, October 15 - 24: 2018 Rhône Valley Tour by ombiasy WineTours. See: ombiasy WineTours and UPCOMING Ombiasy Wine Tours in 2018 to Germany and Alsace (May/ June) and to Bordeaux and Burgundy-Champagne (September)
Washington DC, Friday October 26: German Wine Basics - Tasting with the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter)
November 2018
Buffalo, New York State, November 1 - 4: Germany, Burgundy and Alsace Tastings at the National Conference of the American Wine Society led by Annette Schiller. See: American Wine Society and The 2017 American Wine Society National Conference in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, USA: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens
Session 1: A Journey through the Rhône Valley Session 2: "Abbey Wines": The Importance of the Monasteries for the Development of Viticulture Session 3: Pinot Noir in Burgundy/ France and Germany
Washington DC, Tuesday, November 6: German Wines in the 21st Century - Tasting at the Washington DC Wine and Cheese Seminar, led by Annette Schiller
Washington DC, Friday, November 16: Wine Tasting with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, at the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter). See: Lunch with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken: Not only a Gifted Winemaker but also a Gifted Chef - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
December 2018
January 2019
Frankfurt, Germany: Tasting Aged American Red Wines (Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot)
Pictures: Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, Sauternes, Première Grand Cru Classé en 1855
On the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasyPR&WineTours we always visit one producer in the Sauternes Region. This time it was Château Climens.
We had arranged this visit at the National Conference of the American Wine Society 2016: Château Climens, Premier Cru Barsac and Savory Dishes…who knew? - Bérénice Lurton, Owner of Château Climens & Tony Lawrence, Global Food & Wine Pairing Specialist, at the 2016 National Conference of the American Wine Society in Los Angeles
Picures: Bérénice Lurton, Château Climens, Pouring and at the ombiasy WineTours Booth of Annette Schiller at the 2016 National Conference of the American Wine Society in California. See: The 2016 American Wine Society National Conference in California, USA: Seen Through Christian Schiller's Camera Lens
Château Climens
The estate was founded in 1547 by Guirault Roborel. In 1855, in the year Château Climens was classified a Premier Cru, Henri Gounouilhou, owner of an influential Bordeaux daily newspaper, bought the property. He used his influence in the media to boost the public’s recognition of Château Climens. Additionallly, Henri Gounouilhou improved the quality of the Climens wines to such a degree that Château Climens for some years challenged Château d'Yquem as the top estate in Sauternes. The vintages 1929, 1947 and 1949 were described by Alexis Lichine to surpass Château d'Yquem as "lighter, with less vinosity and body, yet miraculously subtle."
In 1971, Lucien Lurton bought the estate, along with Château Doisy-Dubroca. It has been run by his daughter, Bérénice Lurton, since 1992. The Lurton family has done a wonderful job, continuing to improve on the already excellent quality reached under Gouonouilhou’s ownership. One specific step taken by the Lurton family was to remove all Muscadelle vines. Thus, today the 30 hectare estate is composed of 100% Semillon, unlike most Sauternes estates that incorporate a small portion of Sauvignon Blanc. There is one only vineyard and it is unchanged since growing of grapes started in the 16th century.
Château Climens also produces a second wine named Cypres de Climens. Château Climens is located in the south of the Barsac appellation, just outside the small village of La Pinesse.
The poor limestone soil and damp morning weather is exactly how the estate got its name. When Climens is translated from the local dialect, it means unfertile, poor land.
The average age of the vines is 35 years. Yields are low, averaging 12 hectoliters per hectare. In some years the yield can drop as low as 8 hectoliters per hectare. This makes for an intensely aromatic and concentrated wine.
During the entire harvest period each day’s harvest is sent to the winery where it will be vinified separately. The fermentation is controlled at 27 degrees Celsius and will last between 15 and 21 days. Once the ideal level of alcohol is reached (13.5%), the wine receives a thermal shock, quickly dropping the temperature down to 3 degrees Celsius, which halts the fermentation. The wine is then sent to barrel where it will be aged in 30% new oak. After 22 months of aging, the tasting team will taste all the individual wines and decide on two separate blends. The first and superior blend will be destined for the first label, Château Climens. The second tier blend, although still high in quality, will be bottled as the second label, Cyprès de Climens. About 30,000 bottles of the first label are produced and between 10,000 and 15,000 bottles of the second label.
Noble Rot
At Château Climens the mornings are humid with fog and the afternoons are sunny. This provides the perfect conditions for the development of the botrytis cinerea. In order for all of the botrytised grapes to be harvested, the estate will conduct between 5 and 6 runs through the vineyard, each lasting 3 to 8 days, to ensure that only the botrytis infected grapes are picked.
Château Climens is the first classified noble-sweet wine estate in Bordeaux to go biodynamic, with the assistance of Jean-Michel and Corinne Comme, who also consult for Château Pontet-Canet. Château Climens is aiming to be certified iodynamic in 2014.
Bérénice Lurton: “I believe passionately that biodynamics is the right way for us to go. We want to go back to our roots at Climens and help our wines find their own balance. Biodynamics brings life and vibrancy to the wines.”
Biodynamics can be difficult in the Bordeaux region. It is not the warmest area and there is a large amount of humidity from the Atlantic Ocean as well as the large rivers. So various vineyard problems have to be treated such as mildew and millederange.
Pictures: Drying Horsetail, Bracken, Bay Leaves and other Plants for Biodynamic Treatment
Tasting
During the tasting Bérénice Lurton, with a combination of charm and knowledge, conveyed the philosophy of Château Climens, seeking to create wines which reflect the terroir from which they are produced, and the desire of Château Climens to produce, above all, wines of elegance and finesse rather than sweet wines of power and weight.
Elegant, floral scented Climens with a gentle texture and lightness on the palate. Fresh and lifted and much earlier drinking than the 2009 and 2010. Tasted in: Bordeaux, France. Maturity: Drink. 90/100 Jeannie Cho Lee Tasted: 04-Jan-2014
2005 Château Climens US$122
Tasted blind at the 10-Year On Tasting in Sauternes. The 2005 Château Climens just soars from the glass with layers of clear honey, marmalade, nectarine and minerals all beautifully carved. The palate is medium-bodied with fresh, vibrant honeyed fruit that builds and builds in the mouth in tandem with a killer line of acidity. Even though it is a convincing, great Climens, you also have the impression that it is only just beginning to show what it is capable of. Bérénice Lurton and her team excelled in this vintage and it comes strongly recommended! 97/100 Neil Martin eRobertParker.com #219 Jun 2015
Pictures: Annette Schiller, Christian G.E. Schiller with Bérénice Lurton at Château Climens. See: Visiting and Tasting at Château Climens, with Owner Bérénice Lurton, Bordeaux, France
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Picture: Angelina and Kilian Franzen of Weingut Franzen in Bremm/ Mosel Photo: Falstaff/ Alois Müller
Falstaff Newcomer of the Year: Weingut Franzen, Mosel
Weingut Franzen, owned by Angelina and Kilian Franzen, is in the village of Bremm in the Mosel valley. The vineyard area totals 10 hectares, mostly on very steep slopes, with holdings in the Calmont (Bremm) and Frauenberg (Neef) sites. Riesling accounts for 80% and Pinot Blanc for 10%. Primarily dry wines have been produced here since 1980. When botrytised grapes with a must weight of at least 100 °Oechsle are available, these are used to produce high-quality sweet Auslese wines. The Riesling wines are matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks, while the Pinot varieties are matured in barriques. Natural yeasts were used exclusively for the first time in the 2003 vintage, and none of the wines are fined. The estate is a member of the Bernkasteler Ring and of the Vereinigung Winzer an der Terrassenmosel.
Picture: The Nominees - Falstaff Wine Trophies 2018, with Ursula Haslauer and Ulrich Sauter (both Falstaff) Photo: Falstaff/ Alois Müller
US Importer: Schatzi Wines
Schatzi Wines: Franzen is exactly in between Winningen where Knebel is, and Bernkastel in the Middle Mosel, but the estate is still part of the Mosel Terraces. This is a young family working the steepest site in all of Europe, the Bremmer Calmont. The estate is run by Kilian and Angelina Franzen, both in their 20s. Kilian’s father, Ulrich, had a dream to restore and replant the Bremmer Calmont, which had fallen down over the decades. In the 1800s, the entire Calmont was planted with riesling, but over time, younger generations did not want to work in the steep sites and gave up the vineyards. By 1980, the only vineyards left on the Calmont were vineyards down by the road along the Mosel and the entire mountain was covered in roses and wild vines. In 1999, Ulrich decided to start buying up as much Calmont as he could. He had to research the town records to figure out who owned which piece and over the course of three years, he was able to purchase 112 contiguous parcels, from 112 different owners from Australia to China to the US. This gave him 1.2 ha in the heart of the Calmont, an amphitheater-shaped section near the center of the mountain, facing south. Kilian and Angelina make nearly all dry wine, but they made a kabinett for the first time in the 2015 vintage (it is in stock now). They have 5.8 ha in the Calmont, but also a few hectares in the Neefer Frauenberg, which is also a great site, though less dramatic. The grapes are crushed by feet in large boxes and macerated for 2-4 hours. Then they are pressed, and settled for 12 hours prior to fermentation. All ambient yeast ferments here, and nearly all the wines go through malo.
Mosel Fine Wines: One of the highlights of this year’s Auction by the Bernkasteler Ring was undoubtedly the 2015er Bremmer Calmont Kabinett by Weingut Reinhold Franzen. Not only is it a gorgeously well-balanced Kabinett, but it proved an absolute bargain as it went for €13* per bottle!
The Weingut Reinhold Franzen has become a household name for delicately intense but still hugely elegant dry Riesling from its coveted holdings in the Bremmer Calmont and Neefer Frauenberg. We highlighted their superb 2013er Bremmer Calmont Riesling GK GG, one of the finest dry Mosel Riesling in 2013, as wine of the month last year.
So how come that we now put forward a Kabinett by this Estate? When asking Kilian Franzen, who has been at the helm of this Estate together with his wife Angelina since 2012, he simply laughed: “Yes, you may be surprised … because we were too! In fact, this tank of Bremmer Calmont simply stopped its fermentation at just above 50 g/l of residual sugar. We could have tampered with the wine, inoculate it with other tanks, etc. But this is not the way that we want to do things. So we waited and eventually cleared and filtered it as it was. And Ta-Da, there you have our first Kabinett. And you know what? Angelina and I both love it!”
The wine came from the upper part of “their” part of the Bremmer Calmont, the allegedly steepest vineyard in Europe. Their sector is called Fachkaul (pictured here below) and was classified in the highest categories on the Prussian Taxation map in the 19th century.
The Bremmer Calmont is so steep that one can only work it with the help of a monorail track. Around 2000, Kilian’s father Ulrich Franzen, who tragically died in a vineyard accident in 2010, decided to go against the flow. Instead of expanding in “easy to tend” vineyards, he decide to revive part of the super-steep original Calmont. He painstakingly consolidated a 1.5 ha vineyard in the Fachkaul ... by acquiring no less than 112 different parcels! This allowed him to revive the vineyard and, at the same time, to justify the investment into a monorail track to make it economically viable.
Today, Kilian and Angelina Franzen reap the benefits from so much foresight. They were able to harvest this 2015er Kabinett at a low 85° Oechsle in the upper and cooler part of the Fachkaul. This Kabinett proves simply delightful as it is packed with flavors yet retains true Kabinett style. The sweetness is there but already beautifully mingling with the dry extracts and the acidity.
We adore their dry wines and would hate seeing less being produced. But this Kabinett would be a very good reason to do so!
The German Portfolio of Schatzi Wines
The German Portfolio of Schatzi Wines comprises currently 10 producers. Six of them, we have already visited on an ombiasy tour or will visit later this year.
Benedikt Baltes - We will visit Weingut Benedikt Baltes on the forthcoming Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours. See: Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017
Karl Haidle - We will visit Weingut Karl Haidle on the forthcoming Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours. See: Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017
For the eightth time, the Falstaff Trophies Deutschland were awarded. The wine/food/travel journal Falstaff has been around for a number of years, issued in Vienna, Austria, and reporting about wine, food and travel from an Austrian perspective, for Austria-based readers. Seven years ago, Falstaff expanded into the German wine and food scene and started to issue a German version of Falstaff in addition to the well established Austrian version. As part of its expansion, Falstaff has created the annual Falstaff Deutschland Wine Trophies, to be awarded to German wine personalities.
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: April 2, 2018)
Picture: Annette Schiller with Ralph Doerfler and his Parents
About an hour away by car from Bordeaux City is the Bassin d'Arcachon. The Bassin d’Arcachon is one of the most beautiful regions in France. This region is a perfect mix of the earthy traditions of the Landes region and the seaside joys of the Atlantic coast of France. It has a special atmosphere with stunning landscapes and culinary traditions.
On the Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, for the first time, we spent a night at the Bassin d'Arcachon.
We started that day in Saint-Emilion. We drove through the rolling hills of the “Entre Deux Mers” wine region to the Sauternes region to visit Château Climens, Appellation Barsac-Sauternes, Première Grand Cru Classé. We had lunch at the 1-Michelin starred Restaurant Claude Darroze, followed by a visit of Château de Chantegrive, Appellation Grave. We left at 4:30pm to drive to Arcachon, where we had dinner and stayed overnight. The next morning we took the ferry to the other side of the Bay d’Arcachon to arrive in Cap Ferret, the little oyster farm town on the tip of the strip of land that shelters the Bassin d’Arcachon from the open waters of the Atlantic. Our bus and driver was waiting for us in Cap Ferret and took us to Grand-Piquey, where we visited the Earl Ostrea Chanca oyster farm of Ralph Doerfler, including oyster tasting. We had lunch at Pinasse Café, Cap Ferret, with a gorgeous view over the bay, the oyster farms and the village of Arcachon and the Dunes de Pilat, the largest in Europe, in the distance. During lunch we could watch the water to recede and the oyster banks to emerge. Some of us walked to the oyster banks after lunch to take a closer look. At 4:00, we left Cap Ferret and drove to Margaux, were we had dinner and stayed overnight at the Hotel Relais de Margaux.
This posting covers in detail the visit of the Earl Ostrea Chanca oyster farm of Ralph Doerfler, including oyster tasting.
The Bassin d'Arcachon
The Bassin d'Arcachon is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest coast of France, located just a few kilometres away from Bordeaux. The bay covers an area of 150 km² at high tide and 40 km² at low tide. Just south of the entrance is the Great Dune of Pyla. Nearly in the middle of the bay is a very particular island: L'île aux Oiseaux (Isle of the Birds).
Cap Ferret is a narrow strip of land between the Bay of Arcachon and the Atlantic Ocean where numerous no frills wooden oyster shacks line the beach (cabanes de pecheurs). The menu simply lists different kinds of oysters and their prices. It’s here that a large part of France’s 130,000-ton oyster harvest is produced. Cap Ferret is a fishing village with numerous oyster and seafood places.
Pictures: Earl Ostrea Chanca, Cabane 22, 54 allee du Grand piquey, 33950 Lege Cap-Ferret
Oysters in the World
I distinguish 4 types of oysters.
The Pacific
Originally from Japan, the Pacific or Japanese oyster is the most widely cultured oyster in the world. It accounts for 75% of world production. In France, it has crowded out the Belon and now accounts for 99% of oyster production there. Gone are the days of the Belon in Paris. The Pacific oysters are marketed under a variety of names, often denoting their growing area. The Kumamoto is one of the most famous Pacific oysters. I tend to think of a Pacific oyster as a creamy oyster, with a mineral note.
The Olympia is a very small oyster seldom exceeding 2 inches. For comparison, in Massachusetts, oysters must be a minimum of 3 inches to be sold. Olympia is a native American oyster, which once flourished on the West Coast, before the Pacific took over. Olympias are hard to find today as they grow very slowly and are difficult to transport. They hold very little liquid and dry out quickly. The Olympia has a very full flavor with a distinct aftertaste.
The Atlantic
Another American native, there are many varieties of Atlantic oysters, such as the Malpeque from Prince Edward Island in Canada and the Blue Point from Long Island in New York State. Bluepoints were originally named for Blue Point, Long Island but now the term is generally applied to any Atlantic oyster two four inches long. These two are now the most common restaurant oysters in the US. Also called Eastern oyster, the Atlantic has a thick, elongated shell that ranges from 2 to 5 inches across. It's found along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico in the US.
The Belon
The Belon, or European Flat, is Europe’s native oyster. The Belons are round and shallow. That’s why they are called Flats. They are also not very liquid and dry out fast. They have a long history. They used to grow in Brittany, Normandy, England, Spain, Holland, Greece and the Black See. But a disease is wiping them out worldwide. The Flats from the Belon river in Brittany were at some point the connoisseur’s top choice and the name was soon adopted by all oyster growers, a bit like the Blue Points from Long Island. The Belon oyster grows in limited quantity in Maine on the rocks of the Damariscotta river bed.
“Hello, my name is Fine de Claire. I was born in the estuary of the Seudre on the Atlantic coast. I never knew my parents. My friends explained, that they don’t know their parents either. Now I know why: my mother ejected millions of eggs in the water, my father millions of sperms; one egg and one sperm found together and I’m the result of that meeting. I understand that my parents couldn’t manage raising so many children. After a few months my foster-father found me in the cold water and decided to pick me up.
He put me in a net with others of my size and he laid us down on benches in the sea. Every time the tide was going out I was out of water during a few hours. Then the water came back and I filtered the fresh water in my gills so that I could catch plankton. In one hour I was able to filter up to 5 liters. At my first birthday I developed the ability to produce sperms on my own. In May, June, Jule and August, when the temperature of the water had risen I ejected my sperms in the hope they would conquer the eggs of the nice looking female next to me. In my second year on the bench I experienced a weird transformation. I became a female and my darling became a male. This change of sexes was possible because we are Hermaphrodites and we adept to the circumstances of our environment. That means, if we could capture sufficiently plankton so we have the energy to produce eggs we become women. Otherwise we are forced to be man. In my third year my foster-father came back to collect me and my friends. He said, that we had grown enough (8-14 cm long) and that we would receive a purification in another location. I asked myself why, because we felt very well in the brackish water and I still wanted to father many descendants with my partner(s) during the next 20 or 30 summers that we were still supposed to live. Against our will, we were placed into basins that had been dug out artificially and that were filled constantly with a mixture of sea and freshwater. There I became green because of a special alga that was in the water. After a few weeks we were taken out of the nets and put into different boxes according to our size. During the next days everything went very fast. We were washed and brushed, put into baskets, made a journey in a truck, and arrived at the market of La Rochelle. I became thirsty because I was out of water since 2 days. Finally 3 young boys came and chose me and 11 friends of mine.”
99% of all oysters produced in France today are Pacific oysters, referred to in the French market as "Huître creuse" or simply as "Creuses". Another colloquial name for the Pacific oyster is "Japonaise". The Belon oyster, the classic oyster of France, which is hard to find, is called "Huître plate" or simply "Plate". The French oyster business traditionally starts booming between Christmas and New Year's Day. About 50% of the annual oyster production is consumed during this time.
From North to South there are seven distinct growing regions in France: Normandy, North-Brittany, South-Brittany, West-Central, Marennes-Oléron, Arcachon, and the Mediterranean. Although some of these areas are far more famous than others, they all produce excellent oysters.
L'Affinage en Claires
The Bassin de Marennes-Oléron in the Poitou-Charentes region has been famed for its oyster production since Roman times, thanks in large part to the claire oysters, reared in the shallow claires (oyster beds) set in to the coastline, which allows a more rounded mineral flavor to develop.
More than 80% of all the "claire refined" oysters in France come from the Bassin de Marennes-Oléron. Oysters that have not spent any time in claires are called huîtres de parc (park oysters). They originate directly from the growing areas right by the ocean. These oysters have a typical ocean flavor, which many oyster lovers simply love.
The claire refined oysters have not only spent a varying amount of time in claires, but also in varying oyster population densities. The shallow brackish water in these claires is very rich in phytoplankton, microscopic algae, the favorite food of oysters. The shallow brackish water also changes the "oceany" taste of the typical park oysters over by the sea to a more sweetish, aromatic, and rich flavor.
Oysters that were cared for in claires have special names. There are four varieties: pousses en claire, which are grown entirely in the claires from naissins (new-borns), and - in descending price order - fines de claires vertes, spéciales de claires and fines de claires, which are all matured in the claires for varying times.
Fines de claires have been refined for about a month in claires; about 30 to 40 oysters will share a space of one square meter.
Spéciales de claires have spent about two to four months in claires; only about 5 to 10 oysters share an area of one square meter.
Fines de claires vertes come into contact with navicule bleue algae, which give the oyster’s yellow gills their distinctive green tint.
Arcachon
The Arcachon basin produced wild oysters in ancient times. Today it has become an important breeding center, supplying spats (oyster larvae) to most of France's oyster-farming basins. Thus, the oyster industry of Arcachon is two-fold: growing oysters for the market and growing seed oysters for oyster growers elsewhere. The Arcachon basin and Marennes-Oléron region are the only regions in France where oysters reproduce naturally – in all other areas, young oysters are brought in from these two regions.
The flavors of oysters found around Arcachon range from the aroma of fresh vegetables and citrus fruit of Cap-Ferret oysters, to the rather sweet milkiness of those from the Arguin sandbank, to the vegetal/mineral tang of those from the Ile aux Oiseaux.
Those from the Ile aux Oiseaux owe their reputation to the plankton they consume during their fattening phase and to their greenish color acquired in claires, as in Marennes-Oléron.
Generally, many growers of Arcachon improve their oysters in a form of claire, which serves to cleanse the oysters of any impurities and keep them fresh.
Pictures: French Oysters are Classified and Sold Depending on the Size and Weight
Oyster Banks
We did not really see the oyster banks when we visited Raphael Doerfler in Grand Piquey. But a couple of hours later during lunch at the Pinasse Café, we had a gorgious view of the oyster banks in front of Pinasse Café. We could go there when the water receded.
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
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.
Jancis Robinson on the Rise of German Pinot Noir (Financial Times)
A couple of days ago, Jancis Robinson released an article in the Financial Times on the rise of Pinot Noir in Germany. For the full article, go here. Below you find the first few chapters of Jancis' article:
Which countries grow the most Pinot Noir, the red burgundy grape? Not surprisingly, France wins gold in this particular championship, its total vastly boosted by the amount of Pinot Noir grown in Champagne. And thanks to the 2004 film Sideways, American demand for the grape has soared so much that the US takes silver.
But the bronze medal for growing Pinot Noir nowadays goes to Germany. Just one German region, Baden in the south-west, grows about as much Pinot Noir as the world’s fourth most important Pinot grower, New Zealand.
Partly thanks to warmer summers, and partly because of German consumers’ increasing partiality for red wine, Germany’s total area of Pinot Noir vines almost doubled in the 20 years to 2006. This total, encompassing a great mix of different clones and varied soils, has since remained fairly stable at about a third of all German vineyards.
Such is German enthusiasm for their Spätburgunder, as Pinot Noir is known there, that we don’t see huge quantities on export markets, but I seize every opportunity I can to taste it, because it seems to me that the average quality has risen enormously over the past five to 10 years. And, while Spätburgunders from renowned producers are rarely cheap, burgundy prices are now almost ludicrously high, so alternatives to red burgundy have become increasingly attractive.
Top 10: German Spätburgunder/ Pinot Noir 2015 - Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018
96 Points
Weingut Knipser/ Pfalz RdP Barrique 96 Points Weingut Rudolf Fürst/ Franken Bürgstadter Hundsrück Grosses Gewächs GG 96 Points Euro 108 Weingut Bernhard Huber/ Baden Malterdinger Wildenstein Grosses Gewächs GG 96 Points Euro 49
Pictures:Paul Fürst, Annette Schiller, Sebastian Fürst and Christian Schiller at Weingut Rudolf Fürst. See: Tasting and Tour with the Pinot Noir Legend Paul Fürst, Weingut Rudolf Fürst in Bürgstadt, Franken – Germany-East Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was released on Friday, November 24, 2017. I participated in the presentation of the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 in Mainz, Germany. The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 is at the same time a new and an old German wine guide.
2 days after the publication of the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018, on Monday, November 27, the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was released. The Gault Millau WeinGuide 2018 was published by Zabert + Sandmann, which had aquired the license for the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland in June 2017 from the Christian Verlag. The latter had published the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland for many years.
The Gault MillauWeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was put togather by a newly established team of tasters, all of them highly regarded, led by Editor-in-Chief Britta Wiegelmann. Previously, she was Editor-in-Chief of the Vinum Wine Journal. She took over the position from Joel B. Payne, who had been the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland Editor-in-Chief (earlier with Armin Diel) since it was first published in 1994.
Joel B. Payne - along with his Deputy Carsten S. Henn - stayed with the Christian Verlag, managed to bring on board the Vinum Journal and decided to continue publishing a wine guide under a new name: The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland was borne.
The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was put togather Joel B. Payne, Editor-in-Chief, and Carsten Henn, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, with the same team that put togather and rated the wines and winemakers of the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2017, published 12 months ago. The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 looks very much like the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2017 except for the color of the cover, which is red and no longer green. Also, the winemakers do not receive 1 to 5 grapes anymore but 1 to 5 stars.
Joel B. Payne made clear that he sees the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 as an update of the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2017 and in a row with the previous 24 issues of the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland, the production of which he led as Editor-in-Chief. Red is now the new Green, said Joel B. Payne at the presentation of the Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2018 (which is red), while the cover of the Gault Millau Millau WeinGuide Deutschland has been green during the past 24 years and continues to be green.
The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 reviews on about 1000 pages more than 12.000 wines of 1000 wineries. Its rating symbol is a star and Germany’s best winemakers are awarded one to five stars. The wines are rated on the 1 to 100 scale.
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: April 2, 2018)
About an hour away by car from Bordeaux City is the Bassin d'Arcachon. The Bassin d’Arcachon is one of the most beautiful regions in France. This region is a perfect mix of the earthy traditions of the Landes region and the seaside joys of the Atlantic coast of France. It has a special atmosphere with stunning landscapes and culinary traditions.
On the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours, we always spent one day at the Bassin d'Arcachon. Our favorite place for lunch is Pinasse Café, Cap Ferret, with a gorgeous view over the bay, the oyster farms and the village of Arcachon and the Dunes de Pilat, the largest in Europe, in the distance. If we are lucky - and this time we were lucky - during lunch you can watch the water recede and the oyster banks emerge. Some of us walked to the oyster banks after lunch to take a closer look.
The Bassin d'Arcachon
The Bassin d'Arcachon is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest coast of France, located just a few kilometres away from Bordeaux. The bay covers an area of 150 km² at high tide and 40 km² at low tide. Just south of the entrance is the Great Dune of Pyla. Nearly in the middle of the bay is a very particular island: L'île aux Oiseaux (Isle of the Birds).
Cap Ferret is a narrow strip of land between the Bay of Arcachon and the Atlantic Ocean where numerous no frills wooden oyster shacks line the beach (cabanes de pecheurs). The menu simply lists different kinds of oysters and their prices. It’s here that a large part of France’s 130,000-ton oyster harvest is produced. Cap Ferret is a fishing village with numerous oyster and seafood places.
2 B avenue de l Ocean | Cap Ferret, 33970, Lege-Cap-Ferret, France
A "pinasse" describes a small sail boat design which served French oystermen for centuries as an important work boat. They were about 20 to 30 feet long, narrow, flat bottomed, with a round stern, usually equipped with one mast (occasionally also two), no jib, a center board at times and a rudder, with plenty carrying capacity for oysters. If the oystermen happened to get stuck in a prolonged wind lull, they could return to shore by paddle.
With the group, we always have lunch at Pinasse Café, for a number of reasons, including the more central location and the view of the oyster banks. Another fine seafood place is Restaurant Chez Hortense, closer to the tip of Cap Ferret.
Avenue du Semaphore, 33950, Lege-Cap-Ferret, France
Picture: Lunch at Chez Hortense in Cap Ferret, with 4th Generation Owner Bernadette Lescarret
Paris Match: Face à eux, les plus belles vues : l’île aux Oiseaux, le banc d’Arguin, la dune du Pilat. Et, pour lieu de rendez-vous, Chez Hortense, une institution. On n’y respire pas seulement l’iode mais aussi l’Histoire. Au départ, il y eut Hortense Lescarret, qui ouvrit l’établissement à la fin de la Première Guerre mondiale. Depuis, quatre générations se sont succédé, dont la dernière représentante est Bernadette, sans aucun doute une des femmes les plus connues de la commune. Impossible de la louper, dans une robe à fleurs multicolore. Auprès d’elle, François et Olivier, ses deux fils, et Frédéric, son neveu. Midi et soir, la terrasse affiche complet. Les tables sont réservées dix jours à l’avance.
lexpress.com: Bernadette Lescarret, la patronne de Chez Hortense. Qui ne connaît pas Chez Hortense n'est pas... du bassin d'Arcachon ! Cette institution de Cap-Ferret a vu quatre générations d'habitués se succéder. Aux fourneaux, les troisième et quatrième générations des Crampé oeuvrent de concert : Bernadette Lescarret, 60 ans, ses fils François, 35 ans, en cuisine, et Olivier, 30 ans, en salle, ainsi que son neveu Frédéric, 40 ans. C'est en 1914 qu' Hortense Crampé (grand-mère de Bernadette) rachète avec son mari l'hôtel-restaurant de la pointe de Cap-Ferret. Attaqué par l'érosion, l'hôtel s'effondre en 1936. Pour rouvrir à quelques mètres de là deux ans plus tard. On y sert moules, huîtres rôties au foie gras et poissons grillés, dans une atmosphère familiale.
Pictures: Langoustines, Oysters on the Half Shell and Moules avec des Frites
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Oysters in Bordeaux: Visiting the Oyster Farmer Raphael Doerfler and his Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm in Grand Piquey/ Bassin d'Arcachon - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Pictures: Winemaker Dinner with Château Lafon Rochet at Restaurant 2941 in Northern Virginia, with Sofia Poniatowski and Chef Bertrand Chemel, USA/ Bordeaux
Sofia Poniatowski of the Tesseron family that owns Château Lafon-Rochet was in town (Washington DC) - for the Heart's Delight events - and Annette Schiller was able to organize a winemaker dinner with her at Restaurant 2941 in Northern Virginia.
Picture: Getting Ready - Annette Schiller and Sofia Poniatowski
In terms of Château Lafon-Rochet winemaker dinners in Washington DC, this was the second one Annette organized. The first one was with Vineyard Manager Anaïs Maillet and the wines of Château Lafon-Rochet a few years ago at BToo: Winemaker Dinner with Château LAFON-ROCHET Wines and Winemaker Anaïs Maillet atChef Bart Vandaele’s Hipp B Too Restaurant in Washington DC, US/France
Finally, on the evening following the Château Lafon-Rochet winemaker dinner at Restaurant 2941, there was another Bordeaux winemaker dinner in the Washington DC area, organized by Annette Schiller: Winemaker Dinner with Château Haut-Bailly at BToo in Washington DC, with Diana Paulin and Chef Bart Vandaele, USA/ Bordeaux
Pictures: Sofia Poniatowski and Chef Bertrand Chemel
Invitation
Please welcome Sofia from the Tesseron family (owners, managers, winemakers of Château Lafon-Rochet) on May, 7, 2018 at 6.30 pm for a fabulous dinner meticulously prepared by chef Bertrand Chemel at restaurant 2941 in Falls Church.
The dinner is at $ 170 incl. tax and gratuity, showcasing the phenomenal wines of Château Lafon-Rochet (vintages 2014, 2010, 2005,1996 and a 2005 Château Rieussec, Sauterne).
Located in Saint-Estèphe, nestled between two legendary classified growths, Cos d’Estournel and Lafite Rothschild, Château Lafon-Rochet has the distinction of being one of five Chateau in Saint-Estèphe to be included in the 1855 Classifaction of the Médoc. With its origins dating back to the 16th century, Lafon-Rochet has exhibited the outstanding quality in winemaking to stand the test of time.
Pictures: Welcome and Opening Remarks - Sommelier Jonathan Schuyler, Sofia Poniatowski and Annette Schiller
Château Lafon-Rochet
Château Lafon-Rochet features some of the finest vineyards in the world. It is situated in the small appellation Saint-Estèphe and is sandwiched between two prominent neighbors: Cos-d’Estournel on the other side of the street and Lafite-Rothschild, separated only by a small dirt track, and visible across the vineyard that belongs to Lafon-Rochet. Since the 16th century this Château makes excellent wines and had been in the hands of the Lafon family for almost 300 years.
In 1895 the phylloxera disaster forced the family to sell Château Lafon-Rochet. A period of a rapid succession of several disinterested owners followed until Guy Tesseron (who also bought Château Pontet-Canet) acquired the château in the 1960s. He and then his son Michel brought Lafon-Rochet back to its former glory. The new generation is now at the helm and Basile Tesseron is energetically pursuing quality control.
Basile Tesseron, Directeur Technique Lucas Leclercq and Vineyard Manager Anaïs Maillet are currently at the helm of Château Lafon-Rochet.
History
Lafon-Rochet’s history dates back to the 17th century. The property was then known as the Domaine Rochet and belonged to Antoinette Guillemotes who renamed the estate Château Lafon-Rochet after her marriage with Etienne de Lafon..
Over the 150 years that followed, Etienne de Lafon’s heirs not only maintained the estate and coped with the various diseases and economic difficulties from which the vineyard suffered but also enabled Lafon-Rochet to enter the 1855 classification of the Grands crus du Médoc (the Great Growths of the Medoc).
At the dawn of the 20th century financial difficulties resurfaced and so new owners took over the Château. Thus began a long period of instability until the Tesseron family took over the estate in 1960.
When in 1960 Guy Tesseron, a master of old Cognac, took over the property, he had to start from scratch and rebuild the whole property. Thus began Château Lafon Rochet’s rebirth.
First he concentrated on the renovation of the fermenting room and the wine storehouse before tackling the mansion itself. He decided to demolish the whole building and create a new family home for Lafon-Rochet. The plans were for an elegant Chartreuse, which was quite unusual at the time.
It took almost ten years to restore the château, the vineyard and infrastructures. This fresh start finally paid off in 1966. As the young Michel Tesseron recalls it was the first time that Lafon-Rochet was able to present a wine worthy of Quatrième Grand cru – fourth growth. The following year, 1967, was a great vintage paving the way for 1970, one of Lafon-Rochet’s most memorable vintages. In 1975 Guy Tesseron also took over Château Pontet-Canet, then a few years later Château Malescasse.
Until 1999 the family jointly managed Château Pontet-Canet and Château Lafon-Rochet but lost the Château Malescasse, so dear to Michel Tesseron. As part of the re-organization, Alfred and his brother Gerard Tesseron took over Pontet-Canet, while Michel and his sister Princess Caroline Poniatowski took over Lafon-Rochet. Michel spontaneously turned towards the Château “jaune”, so-called since he repainted it sunshine yellow in 2000.
Pictures: With Owners Basile and Michel Tesseron, Directeur Technique Lucas Leclerq and Vineyard Manager Anaïs Maillet at Château Lafon-Rochet
Michel and Basile Tesseron
Before joining the family business in 1987, Michel Tesseron worked in in Cognac, then in Bordeaux for Barton & Guestier, and for the négociants Chantecaille.
In 2007, Basile Tesseron joined his father in order to continue the work started by his grandfather, who had already initiated the young Basile into the subtleties of the aromas and flavours of cognac.
With passion, humour and ambition, Basile pursued the work of his predecessors enabling Lafon-Rochet to live on through the centuries. He began by redesigning the vat room of the property, reviving the quest for excellence and quality in keeping with the exceptional terroir and the human and family values that have punctuated 5 centuries of adventure.
Basile Tesseron took over with the 2007 vintage and he now has full control.
Vineyards and Winemaking
Lafon-Rochet's vineyards covers 45 hectares and are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon 54%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Petit Verdot 2%.
Basile Tesseron, Directeur Technique Lucas Leclercq and Vineyard Manager Anaïs Maillet are steering Château Lafon-Rochet towards biodynamic viticulture, following the example of Basile’s uncle at Pontet-Canet. But Lafon-Rochet has not yet been certified.
As far as winemaking is concerned, the wine cellar has been completely renovated. Importantly, Basile and Michel Tesseron decided to go the route of stainless steel tanks and concrete vats. To match the 40 different vineyard parcels, the estate now has 18 stainless steel tanks and 18 concrete vats in different sizes and shapes for fermentation. The wine is aged for 9 months in new oak and for another 9 month in used oak.
The grand vin is Château Lafon-Rochet (11000 cases). The second wine is Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet (also 11000 cases).
EaterDC: 2941 manages to strike a balance between elegant and casual, and between straightforward and elaborate cooking. Chef Bertrand Chemel's skills are evident in dishes such as a paella soup, and broccoli raviolini with smoked pioppini mushroom. Diners can have a snack at the bar, an a la carte meal, or a full tasting menu. It's all available in a picturesque setting by a lake and waterfall in Falls Church, Virginia.
In an area of the country until recently confined to strip malls and burger joints, Chef Bertrand Chemel brings a welcome dose of Gallic flair at 2941. An Auvergne boy born-and-raised, it was no surprise, then, when Chemel fell into his first job in a kitchen. At 14, he found himself sweeping the flour from the floors of the bakery and pastry shop next to his grandmother’s house. An obsession was born.
He would soon be under the wing of renowned chef Michel Gaudin at his eponymous destination restaurant in Megève, France. The two fell in quickly and Gaudin became his mentor, sending Chemel to Geneva’s Hotel du Rhône for training. Aptly, this small nation known mostly for being neutral, and making nifty portable knives, would be that all-important exposure to international cuisines. He also spent time at La Bastide St-Antoine in Grasse, France, and at the Savoy Hotel in London.
If Gaudin was Chemel’s first mentor, Daniel Boulud was his stateside guru after his move to the US . It was from this master of French-cuisine-for-Americans that Chemel honed his culinary style. He began as a line cook in 1999 at Daniel and with a stop along the way as Laurent Tourondel’s sous chef at Cello, he eventually landed at Café Boulud in 2003.
The sleekly modern 2941 where Chemel has found his own resting spot is an astonishingly idyllic place where you have to avoid bumping into Rodin sculptures and Dalis in the herb garden where Chemel plucks his aromatics daily—an appropriate venue for the contemporary Gallic fare that he interprets through the lens of Americana, and Virginia’s bounty.
Executive Chef, Bertrand Chemel Pastry Chef, Nicholas Pine
The Wines
Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve NV
wine-searcher average price in US$: 54
Billecart-Salmon is a medium-sized champagne house in Mareuil-sur-Ay, France. Founded in 1818 with the marriage of Nicolas François Billecart and Elisabeth Salmon, it is one of the few to remain family owned.
I had some bottle variation with this blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The 2010 from Lafon Rochet seemed slightly restrained and closed down on the three occasions I tasted it in Bordeaux. Dense black/ruby, it displays sweet tannin, excellent purity, fresh fruit and a very primary, almost grapy style with lots of fruit, but at the same time, a somewhat monolithic character. It should turn out fine, but it certainly needs a good 7-8 years of cellaring and should drink well for up to two decades.
The property is owned by the Tesseron family and run by the newest generation, son Basile, who is converting the estate to biodynamic farming a la his uncle, Alfred Tesseron at Pontet Canet. Score: 90+ Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (204), March 2013
Dense ruby/purple and still youthful and exuberant, with oodles of cassis and incense, the 2005 Lafon-Rochet is medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannin and a long finish. Just becoming approachable. 91 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (219), June 2015
Château Rieussec is Premier Cru Classé of 1855. Belonging to the Sauternes appellation in Gironde, in the region of Graves, the winery is located in the commune of Fargues.
The Rieussec estate was the property of the monks of Carmes de Langon until the French revolution, when the church property was confiscated by the state and auctioned off. Today, it is owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild, the owners of Château Lafite Rothschild. The Rothschilds invested in a new cellar in 1989, and strove to increase quality by better selection of the grapes, which also led to reduced production in the 1990s.
The vineyards of Château Rieussec total 93 hectares and border on those of Château d'Yquem in the west. They are planted to 90% Sémillon, 7% Sauvignon and 3% Muscadelle. Four wines are produced, of which three from the Sauternes appellation: the classified growth Château Rieussec, the second wine Carmes de Rieussec, and Château de Cosse. Furthermore, a dry white wine from the Bordeaux AOC, is produced under the name « R » de Rieussec, using a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and 20% new oak.
Château Rieussec is aged from 16 to 26 months in barrel, depending on the vintage, typically using 55% new barrels.
Average total production is around 10 000 cases annually, of which about 6 000 cases Château Rieussec. There was no production in 1993 and half the average production in 2000.
Thanks Sofia, Annette and Bertrand for a great evening, with the world class wines of Château Lafon-Rochetand the world class food of Chef Bertrand Chemel.
Bye-bye and good night. The dinner took place in the "Waterfall Room" of Restaurant 2941 and on our way home we had the opportunity to take another look at the wonderful waterfall.
One of the first winemaker dinners that Annette organized in Washington DC was with Anaïs Maillet and the wines of Château Lafon-Rochet at BToo on 14th Street NW.
Picture: Annette Schiller and Château LAFON-ROCHET’s winemaker Anaïs Maillet at B Too in Washington DC (Picture: Charlie Adler). See: Winemaker Dinner with Château LAFON-ROCHET Wines and Winemaker Anaïs Maillet at Chef Bart Vandaele’s Hipp B Too Restaurant in Washington DC, US/France (2014)
I still have good memories of a winemaker dinner at the French Embassy in Washington DC a number of years ago, hosted by Château Lafon-Rochet owner Basile Tesseron.
Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller and Basile Tesseron. See: Tasting the Wines of Chateau Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, with Owner Basile Tesseron at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA/France (2012)
A year ago, Michel Tesseron treated the ombiasy tour group to a very special dinner in the private quarters of Château Lafon-Rochet.
Virginia top winemaker Chris Pearmund was among the guests and he used the event to propose to his charming wife-to-be. All the best to the two of you!!!
Pictures: Chris Pearmund and his Fiancée, with Sofia Poniatowski
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: April 2, 2018)
Tasting the Wines of Chateau Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ème Cru Classé en 1855, with Owner Basile Tesseron at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA/France (2012)
The German Spätlese Rieslings listed below have 4 things in common: They are abnormally low in terms of alcohol, they are noticably sweet in the glass, they are at least at the Spätlese level in terms of the German Wine Law of 1971 and they were made by interrupting the fermentation in the cellar.
The latter is extremely important. Without the intervention of the winemaker, the wines listed would be dry. Such wines are generally labeled fruity-sweet. By contrast, noble sweet wines - Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein - have so much sugar in the grapes at harvest that it is impossible to ferment the must to complete dryness.
In the German Wine Law of 1971 - the fundamental basis for classifying German wine - a Spätlese is defined by the sugar content of the grapes at the point of harvest. The Germans use the Öchsle scale to measure the sweetness of the grapes. Grapes with a certain Öchsle level are classified as Spätlese. They have more sugar in the grapes than Kabinett and less than Auslese. All these wines - Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese - if not stopped by the winemaker, would be trocken/ dry wines: Kabinett trocken, Spätlese trocken and Auslese trocken.
The Kabinett trocken, Spätlese trocken and Auslese trocken concepts are disappearing in Germany as part of the move to a terroir-driven classification of wines. Typically, the predicates Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese are only being used when the fermentation was interrupted by the winemaker to produce a low-alcohol, sweet-style wine.
These wines are quite unique and have their fans all over the world.
Picture: Christian Schiller and Peter Jakob Kühn in Kiedrich, Rheingau, see: Extraordinary Views of the Rheingau Vineyards - A Spectecular Helicopter Flight over the Rheingau with Rheingau Winemakers, Germany
The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was released on Friday, November 24, 2017. I participated in the presentation of the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 in Mainz, Germany. The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 is at the same time a new and an old German wine guide.
2 days after the publication of the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018, on Monday, November 27, the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was released. The Gault Millau WeinGuide 2018 was published by Zabert + Sandmann, which had aquired the license for the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland in June 2017 from the Christian Verlag. The latter had published the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland for many years.
The Gault MillauWeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was put togather by a newly established team of tasters, all of them highly regarded, led by Editor-in-Chief Britta Wiegelmann. Previously, she was Editor-in-Chief of the Vinum Wine Journal. She took over the position from Joel B. Payne, who had been the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland Editor-in-Chief (earlier with Armin Diel) since it was first published in 1994.
Joel B. Payne - along with his Deputy Carsten S. Henn - stayed with the Christian Verlag, managed to bring on board the Vinum Journal and decided to continue publishing a wine guide under a new name: The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland was borne.
The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 was put togather Joel B. Payne, Editor-in-Chief, and Carsten Henn, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, with the same team that put togather and rated the wines and winemakers of the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2017, published 12 months ago. The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 looks very much like the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2017 except for the color of the cover, which is red and no longer green. Also, the winemakers do not receive 1 to 5 grapes anymore but 1 to 5 stars.
Joel B. Payne made clear that he sees the Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 as an update of the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2017 and in a row with the previous 24 issues of the Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland, the production of which he led as Editor-in-Chief. Red is now the new Green, said Joel B. Payne at the presentation of the Vinum Weinguide Deutschland 2018 (which is red), while the cover of the Gault Millau Millau WeinGuide Deutschland has been green during the past 24 years and continues to be green.
The Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018 reviews on about 1000 pages more than 12.000 wines of 1000 wineries. Its rating symbol is a star and Germany’s best winemakers are awarded one to five stars. The wines are rated on the 1 to 100 scale.
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: April 2, 2018)
Picture: Winemaker Dinner with Château Haut-Bailly at BToo in Washington DC, with Daina Paulin, Annette Schiller, Chef Bart Vandaele and Christian Schiller
Daina Paulin of Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, was in town (Washington DC) and Annette Schiller/ ombiasy WineTours was able to organize a winemaker dinner at BToo, with Daina and the world class wines of Château Haut-Bailly and Chef Bart Vandaele and his American/ Belgian/ French fusion cooking.
Please welcome Daina, right hand of the owner family and managers of Château Haut-Bailly, on May 8, 2018 at 6.30 pm for an exclusive dinner chef Bart Vandeale prepared to match the fantastic Haut-Bailly wines at restaurant Btoo in Washington DC.
The dinner is at $ 143 incl. tax and gratuity and focusses on the outstanding wines of Château Haut-Bailly (La Parde 2012, 2014, 2012, 2008).
Pictures: Preparations - Chef Bart Vandaele and Annette Schiller
Château Haut-Bailly has the distinction of being one of the only 16 Chateaux in Pessac-Léognan to be included in the 1959 Grand Cru Classé Classifaction of the Graves region. For over four centuries Château Haut-Bailly defended its reputation as producer of wines of superb quality.
Pictures: In the Kitchen - BToo Executive Chef Bart Vandaele and Chef de Cuisine Alex Flores
Château Haut-Bailly
Château Haut-Bailly is a Graves Cru Classé estate that has really hit form in the last 5-7 years. It is located in the commune of Léognan, which is usually more associated with white wine production. Just a stone’s throw away from the city of Bordeaux and our hotel, Château Haut-Bailly, one of the most prestigious Cru Classé de Graves, sits majestically in a 30 hectare vineyard at the heart of the Graves region on the left bank of the river Garonne. Neighboring estates include Château Malartic-Lagravière, Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Château Carbonnieux. The estate's second wine is named Le Parde de Haut-Bailly.
At Château Haut-Bailly wine has been produced for more than five centuries. Like many Bordeaux estates, the property changed owners multiple times over the centuries. However, three owner families put their mark on the estate.
First, in 1630 it was bought by the Le Bailly family which eventually gave the estate its name. In those days the château had about 80 acres under vine, roughly the same as today. There were many ups and downs during the centuries and by the 1950s the estate was in a sorry state.
Pictures: Visiting Château Haut-Bailly with Daina Paulin. See: Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Second, a wine merchant from Belgium, Daniel Sanders, bought the château in 1955 and started intensive renovations. His efforts proofed him right and Château Haut-Bailly was one of the 16 wine producers awarded with the Grand Cru Classé certification in the 1959 classification of the Graves estates.
Finally, in 1998, Elisabeth and Robert G. Wilmers – he an American banker, she French – bought Château Haut-Bailly and spared no expenses to invest in the vineyards, winery, and the château to give the estate the possibility to keep producing top quality wines. Robert G. Wilmers passed away in 2017.
Today, Château Haut-Bailly is managed by Véronique Sanders, fourth generation of the Sanders family.
Robert G. Wilmers (1934 - 2017)
In 1998 Château Haut-Bailly was purchased by the late Robert G. Wilmers, Chairman and CEO of the M & T Bank based in Buffalo, New York. As a lover of Bordeaux Grands Crus, his dream came true when he became the owner at Haut-Bailly. He spent much of his childhood and professional life in Belgium. Hugely conscious of Haut-Bailly’s history yet eager to ensure continuity and modernity, he entrusted in 1998 Haut-Bailly’s management to Véronique Sanders, granddaughter of Jean Sanders. Robert G. Wilmers passed last year.
Chef Bart Vandaele's BToo on 14th Street in Washington DC, NW, is a leading restaurant in the Nation's Capital. Annette Schiller and I love to go to winemaker dinners at BToo and organize ourselves winemaker dinners there. The food of Belga Cafe/ BToo Executive Chef Bart Vandaele is always most creative and delicious. Chef Bart is a fun guy to hang around with and guide us through the evening. And BToo has a separate room in the basement that is perfect for special events like winemaker dinners. Recently, Alex Flores has become the Chef de Cuisine of BToo.
The evening started with a German Sekt Reception. Chef Bart poured F.B. Schönleber, Riesling, Extra Brut, Rheingau, Méthode Champenoise, 2013, courtesy of Annette Schiller, and offered spectacular amuses bouches.
Following the Sekt Reception, Chef Bart Vandaele welcomed the guests, Annette Schiller introduced Daine Paulin and talked about the F.B. Schönleber Riesling Sekt, and Daine Paulin talked about Château Haut-Bailly.
Amuse Bouche Foie Gras Lollipop with speculoos cookie Scallop Tartare with avocado and cucumber King Crab with curry flan and kafir lime F:B. Schönleber, Riesling, Extra Brut, Rheingau, Méthode Champenoise, 2013
Château Haut-Bailly has 28 hectares of vineyards which are very well sited on high, gravelly ground just east of Léognan village. In total the estate produces 150,000 bottles annually. Approximately 50% of production from the property is Grand Vin, 30% is second and 20% is third wine, although this will depend on the vintage.
Grand Vin: Château Haut-Bailly
The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (25%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The grapes are fermented in 26 concrete tanks of different sizes. The wines are aged for 18 months in new (about 50%) and used barrique barrels. There are 3 different cellars for barrel aging.
La Parde de Haut-Bailly
The estate's second wine is La Parde de Haut-Bailly, produced since 1967, but under the name Domaine de la Parde until 1979. It is aged in barrels for 12 months.
Pessac-Léognan by Chateau Haut-Bailly
The property’s third wine, "Pessac-Léognan," which bears the same name as its appellation, was created in 1987. It comes from young vines – an accessible wine that has spent less time in barrel and can be enjoyed young.
Rosé de Haut-Bailly
Since 2004, Château Haut-Bailly has produced a ‘rosé de saignée’ when the conditions allow.
Sekt is made in all German wine regions, both in the méthode traditionnelle and charmat method. There are three groups of Sekt makers: (i) large and (ii) smaller Sekt houses, who only make Sekt and (iii) winemakers, who make predominantly wine, but complement their wine selection by a few Sekts. The Sekts produced by large Sekt estates tend to be in the demy-sweet and sweet range, while the Sekts of smaller estates and the wine makers are mostly in the brut and extra brut range. In addition to Sekt, Germany produces semi-sparkling wine, which is called Perlwein. But the production of Perlwein is small.
Château Haut-Bailly was one of the first to produce a second wine in 1967. Originated from the same plots and made with the same winemaking techniques as the first label, La Parde Haut-Bailly is subject to the same draconian selection controls. Over time, it has developed its own personality, displaying a pleasant silky texture on the palate and achieving a style of elegance and refinement. Although its softness and forward aroma mean it can be drunk sooner than Château Haut-Bailly, it also has good aging potential (5 to 8 years).
96 points Vinous - The 2014 Haut-Bailly has turned out beautifully. Dark, sumptuous and expressive, the 2014 exudes depth and finesse. Ample and resonant on the palate, with striking depth, the 2014 possesses exceptional balance and class. Hints of smoke, tobacco and licorice infuse the deep, creamy finish. (AG) (2/2017)
95 points James Suckling - A very well-made, modern wine with ripe cherry and cassis notes but rather discrete oak. The bright fruit and lively acidity balance the moderately dry tannins very well, and the finish is long and quite complex. Compacted. Needs time to open. Beautiful. (2/2017) 95 points Wine Enthusiast
94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - The 2014 Haut Bailly has a charming, quite intense bouquet with layers of blackberry, raspberry coulis, black olive and melted tar scents that soar from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well-judged acidity, harmonious and focused with superb density and precision towards the finish. This is a classy number and alongside Domaine de Chevalier, it is one of the standouts from the appellation in this vintage. (NM) (3/2017)
The Wine Advocate - "A candidate for the -wine of the vintage,- the 2008 Haut-Bailly possesses incredible complexity. Tell-tale notes of lead pencil shavings, charcoal, damp earth, black cherries and black currants intermixed with a hint of subtle barbecue smoke are present in this classic, quintessential Graves. Medium-bodied with an emerging, precocious complexity, it is a super-pure, beautifully textured, long wine that can be drunk now or cellared for 20-25 years. Bravo!"
Julie and Xavier Gonet-Médeville are, in many ways, the first couple of French wines. Both hail from storied winemaking families: Julie’s family is famous for its incomparable Chateau Gilette, and Xavier comes from a long line of Champagne growers in Le Mesnil. Leading a new generation of winemakers, they bring their family knowledge, methods and passion to the many wines they now make together.In 2000, when his family’s plots were being divided, Xavier opted for a modest collection of the highest quality 1er and Grand Cru vineyards with a goal of producing only the most exquisite, small-production Champagnes. Champagne Gonet-Médeville’s Pinot Noir (Bisseuil and Ambonnay) and Chardonnay (Mesnil-Sur-Oger) are farmed organically, and each parcel is vinified separately to emphasize its individual terroir. There is no malolactic fermentation, and dosage is minute. Julie and Xavier’s resulting Champagnes are very elegant, delicate, festive and easy to drink.
Thanks
Bart Vandaele thanked Rinata Gafarova and Chef de Cuisine Alex Flores.
4 Wine-pairing Dinners at Château Haut-Bailly with Diana Paulin
This winemaker dinner at BToo was our 5th dinner with Daina Paulin, with the previous 4 dinners all at Château Haut-Bailly in the private dining room. A wine-pairing dinner with Daina Paulin in the private dining room of Château Haut-Bailly has been the grande finale of the ombiasy Bordeaux tours during the past years and we were very happy to receive Daina this time in Washington DC at one of our favorite restaurants, BToo. See: Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Last month, the April winemaker dinner at BToo was also a joint ombiasy WineTours/ BToo event, with the German winemaker Christian L. Stahl pouring his bone-dry wines from Franken. See: Winemaker Dinner with Christian L. Stahl, Winzerhof Stahl, Franken, Germany, and Chef Dieter Samyn at BToo in Washington DC, USA
In terms of Bordeaux winemaker dinners at BToo, this was the second one Annette organized. The first one was with Anaïs Maillet and the wines of Château Lafon-Rochet a few years ago. See: Winemaker Dinner with Château LAFON-ROCHET Wines and Winemaker Anaïs Maillet at Chef Bart Vandaele’s Hipp B Too Restaurant in Washington DC, US/France
Finally, on the evening before the Château Haut-Bailly winemaker dinner at BToo, there was a Château Lafon Rochet winemaker dinner at Restaurant 2941 in Northern Virginia, also organized by Annette Schiller. See: Winemaker Dinner with Château Lafon Rochet at Restaurant 2941 in Northern Virginia, with Sofia Poniatowski and Chef Bertrand Chemel, USA/ Bordeaux
Pictures: Bye-bye and Good Night - Bart Vandaele, Mark Dreyfoos, Daina Paulin, Annette and Christian Schiller
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: April 2, 2018)
A very special stop during the 2017 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours was the one at Cooperage Berger et Fils. Until very recently, and for a long time, the company was a family-company, run and owned by René Berger and his wife Valérie Berger. Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil was recently acquired by the TFF Group.
When I first visited Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil the company was still owned and run by the Berger family. Valérie Berger was our guide and we met René Berger durng the tour. At that time the web site of Cooperage Berger & Fils contained a very detailed description of the whole barrel making process, which I used for my block posting.
In this posting, I kept the text of René and Valérie Berger. The pictures are from the 2017 Tour.
The Managing Director of Cooperage Berger & Fils was our guide.
TFF Group
TFF Group, formerly Tonnellerie Frany detacois Freres SA, is a France-based company that manufactures and distributes oak barrels. The Company has four core businesses: stave milling, cooperage, cask manufacturing and oak wine-aging products. The Company has operating units in France, the United States, Spain, Hungary, South Africa, China, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.
Cooperage Berger and Fils
René Berger: My passion was born from that of my father and grandfather. I am the proud descendant of a family of coopers, based in the Médoc, a truly exceptional land, since the beginning of the last century. From a very young age, these two men breathed into me the love of manual work and craftsmanship. They raised me in the pure artisanal tradition of master coopers, passing down their ancestral savoir-faire. It was therefore a natural conclusion that I should become a cooper in my turn.
When my father passed away in 1991, my first aim was to preserve and perpetuate his work, transmitting the craftsman’s skills to my own children. My mother’s full support was very important to me then, as it is now. It was also important to me to fight against an increasing standardization of production within the profession.
The Managing Director of Cooperage Berger & Fils took us through the whole process of producing a wine barrel.
Valérie Berger: A wine barrel is made up of staves which have been shaped into a bulging cylinder, and flat heads or ends. The staves are held in place by metal hoops. Six to eight hoops encircle the barrel spaced along the length. It takes approximately eight man hours to produce a single wine barrel.
Selection of the Oak
Valérie Berger: We choose the wood for our barrels with the help of well-known professionals, selecting slow-growing French Haute Futaie oak trees which become fine grain timber.
French oak is considered to be the most desirable wood for making wine barrels. Most French Oak comes from one or more of the forests planted in the days of Napoleon for ship building. Five of those forests are primarily used for wine barrel making: Allier, Limousin, Nevers, Trancais and Vosges forests. American Oak is considered to have too much influence on the content of the barrels. But usage is on the rise as the larger influence is sometimes desired and as American barrels are substantially less expensive than the French barrels. Hungarian Oak is also being used for barrel making.
Valérie Berger: To achieve the best blends, we acquire stave wood coming from different forests in the centre of France. For the same reason, we work in collaboration with different stave makers in the various areas ensuring a diversification in our supplies. Since 2003 we have developed a partnership with one of them who now prepares staves exclusively for the Tonnellerie Berger.
The selection of the stave wood is extremely important because it essentially determines the quality of the finished product. Wood is selected based on many criteria, including tree shape and growing conditions. These factors determine the textural variety of wood fibers, the fineness of grain and tannin content. Tight grain and fine tannin content are found only in the best wood.
Coding the Wood
Valérie Berger: Each pallet is coded by computer on arrival at our cooperage in Vertheuil, thus allowing the traceability of the barrel. The staves are then carefully stacked in the timber yard.
Natural Seasoning for 36 Months
Valérie Berger: Following the coding the staves are washed and then dried in the open air for at least 3 years in our 16,000 M2 timber yard. The wood will free itself of its harsh tannins and will gain the maturity and complexity necessary for the making of a great barrel.
Preparation of the Wood
Valérie Berger: Pallets of staves will be selected according to their origin, and assembled to create a personalized blend corresponding to the needs and wishes of each customer.
Valérie Berger: Once selected, the staves are prepared and then assembled on a pattern table where the cooper “raises the barrel”, forming a daisy shape. The wood fibres are softened by pre-heating. Then comes the hooping that, thanks to the effects of fire and water, transforms the daisy into a barrel.
Valérie Berger: The crucial stage of our art. Only the complete mastery of wood and fire makes the difference between a simple container and an exceptional barrel ready to age the wine. The “bousinage”, adapted to respect the particularities requested by each client, exults and nuances the aromas expressed by the wood. The hand-crafted nature of our cooperage enables us to create a tailor-made barrel for each and every one of our customers.
Valérie Berger: The barrel heads are then individually fitted and each barrel is stamped to ensure traceability. A code records the origin and blend of the wood. An impermeability test is carried out by scalding. 10 litres of water heated to 70° C is pumped at high pressure into the barrel which is moved around so that the water is in contact with the whole surface of the inside of the barrel. This process allows us to check for possible leaks but also to collect test water to be analysed for each finished barrel in the aim of receiving the “Excell Inspection” certificate.
Valérie Berger: At this stage we take great care of the aesthetic appearance of our barrel. They are thus sandpapered or hand-scraped for customers who prefer the “guistrage” finish. And the final galvanized steel hoops replace the assembly hoops. And last of all, according to the type of barrel, pine bars held in place by chestnut pegs are set on the heads for the Château Ferré, and four chestnut hoops, bound with a type of wicker are installed for the Bordelaise Traditionnelle. This last step is carried out only by very experienced craftsmen. It is a true heritage of ancestral expertise that can only be mastered after years of practice.
While on the tour I detected on the wall a list of the orders Cooperage Berger et Fils was working on while we were there. This was an impressive list and included, interestingly, Boxwood Winery and RdV Estate, two highly regarded wine producers in Virginia.
Picture: Orders including from Boxwood Winery and RdV Estate in Virginia
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Oysters in Bordeaux: Visiting the Oyster Farmer Raphael Doerfler and his Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm in Grand Piquey/ Bassin d'Arcachon - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. Sparkling wines are made all over the world. The best known sparkling wine is Champagne, which is exclusively produced in the Champagne Region of France.
Production Methods
There are several methods for producing sparkling wine. The key difference is how the carbon dioxide gets into the wine. The carbon dioxide may result from (1) fermentation in a bottle, (2) a second fermentation in a large tank that can withstand the pressures involved (Charmat process), the typical method used for good quality sparklers, and (3) an injection of carbon dioxide, the method used for cheap mass sparklers.
First, the Méthode Champenoise is the most laborious and expensive means of producing sparkling wine. It consists of 2 fermentations of the wine. The first fermentation is the primary fermentation in barrel or tank, just like any other wine to produce the base wine. Following bottling, the introduction of additional yeast and sugar triggers a second fermentation in the bottle that the wine will eventually be sold in. It is this second fermentation that generates the carbon dioxide bubbles responsible for the pop and sparkle.
After the second fermenation, the wine is aged on the lees, the sediment of dead yeast cells that are still in the bottle, for an extended period. The longer the interval of ageing on the lees lasts, the finer the bead of the mousseux.
Mueller’s remuage (riddling) technique of maneuvering the sediment to the neck of the bottle and then ejecting it revolutionized sparkling wine drinking and remains a key elemement in the Méthode Champenoise production of sparkling wine until today.
The system centers around wooden racks into which the bottles are placed neck first at an angle of 45 degrees. Each day the bottles are turned and tilted so that the bottle points further downwards with each day, the process gradually bringing all the sediment into the neck right behind the cork. The sediment is then frozen to form a "plug" which is then being removed (dégorgement).
Today, maneuvering the sediment to the neck of the bottle can be accomplished far more speedily with gyropallets: 500 or more bottles lie in a cage-like rack, and will be turned at regular intervals in the course of far fewer days, so that the yeasts collect themselves in the neck of the bottles.
Then the spent yeasts are removed. After chilling the bottles, the neck is frozen, and the cap removed. The pressure in the bottle forces out the ice containing the lees, and the bottle is quickly corked to maintain the carbon dioxide in solution. Some liqueur de dosage is added to achieve the desired level of sweetness.
After adjusting the level of fill and setting the sweetness, the bottle is corked, caged and labeled; the sparkler is clear --- without any sediment. Importantly, the amount of sugar added after degorgement determines the sweetness level of the sparkler.
Second, the transversage method is identical to the Méthode Champenoise, except for the disgorgement. After the secondary fermentation is complete and the wine has spent the desired amount of time in bottle on the lees, the individual bottles are not riddled but transferred (hence the name) under counter-pressure into a larger tank. The wine is then filtered, liqueur de dosage added, and filled back into new bottles for sale. This means of production is relevant above all to the bottling of special formats (Jereboam, Rehoboam, etc.). Advantage: the bottles do not have to be riddled, but the indication "bottle fermented" is permissible.
Third, the Charmat Method was developed in the early 1900s. In contrast to the Méthode Champenoise, the second fermenation does not take place in individuell bottles but in large tanks. The base wines are collected in a large, high-pressure tank, sugar and yeast is added to the tank, the second fermenation takes place in the tank, the now sparkling wine is filtered, liqueur de dosage added, and bottled via a counter-pressure bottler. Importantly, there is no aging on the lees.
Fourth, the Méthode Ancestrale is by far the oldest method of making sparkling wine and preceded the traditional method by almost 200 years, or possibly even more. The Méthode Ancestrale involves only one fermentation, which is stopped and then allowed to re-start when the wine is bottled. A single fermentaion starts in tank or barrel and finishes in the bottle. The winemaker bottles the wine in the middle of its fermenation.
Generally, the last step in the Méthode Ancestrale is the same as in the Méthode Champenoise: Maneuvering the sediment to the neck of the bottle and then ejecting it. But sometimes this step is avoided, which leaves an hazy appearance. There is no harm in this; the dead yeast, or lees, can improve the flavor and texture and also can act as an antioxidant. But you might want to keep the bottle standing up so the sediment settles.
The Méthode Ancestrale generally produces wines with low alcohol content and low pressure.
Fifth, the carbonation method takes the base wine and injects gas in the same way that, for example, coca-cola is made.There is only one fermentation (to produce the base wine) and the corbon dioxide is just added.
Pictures: Mark P. Barth Hand Riddling. See: Tour and Wine Tasting with Lunch, with Mark Barth at Wein- und Sektgut Barth in Hattenheim, Rheingau– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Degrees of Pressure
Fully-sparkling wines, such as Champagne, are generally sold with 5 to 6 atmospheres of pressure in the bottle. This is nearly twice the pressure found in an automobile tire. European Union regulations define a sparkling wine as any wine with an excess of 3 atmospheres in pressure. These include German Schaumwein (Sekt), Spanish Espumoso, Italian Spumante and French Crémant or Mousseux wines.
Semi-sparkling wines are defined as those with between 1 and 2.5 atmospheres of pressures and include German Perlwein (Sekt), French Vin Pétillant and Italian Vino Frizzante. Many of the semi-sparkling wines are produced with the carbonation method or the Charmat Method.
For the production methods involving a second fermentation, the amount of pressure in the wine is determined by the amount of sugar added for the second fermentation, with more sugar and sufficient yeast producing increased amount of carbon dioxide gas and thus pressure in the wine.
For the Méthode Ancestrale, the amount of sugar and yeast left in the fermenting wine, when the wine is bottled, determines the pressure in the finished wine. Generally, such sparkling wines have a low pressure.
Finally, as fot the carbonation method, the pressure depends on how much carbon dioxide is added.
Picture: Annette Schiller tasting Ca'Salina Prosecco at Ca'Salina with Owner Gregorio Bartolin in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore Region. See: Visiting the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superiore Region, Italy
Pét Nat (Pétillant Naturel)
Pét-Nat is the new kid on the block when it comes to sparkling wine. Literally “naturally sparkling” it is abbreviated to Pét-Nat. It has “natural” in its name, which is enough right there to make it buzzy. Pét-Nats are hands-off sparklers made in the Méthode Ancestrale. Pét-Nats stand for authentic craftsmanship in mostly small quantities and for a natural handling of wine. You can find them now all over the world by trendy, hands-off winemakers.
The Méthode Ancestrale is the common element for all Pét Nats that you find in the market. Other aspects may vary. Most Pét-Nat producers work their vineyards according to organic or even biodynamic methods. Often, Pét Nats are Orange Sparkling Wines,i.e. until bottling they are fermented on the mash (with the skin). Generally, there is no removal of the spent yeasts, thus Pét Nats tend to be marred by an hazy appearance.
The Pét-Nats also have less pressure, with an often less pronounced perlage (semi-sparkling). Their pressure in the bottle is usually 2.5-3 bar, while Champagne comes in at 5-6 bar. The alcohol content is also often lower than in other sparkling wines.
Pét Nats tend to be dry but they don't have to be. Most Pét Nats I have had were dry, but they can also have some residual sweetness. The Clairette de Die from the Rhône Valley is always semi-dry. A light filtration of the fermenting wine before it is bottled leave only a few active yeasts in the wine and the sugar does not fully ferment.
The packaging also often differs in one important detail: Champagne is closed with the characteristic, large corks. Pét-nats, on the other hand, are usually crowned with a modest crown cork – similar to a bottle of beer or cider.
France
Champagne
Blending is the hallmark of Champagne, with most Champagnes being the assembled product of several vineyards and vintages (non-vintage, NV). In Champagne, there are over 19,000 vineyard owners, only 5,000 of which are Champagne producers. The rest sell their grapes to the various Champagne houses, negociants and co-operatives.
Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay are the primary grape varieties used to make Champagne. Champagne may be either Blanc de Noirs (made from red grapes), Blanc de Blancs (made from white grapes, most often Chardonnay - A famous example is Ruinart) or Rose, either by adding red wine to a white blend or sometimes by fermenting the juice in contact with the skins.
Champagne's AOC regulations require that NV Champagne cannot legally be sold until it has aged on the lees in the bottle for at least 15 months and vintage Champagne be aged for three years. Most top producers exceed the requirement for vintage Champagne, holding bottles on the lees for 6 to 8 years.
The type of Champagne producer can be identified from the abbreviations followed by the official number on the bottle:
NM: Négociant manipulant. These companies (including the majority of the larger brands, such as: Ayala, Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Canard-Duchêne, Deutz, Heidsieck & Co., Henriot, Krug, Lanson, Laurent-Perrier, Moët et Chandon, Mumm, Perrier-Jouët, Joseph Perrier, Piper Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Pommery, Louis Roederer, Ruinart, Salon, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot) buy grapes (hence négociant) and make Champagne themselves (hence manipulant).
CM: Coopérative de manipulation. Cooperatives that make Champagne from the growers who are members, with all the grapes pooled together.
RM: Récoltant manipulant. (Also known as Grower Champagne) A grower that makes Champagne from its own grapes.
RC: Récoltant coopérateur. A co-operative member selling Champagne produced by the co-operative under his or her own name and label.
SR: Société de récoltants. An association of growers making a shared Champagne but who are not a co-operative.
ND: Négociant-Distributeur. . A wine merchant selling Champagne under his own name, but not producing it.
MA: Marque auxiliaire or Marque d'acheteur. Increasingly common, such wines are essentially own-brand Champagnes, bottled for specific retailers under a specific label (usually owned by the retailer), usually produced by a co-operative.
The Cuvée de Prestige is the top of a producer's range. Famous examples include Louis Roederer's Cristal, Laurent-Perrier's Grand Siècle, Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon, Duval-Leroy's Cuvée Femme and Pol Roger's Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. The first prestige cuvée was Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon, launched in 1936 with the 1921 vintage. Then came Taittinger's Comtes de Champagne (first vintage 1952), and Laurent-Perrier's Grand Siècle 'La Cuvée' in 1960, a blend of three vintages (1952, 1953, and 1955) and Perrier Jouet's 'La Belle Epoque'.
History
Champagne first gained world renown because of its association with the French Court. Royalty from throughout Europe spread the message of the unique sparkling wine from Champagne and its association with luxury and power in the 17th, 18th and 19th century.
The Ruinart Champagne House was the first Champagne House founded in 1729, soon followed by Taittinger (1734), Moët et Chandon (1743), Veuve Clicquot (1772) and others.
Crémant is a sparkling wine produced in the Méthode Champenoise in France, but not a Champagne. Currently, there are eight appellations in France for sparkling wine which include the designation Crémant in their name:
Crémant d'Alsace Crémant de Bordeaux Crémant de Bourgogne Crémant de Die Crémant du Jura Crémant de Limoux Crémant de Loire Crémant de Savoie
As a new development in the EU, the Crémant designation has started to appear outside of France, including in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.
Spain
Under Spanish Denominación de Origen laws, Cava can be produced in six wine regions (mostly Catalonia) and must be made according to the Traditional Method with second fermentation in the bottle and uses a selection of the grapes Macabeu, Parellada, Xarel·lo, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and Subirat. Despite being a traditional Champagne grape, Chardonnay was not used in the production of Cava until the 1980s.
Italy
Sparkling wines are made throughout Italy but the Italian sparkling wines most widely seen on the world market are the Franciacorta from Lombardy, Asti from Piedmont, Lambrusco from Emilia and Prosecco from Veneto. Though Franciacorta wines are made according to the traditional method, most Italian sparkling wines, in particular Asti and most Prosecco, are made with the Charmat method.
Franciacorta
Unlike the Champagne region, which can look back to several centuries of fame, Franciacorta’s history is very short. It started only 50 years ago, when Franco Ziliani produced a couple of thousand bottles of a sparkling wine for the Guido Berlucchi winery, which sold very well. It sold so well, that over night, the region of Franciacorta was born and the well-equipped and architecturally varied wineries we know today sprang up within a short period of time to establish the region. Franco Ziliani and Guido Berlucchi are considered to be the fathers of Franciacorta. The name Franciacorta comes from the latin Franchae Curtes, or Monastery-controlled courts that were, thanks to the power of the Church, exempt from the taxes of nearby Brescia.
Prosecco, just as Champagne in neighboring France, is a regional application. Only wine produced in the official Prosecco production zone can be labeled as Prosecco. It can be spumante (sparkling wine), frizzante (semi-sparkling wine), or tranquillo (still wine), depending on the perlage. It is made from Glera grapes, formerly known also as Prosecco, but other grape varieties may be included. The name is derived from that of the Italian village of Prosecco near Trieste, where the grape may have originated.
Prosecco DOC is produced in nine provinces spanning the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. Prosecco Superiore DOCG comes in two varieties: Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG, which can only be made in the Treviso province of Veneto on the hills between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene (north of Treviso), and the smaller Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, produced near the town of Asolo.
Today, Prosecco has two faces: inside the DOCG territory wines are more and more complex, refined and, inevitably, costly. In the DOC part, simplicity is the goal, yields are higher, and costs are low thanks to mechanisation (flat terrain, no steep hills), all produced in the Charmat Method.
Prosecco is the main ingredient of the Bellini cocktail and can be a less expensive substitute for Champagne. It is also a key ingredient of spritz, a cocktail popular in northern Italy.
Germany is one of the largest sparkling wine markets in the world. 500 million of the 2 billion bottles of sparkling wine produced in the world is consumed in Germany. Sparkling wine produced in Germany is called Sekt. Sekt is made in all German wine regions. All of the 5 production methods are used.
There are three groups of Sekt makers: (i) large and (ii) smaller Sekt Houses, which only make Sekt and (iii) winemakers, who make predominantly wine, but complement their wine selection by a few Sekts.
The Sekts produced by large Sekt estates tend to be in the demy-sweet and sweet range and made by using the Charmat Method, while the Sekts of smaller estates and winemakers are mostly in the brut and extra brut range, made according to the Méthode Champenoise.
At the top, premium and ultra-premium Sekts are made according to the Méthode Champenoise. To indicate that it is made like Champagne the label says "Traditionelle Flachengährung"/ Traditional Method. One of the rquirements is that it has aged on the lees in the bottle for at least 9 months on the lees.
"Winzersekt" is what is called "Grower Champagne" in Champagne, i.e. the grapes come from the producer's vineyard.
A Winzersekt is always a Deutscher Sekt/ Qualitätsschaumwein b.A. (bestimmter Anbaugebiete), a quality sparkling wine from a protected designation of origin wine region. Regional grape varieties like Riesling, Silvaner, and Pinot Noir are used.
On the other side of the quality spectrum, you find just "Sekt" on the label, made at least partially from imported wines from Italy, Spain and France. If it says "Deutscher Sekt", the grapes are all from Germany.
There are also lots of semi-sparkling wines (Perlwein), which can range from really cheap to excellent quality wines.
German production of sparkling wines dates back to the early 1800s, when G. C. Kessler & Co. was founded by Georg Christian Kessler, who had previously worked at the Champagne House Veuve Clicquot. Also, many (French) Champagne Houses have German origins, such as Bollinger, Mumm, Taitinger.
Production of premium sparklers in England – were vine growing conditions are not that different from the Champagne region - started in the 1960s. Today, there are over 100 producers of sparkling wines.
See: Nyetimber's Classic Cuvee 2003 from England has been Crowned Champion of Worldwide Sparkling Wines
USA
The United States is an important producer of sparkling wine and has agreed to no longer call its sparklers Champagne, although there is a grandfathering clause. In the US, the history of producing quality sparkling wine goes back to the Korbel brothers, who immigrated from Bohemia on the 1850s. The last decades of the 1900s have seen a wave of foreign investments from some of France’s most prominent Champagne Houses, including Moët et Chandon, Louis Roederer and Taittinger.
See: As Close as You Can Get to Champagne – Claude Thibaut and His Virginia Thibaut Janisson Sparklers at screwtop Wine Bar, USA German Wine Makers in the World: The Korbel Brothers from Bohemia Introduced "Champagne" to the US
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Picture: Francis, Anton and Joseph Korbel, founders of the Korbel Champagne Cellars in California (Source: Korbel). See: German Wine Makers in the World: The Korbel Brothers from Bohemia Introduced "Champagne" to the US
schiller-wine: Related Postings
Upcoming Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: April 2, 2018)
Picture: Visit and Tasting: Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé
Overall, Bordeaux is a rather sleepy area, not well prepared to receive wine lovers from all over the world to experience the wines they love so much in the area, where the wines are made. But things are changing. Wine tourism has caught up with Bordeaux. One producer that clearly is a leader in this wine-tourism movement is Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte.
We visited Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte in the morning. Following the visit and tasting we enjoyed lunch at the 2 Michelin starred Restaurant La Grand' Vigne, prepared by Chef Nicolas Masse. The restaurant is part of the Les Sources de Caudalie, a complex comprising a hotel, several restaurants and a health spa, which the owners of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte constructed next to the Château.
This posting focuses on the visit of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte. A separate posting covers the outstanding wine lunch at Restaurant La Grande Vigne.
Pictures: Touring Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé
Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte and Florence and Daniel Cathiard
The noble Bosq family started growing grapes here as early as 1365. The property was purchased in the 18th century by Scotsman George Smith, who gave the estate its present name. He also built the manor house and exported his – by now famous – wine to England on his own ships. Current owners are Florence and Daniel Cathiard.
Both Florence and Daniel were professional skiers belonging to the French Olympic ski team in the mid-1960s (with triple gold medal legend at the 1968 Winter Olympics Jean-Claude Killy). After their career in sports, Daniel built a supermarket and sporting goods store imperium and Florence an advertising agency. In 1990 they bought Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte with the wealth generated by the sale of all their assets. They brought the quality of Smith-Haut-Lafitte wines to the level for which they were once renowned.
Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Château Smith Haut Lafitte is a Bordeaux producer from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the Grands Crus Classé for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. The winery and vineyards are located south of the city of Bordeaux, in the commune of Martillac.
The estate originates in the 14th century with the house of Verrier Du Boscq who planted vines on a gravelly plateau named Lafitte already in 1365. In 1720 it was bought by the Scotsman Georges Smith who added his name to the lieu-dit and who built the manor house of the property.
Pictures: At Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé
The Louis Eschenauer Company bought the estate in 1958, after having already distributed the wine from the early 20th century. In 1990, Florence and Daniel Cathiard bought Smith Haut Lafitte and embarked on a major renovation and investment program.
The vineyard area consists of 67 hectares, 56 hectares of which are planted with red grape varieties (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc). The remaining 11 hectares are cultivated with white varieties (90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris). The vineyards are located on a gravel ridge to the east of Château Haut-Bailly.
The grapes are fermented in stainless steel vats and the wine is then matured in oak barrels (50% new) for 15-18 months. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Pictures: In the Red Wine Cellar of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé
The Grand vin, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, is annually produced in 10,000 cases of the red wine and 2,500 cases of the dry white. The second wine, Les Hauts de Smith, has a production of 5,500 cases, and exists in red, white and rosé versions. The rosé is produced as a Bordeaux AOC.
Château Smith-Haut-Lafite has been transformed during the last decade from being a perennial underachiever to being one of the leading estates in the Graves region. Before the arrival of the Cathiard Family, Château Smith Haut Lafitte - though a Classified Growth of the Graves region - bore the nickname of Sleeping Beauty.
Pictures: In the White Wine Cellar of Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé
Daniel and Florence Cathiard invested heavily, restored buildings, replaced vats, constructed a new barrel cellar, converted vineyard practices to sustainable farming and paid detailed attention to hand picking, sorting, and practices in the cellar. The proportion of new oak barrels used in the maturation process was increased and a trio of eminent oenologists (including Michel Rolland) was hired as consultants.
Pictures: Harvest at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé - From Collection Baskets to Fermentation Tank
Having raised the wine of Smith to the highest level of quality, Daniel and Florence Cathiard were not happy to leave it at that: they also restored the 16th-century tower, renovated the 18th-century chartreuse, refurbished two underground cellars and started up a cooperage on the premises.
Private Cellar
Before finishing the visit with a tasting, we spent some time in the private cellar of Daniel and Florence Cathiard.
Pictures: Tasting at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé
Lunch at Restaurant La Grand' Vigne, Prepared by Chef Nicolas Masse (2 stars Michelin)
Not this time, but last time we were at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, following the tour, we went over to the Restaurant La Grand' Vigne for an outstanding wine lunch, prepared by Chef Nicolas Masse, who got his second Michelin star in 2014.
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Oysters in Bordeaux: Visiting the Oyster Farmer Raphael Doerfler and his Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm in Grand Piquey/ Bassin d'Arcachon - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Pictures: Travel: Vineyard Hopping in Germany's East - GW German World (Summer 2017 New York & East Edition)
The GW German World is a bilangual magazine, published in Los Angelos. In tne travel section, the summer 2017 edition carries an article on "Vineyard Hopping in Germany's East". The article was written by Jenny Peters, Senior Editor/ English Language Editor of GW German World. Petra Schürmann, Publisher of GW German World was responsible for the German text. Annette Schiller of ombiasyPR&WineTours, with Christian Schiller, contributed substantially to the article. The article is based on the Germany-East tour by ombiasy WineTours.
Annette Schiller: Discover Germany's internationally rather unknown wine regions east of Frankfurt, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken, expect gorgeous Pinot-Blancs, Silvaner, Lemberger, attend performances at world-renowned theater houses, delve deep into the unique culture and history of the once divided Germany.
Don't miss the fantastic small dishes with matching wines at the Weinzentrale in Dresden-Neustadt. See: Wine and Opera in Dresden: Mozart at Semper Opera and the Best Wines of Sachsen at Wine Bar Weinzentrale in Dresden-Neustadt, with Owner/ Sommelier Jens Pietzonka – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Enjoy a meal at the Wintergarten Café in Schlosshotel Pillnitz in Dresden
Enjoy a meal at Restaurant Zufriedenheit in Naumburg
Treat yourself to lunch at the Restauant of Winery Vincenz Richter in Meissen. See: Wine and Music:"Martin Luther Lunch" at the Historic Vincenz Richter Restaurant, Weingut Vincenz Richter, in Meissen with Senior Boss Gottfried Herrlich and the Music of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Don't miss a wine-pairing dinner at Lippe'sches Gutshaus, Schloss Proschwitz. See: 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)
There are 8 winemaker recommendations, 4 for the Saale-Unstrut Region and 4 for the Sachsen Region.
Winery Pawis in Freyburg-Zscheiplitz, Saale-Unstrut. See: Weingut Pawis in the Saale Unstrut Region: Tour and Wine Tasting with Marcus Pawis – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Winery Klaus Zimmermann in Oberpoyritz, Sachsen. See: 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)
Winery Sächsisches Staatseingut Schloss Wackerbarth, Sachsen
UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: May 1, 2018)
Wine and Opera in Dresden: Mozart at Semper Opera and the Best Wines of Sachsen at Wine Bar Weinzentrale in Dresden-Neustadt, with Owner/ Sommelier Jens Pietzonka – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
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)
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)
This posting provides listings of all postings that I issued concerning the 4 ombiasy WineTours that took place in 2017, all lead by Annette Schiller: Germany-East, Germany-North, Bordeaux and Germany-South/ Alsace.
Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History
Picture: In the Cellar of Weingut Herzog von Württemberg at Schloss Monrepos in Ludwigsburg, Württemberg, with Andrea Ritz, the Wine Queen of Württemberg
The Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: "Wine, Art, Culture and History - Germany's Undiscovered Wine Regions and World-renowned Art Centers" took place from June 9 to June 18, 2017.
This tour allowed wine lovers and aficionados of the arts to experience what the statement “wine is a form of art” entails. We lived the profound relationship between wine, music, visual arts, history by visiting Germany’s beautiful, lesser known wine regions, and the region which is the cradle of German culture, and intellectual thinking. We met winemakers who embody the "wine and art" approach right at their wineries, and we attended world-class concert and opera performances.
We visited a total of 16 wineries (the majority are members of the VDP, the German association of elite wine makers) in 4 different wine regions:
Saale-Unstrut, the northernmost German wine region and former GDR territory. It is situated on the hillsides lining the Saale and Unstrut rivers and produces racy white wines from many white grape varieties; (see also: Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in the Saale Unstrut Region, Germany)
Sachsen, also located in the former GDR, is the easternmost German wine region and extends some 35 miles north and south of Dresden along the Elbe river. This region tickles all your senses with its unique voluptuous baroque architecture, a rich history, its wealth of art, and love of all the good things in life; (see also: Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany)
Franken with its Bavarian charm and gorgeous, crisp, crystal clear wines from their signature grape Silvaner; and
Württemberg, Germany’s premier red wine region with hearty, bold wines made from grapes like Lemberger (Blaufränkisch in Austria), and Trollinger. This is the region where wine is ingrained in daily life like nowhere else. The Württemberg region has the highest per capita consumption of wine in Germany.
Germany with its roughly 250,000 acres under vine belongs today to one of the smaller wine producing countries in the world. However, viticulture in Germany has a long tradition, going back to Roman times 2,000 years ago. In the 15th century, the area under vine was four times larger than it is today. Wars, subsequent loss of territory, diseases, overproduction, and competition from beer brewing resulted in land turned over to other agricultural uses. In the 19th century, concentration on terroir and technological progress fostered a tremendous improvement of quality and the prestige of German wines, in particular from the Mosel, Rheingau, and Pfalz regions, resulting in prices above those for first growth Bordeaux wines. Today, all thirteen wine regions in Germany produce outstanding wines. However, the two regions in the former GDR had a lot of catching up to do. During the communist times from 1945 until reunification in 1989, wine production was nationalized, and winemaking took place in huge VEB (volkseigener Betrieb / company owned by the people) wineries. The output, the bottle count was imposed on the VEB by the State, and therefore quality could not play a major role. The winemaking process was deprived of modern farming and cellar techniques. The majority of wine produced was for the consumption of the communist party members. After the iron curtain came down, family wineries were founded, and the winemakers pursued quality with a vengeance. Some of Germany’s finest Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris today come from the Saale-Unstrut and Sachsen regions.
Wine and Music:"Martin Luther Lunch" at the Historic Vincenz Richter Restaurant, Weingut Vincenz Richter, in Meissen with Senior Boss Gottfried Herrlich and the Music of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
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)
Wine and Opera in Dresden: Mozart at Semper Opera and the Best Wines of Sachsen at Wine Bar Weinzentrale in Dresden-Neustadt, with Owner/ Sommelier Jens Pietzonka – Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Dresden is the New Unlikely Place for Fine Barolo Wine: Weingut Martin Schwarz– Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Picture: With Oliver Haag, Weingut Fritz Haag, Brauneberg, Mosel, in the Brauneberger Sonnenuhr Vineyard - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir
We spent 7 days (Thursday, June 19, 2017 to June 25, 2017) touring 5 German wine regions (Rheingau, Mittelrhein, Ahr, Mosel and Nahe), tasting fabulous wines, meeting world-renowned wine makers, and delving deep into German history and culture.
The group was small - there were 4 of us, including Annette and Christian Schiller. This posting provides an overview.
On the Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, we visited a total of 18 wineries in 5 different wine regions: Rheingau, the jewel in the crown, with its perfect, fuller bodied, racy Rieslings; Mittelrhein where the Rieslings grow on the steep slopes of the fortress- and castle-ribboned banks of the Rhine river; Ahr with its sun collecting canyons perfect for the finicky Pinot Noir grape; Mosel with its dizzying steep vineyards and famous elegant Rieslings; Nahe and its serene, peaceful valley where perfect harmonious wines reflect their roots.
Annette Schiller: Our way of traveling allows wine lovers to fully experience authentic Germany. Drawing on our love and deep knowledge of Germany and close personal ties to many personalities in the wine scene, our small group visits many of the hidden gems that other tours pass by, but which are essential to comprehend what German wine is all about
Germany with its roughly 250,000 acres under vine belongs today to one of the smaller wine producing countries in the world. However, viticulture in Germany has a long tradition, going back to Roman times 2,000 years ago. In the 15th century, the area under vine was four times larger than it is today. Wars, subsequent loss of territory, diseases, overproduction, and competition from beer brewing resulted in land turned over to other agricultural uses. In the 19th century, concentration on terroir and technological progress fostered a tremendous improvement of quality and the prestige of German wines, in particular from the Mosel, Rheingau, and Pfalz regions, resulting in prices above those for first growth Bordeaux wines. Today, all thirteen wine regions in Germany produce outstanding wines, and German Rieslings belong to the best white wines in the world.
Kloster Eberbach in the Rheingau: Lunch, Tour of the Abbey, the Steinberg and the Steinbergkeller, with Tasting - Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Picture: Tour at the Cooperage Berger & Fils in the Village of Vertheuil, with Simon Grelier, Managing Director
Led by Annette Schiller, the Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours took place from September 6 to 15, 2017. The group comprised 6 wine lovers from the United States, including Annette and Christian Schiller.
Annette Schiller: Our way of traveling allows wine lovers to fully experience authentic Bordeaux. "Bordeaux" embodies not only "wine": The interplay of wine and food is very important. Therefore our tour has a strong culinary component, with exquisite wine pairing lunches and dinners at the Châteaux playing a daily part of our journey through the Bordeaux wine region. Drawing on our love and deep knowledge of the region and close personal ties to many of the Château owners/ managers/ winemakers, our small group visits many of the hidden gems that other tours pass by, but which are essential to feel what Bordeaux is all about. In a nutshell: this is an on ground wine class on Bordeaux!
Oysters in Bordeaux: Visiting the Oyster Farmer Raphael Doerfler and his Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm in Grand Piquey/ Bassin d'Arcachon - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2017, France
Pictures: Tasting with Jean-Frederic Hugel at Domaine Hugel in Riquewhir, Alsace, including a Vintage 1945 Domaine Hugel Wine
The Germany-South and Alsace Tour by ombiasy WineTours took place from October 1 - 8, 2017. The group was small - there were 4 of us, including Annette and Christian Schiller.
We visited a total of 19 wineries in Alsace in France and 3 different German wine regions where predominantly grapes other than Riesling are planted: Baden, the most southern German wine region and Germany’s answer to Burgundy; Pfalz with its almost Mediterranean climate and voluptuous whites and reds; Southern Rheinhessen where a variety of white grapes and also Pinot-Noir grow.
Annette Schiller in her announcement: Discover Germany’s southern wine regions and red wine. Explore Baden, the southernmost and internationally fairly unknown region that produces outstanding Pinot Noirs (in German: Spätburgunder), and whites from Burgundy grapes and other varietals. Visit wineries on the shore of Lake Constance, the largest body of water in Germany bordering Switzerland. Take a look at medieval monasteries and other cultural heritage sites. We will spend one night in an epicurean's dream destination in the Kaiserstuhl to indulge in true southern German hospitality and 1-Michelin star gourmet food. We will step across the Rhine River to compare the very different wines of the eastern (German) and western (French) Rhine valley and we will get a feel for beautiful, quaint Alsace with its picturesque wine villages dotted with half-timbered century old buildings. Enjoy a great dinner at a 1-Michelin star restaurant in Kaysersberg, the birth place of Albert Schweitzer. Enjoy the Pfalz and Rheinhessen with its gently rolling hills, sumptuous red and white wines, and a generation of young, ambitious, up and coming winemakers.
This is the text of the ombiasy WineTours newsletter that Annette distributed on May 25, 2018. If you want to be on her distribution list, send a mail to aschiller@ombiasypr.com.
Pét-Nat: Le Dernier Crie - The Latest Hipe
Dear wine and food lover,
It's getting warmer in the northern hemisphere as summer is slowly but surely approaching. What is better after a hard day's work, or to ring in a leisurely weekend than sipping some cool fizzy stuff.
A new trendy kid on the blog is Pét-Nat, but what is Pét-Nat? Actually it is not at all a new kid – it is the oldest sparkling wine produced on planet Earth going back to the 16th century. Making Champagne according to the méthode champenoise (adding sugar to initiate a second fermentation of a fully fermented base wine) was discovered much later in 1662 by English scientist and physician Christopher Merret.
Pét-Nat stands for “Pétillant Naturel”, and is produced in the “méthode ancestral”. Still wine is basically fermented grape juice where the natural sugars in the grapes convert to alcohol, and the wine is bottled after fermentation has come to an end. “Méthode ancestral” means that the wine is bottled before the fermentation process is completed, thus keeping some carbon dioxide in the bottle, which makes the wine fizzy.
As the name Pét-Nat suggests in general producers work their vineyards according to organic or even biodynamic methods, and work mostly with spontaneous fermentation. Often, Pét-Nats are Orange Sparkling Wines, i.e. they are fermented on the mash (with the skin). There is no disgorgement or removal of the spent yeasts, and no or minimal filtration - hence Pét-Nats tend to show a somewhat cloudy appearance.
To produce a Pét-Nat requires a lot of experience and authentic craftsmanship of the wine maker. The process can be hard to control and the result is often unpredictable.
Due to the production method Pét-Nats have less pressure than other sparklers, and often show a less pronounced perlage (semi-sparkling). Their pressure in the bottle is usually 2.5-3 bar, while Champagne comes in at 5-6 bar. The alcohol content is also lower than in other sparkling wines. The packaging differs in one important detail: A Champagne is closed with the characteristic, large cork and a cage. Pét-nats, are usually closed with a cap – similar to a beer bottle cap or cider bottle cap.
So, what's the hipe about the Pét-Nats and what do they taste like?
Pét-Nats are light, fizzy bubblies low in alcohol, which makes them popular. They are lively, rustic sparklers that reflect the terroir. Pét-Nats can taste dry or can have some residual sweetness. An Orange Pét-Nat comes with a particular taste and might need a little getting used to. I suspect the Pét-Nat will never be mainstream, but with the low alcohol and less fizz it will find its followers.
Get some Pét-Nats, try and taste. Pét-Nats are perfect to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend
CHEERS Annette
FALL Wine Tours 2018
The long Memoriall Day weekend is just one day away. Time to start thinking: What are we going to do in the fall? I have a suggestion: Do some fabulous wine tours to Bordeaux and Burgundy & Champagne.
The fall tours usually coincide with some aspects of the harvest season. It is always exciting to travel to wine regions during the harvest season to feel the tension: will this be a good vintage? Sometimes we only catch the preparation stage, sometimes we just see the last truck loaded with grapes pulling into the winery, sometimes -like last year- we were lucky to witness harvest season in full swing.
Annette
Bordeaux, September 04 - 13, 2018
Join me for this years wine tour to BORDEAUX. This tour starts and ends in Bordeaux City.
Taste first-class wines in Saint-Emilion, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, Pessac-Léognan, Pomerol, Sauterne, Graves. Enjoy exquisite gourmet wine pairing lunches and dinners at world-famous Châteaux. Learn about the mechanism of the “Place de Bordeaux” from an expert at a négociant house. Visit a cooper to closely witness the art of making a barrique -so important for the quality of a wine- from A to Z. Travel to the Bassin d’Arcachon to explore how an oyster is raised. Discover the vibrant and cool city of Bordeaux.
We plan to visit (in order of the scheduled itinerary): Château La Mission Haut-Brion; Château Beauséjour; Château Clos Fourtet; Château La Conseillante; Château Le Bon Pasteur; Château Villemaurine; Château Yquem; Château Climens; Vignobles Gonet-Médeville; Château Smith Haut-Lafitte; Château Lascombes; Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron; Château Lynch-Bages; Château Lafon-Rochet; Château Phélan Ségur; Château Le Reysse; Château Léoville-Barton; Château Kirwan; Château Haut-Bailly.
Once you arrive in Bordeaux you are taken care of until the tour ends. We always travel in a small goup with max 12 people (including myself, the guide) in order to be able to get a very personal behind the scene experience.
Experience a Bordeaux wine class on the ground and have lots of fun too!
Join me for this years wine tour to BURGUNDY and CHAMPAGNE. The tour starts in Lyon and ends in Paris.
Travel from Lyon to Paris. Discover the sophisticated city of Lyon beautifully situated at the confluence of the Saône and Rhône rivers. Travel north and visit and taste at top Domaines in the Beaujolais, the Mâconnais, the Côte Chalonnaise, the Côte de Beaune whith the Grand Cru Montrachet vineyards where the most expensive white wines of the world grow, the Côte de Nuits with it's famous red Grand Cru appellations such as La Tâche, Richebourg, Clos de Vougeot, Romannée Conti, and Chablis with its crispy Chardonnay. Cross into the Champagne region to learn how the bubbles get into the bottle and savor fantastic Champagnes. Enjoy Michelin-star restaurants as well as typicl local bistros and taverns. Get a good idea about the great history of the region through visits of important historic places. Have the farewell meal in a Paris restaurant which has become a landmark throughout time.
Once you arrive in Lyon you are taken care of until we part in Paris. The group will be a small one with max 12 people (including me, your guide) to allow us to visit small Burgundy domaines and to get a very personal behind the scene expierence.
Get the inside track of the Burgundy and Champagne regions and have lots of fun too!
Germany East - Wine, Culture, History Tour - from Berlin to Frankfurt: June 11 – 20, 2018 There is 1 - just ONE! slot available for the very late decision maker.
France
Bordeaux: September 04 – 13, 2018 Burgundy & Champagne: September 20 – 30, 2018 Rhône: October 15 – 24, 2018 (sold out)
Germany South / Alsace Baden • Alsace • Pfalz • Rheinhessen May 12 - May 20, 2018
The Germany-South and Alsace Tour by ombiasy WineTours took place from May 12 - May 20, 2018. The size of the group varied during the tour between 6 and 4 members, including Annette and Christian Schiller. This posting provides an overview.
We visited a total of 18 wineries in Alsace in France and 3 different German wine regions where predominantly grapes other than Riesling are planted: Baden, the most southern German wine region and Germany’s answer to Burgundy; Pfalz with its almost Mediterranean climate and voluptuous whites and reds; Southern Rheinhessen where a variety of white grapes and also Pinot-Noir grow.
Annette Schiller in her announcement: Discover Germany’s southern wine regions and red wine country Germany. Explore Baden, the southernmost and internationally fairly unknown region that produces outstanding Pinot Noirs (in German: Spätburgunder), and whites from Burgundy grapes and other varietals. Visit wineries on the shore of Lake Constance, the largest body of water in Germany bordering Switzerland. Take a look at medieval monasteries and other cultural heritage sites. We will spend one night in an epicurean's dream destination in the Kaiserstuhl to indulge in true southern German hospitality and 1-Michelin star gourmet food. We will step across the Rhine River to compare the very different wines of the eastern (German) and western (French) Rhine valley and we will get a feel for beautiful, quaint Alsace with its incredible picturesque wine villages dotted with half-timbered century old buildings. Enjoy a 2-Michelin star dinner at a great Alsatian restaurant with truly French charme. Enjoy the Pfalz and Rheinhessen regions with its gently rolling hills, sumptuous red and white wines, and a generation of young, ambitious, up and coming winemakers. Discover Mainz, on of the ten wine capitals of the World, where wine is one of the most important part of everyday life.
ITINERARY
DAY 1: Saturday, May 12
09:00 Departure by Coach from Frankfurt am Main.
09:45 Cellar Tour and Tasting at New Superstar Sekt Producer Griesel&Compagnie in Bensheim, Hessische Bergstrasse, with Assistant Winemaker Rachele Crosara
Assistant Winemaker Rachele Crosara was our host.
We toured the winemaking facilities and had a tasting of the Griesel Sekts.
With this visit we honored the Germans affinity with the bubbly stuff. Did you know that the Germans are world champions in sparkling wine consumption? And that “Rotkäppchen” in Freyburg, in the Saale-Unstrut region is the world’s second largest sparkling wine producer after Freixenet? And that there are many top rated Sekt producers in Germany?
Our visit took us to a Sekthaus which came into existence just a few years ago and already enjoys the highest accolades. In 2013 the Eberbach Abbey winery in Bensheim moved the production to headquartes in the Rheingau and the wonderful old, vaulted cellers under the Griesel mountain became available. Sekthaus Griesel came into existence. Vintner Niko Brandner started from scratch and could configure the Sekthaus exactly according to his knowledge and ideas. The April 2018 edition of the Decanter writes about the 2014 Griesel, Blanc de Noirs Brut: “This new discovery is seriously impressive, all the more so given that it’s only this talented producer’s second vintage. Made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, it has spent 24 months on lees before being disgorged……”
12:45 Lunch at 1-Michelin Star Restaurant Landhaus Feckl in Ehningen.
We had a most delicious three-course lunch.
This family-run cozy, rustic-chic Landhaus boasts of an exquisite restaurant. Chef and owner Franz Feckl is well reputed for his creative ideas to perfectly combine regional Swabian cuisine with cuisines of other regions, i.e. the Mediterranean, Asia, France. His wife Michaela is a charming host.
The Hohenzollern Castle is the ancestral seat of the Hohenzollern dynasty, from which the German Emperors and kings of Prussia came. The original castle was built in the 11th century, burned down several times, and was finally restored by both branches of the Hohenzollern family in the 19th century. For almost one thousand years it serves as temporary home for the family. It is still owned by the Hohenzollern family and home of Georg Friedrich Prince of Prussia and Sophie Princess of Prussia. The castle sits on a hill high above the town of Hechingen and is visible from afar. Frederick the Great was buried here. After reunification Frederick's casket was moved to Sanssouci in Potsdam and he was finally laid to rest in the terrace of the vineyard of Sanssouci – in the still existing crypt he had built there – in accordance with his will.
19:00 Arrival at Hotel Zur Rose, Bodensee (Lake Constance), Baden.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Hotel zur Rose in Überlingen, Bodensee (Lake Constance) is a 3 star, family run historic hotel with totally modernized tastefully renovated rooms within a 3 minutes walk from the shore of Lake Constance.
After checking in, we enjoyed a walk along the lake before having dinner at a lake restaurant. From the northern shore in Germany – weather permitting – you can have a gorgeous view across the lake to the Alpes in Austria and Switzerland.
10:00 Guided Tour of Schloss/ Kloster (Castle/ Abbey) Salem, Lake Constance, Baden
Salem castle is an impressive ensemble of majestic buildings. It was founded as a Cistercian Abbey in 1134, when Bernard de Clairvaux ventured from his home base Burgundy to establish Cistercian monasteries on the eastern banks of the Rhine river.
In a very short time Salem Abbey developed into one of the leading abbeys in southern Germany. Salem experienced a second period of affluence during the Baroque era. It is fascinating to see the Gothic buildings, in particular the cathedral decorated with its unique alabaster plasterwork and the ornately Baroque style decorated rooms in the Palace. After secularization during the Napoleonic era Schloss Salem came into the possession of the Markgraf von Baden, the ruler of the Kingdom of Baden, and the ownership has not changed since then. Schloss Salem is also home of the prestigious boarding school Schule Schloss Salem. Kurt Hahn, a respected educator, who later was instrumental in establishing the International School system and the IB (International Baccaleurate) founded the school in 1920 with support of Prince Max of Baden. The student dorms are in the former monk cells and the monk’s spirit and simplicity of life can still be felt today.
13:00 Tasting at Weingut Markgraf von Baden in Salem, Baden.
As it was customary the Cistercian monks produced wine to support themselves and the abbey. Thus this winery has a long history. This winery comprises two estates, the bigger one at Schloss Salem on the northern shore of Lake Constance and the one in the Ortenau, at Schloss Staufenberg. The two estates together with 335 acres of vineyards make for one of the largest privately owned wine estates in Germany. Owner is HRH Prince Bernhard von Baden. The aristocratic dynasty, ones the rulers of the Kingdom of Baden, can look back to more than 600 years of viticulture tradition. It was the Markgraf von Baden who as early as in the 15th century introduced the first wine law and innovative viticultural practices.
The Basilica Birnau is a Baroque jewel and sits majestically on a hill high above Lake Constance. It was built in 1749 and has been a pilgrimage church since then. The interior is richly decorated in the Rococo style and the church is one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in all of Germany, not least because of its unrivalled position overlooking Lake Constance and its surrounding vineyards. The church is still in the hands of the Cistercian monks.
16:30 Cellar Tour and Tasting at Staatsweingut Meersburg in Meersburg, Bodensee.
Hanna Neuser of EcoCert and Consultant at Staatsweingut Meersburg was our host.
We toured the ancient cellar and and had a tasting of the Staatsweingut Meersburg wines.
The Staastweingut Meersburg basically never changed ownership: it has always been in the hands of the rulers of Baden. Wine production in Meersburg has been first documented in 1210. This year also marks the establishment of the Staatsweingut Meersburg. However in those days it was the winery of the Prince-Bishop of Constance who reigned over Baden. For 600 years the winery stayed in he hands of the Prince-Bishops. In 1802 Napoleon secularized all church properties and ownership changed to the Markgraf von Baden who was the ruling King of Baden in those days. The Grand Duchy of Baden remained a sovereign country until it joined the German Empire in 1871. After the revolution of 1918, and the abolishment of the monarchy in Germany, Baden became part of the Weimar Republic as the Republic of Baden. The Republic of Baden as the successor of the Grand Duchy of Baden took over the winery (but it did not take over Schloss Salem, which became the private property of the Markgraf of Baden). After 1945 Baden and Württemberg were merged to the Republic of Baden-Württemberg, which is the current owner of the Staatsweingut Meersburg.
Today the vineyard area totals 150 acres, planted with Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Traminer and Regent. The Staastweingut has parcels in famous vineyard sites around Lake Constane such as Bengel, Chorherrnhalde, Lerchenberg, Jungfernstieg and Rieschen (Meersburg – monopole holding), Olgaberg – highest vineyard in Germany at 520 metres above sea level (Hohentwiel), as well as Ritterhalde (Gailingen).
20:00 Dinner at Rstaurant Bürgerbräu (Chef Simon Metzler) in Überlingen.
The day ended with dinner at Restaurant Bürgerbräu - recommended by the Guide Michelin - in Überlingen. Chef Simon Metzler and his wife Katja run the place in the third generation. Chef Simon Metzler started his career with Chef Stefan Marquard, was the tour chef of the Rock Band "Die Toten Hosen" and worked for a number of years in Berlin, before returning home to Überlingen and taking over the family business.
08:00 Check out of hotel and departure. We again crossed the Black Forest to arrive in the Rhine plains.
10:00 Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Ziereisen in Efringen, Markgräfler Land, Baden, with Hanspeter and Edeltraut Ziereisen.
Hanspeter and Edeltraut Ziereisen were our hosts. We started the visit with a tour of the old cellar, sat down for a massive tasting and finished the visit with a quick tour of the impressive, brand-new winemaking facilities, built into the mountain, of Weingut Ziereisen outside of the village.
The Ziereisen winery is in the Markgräfler Land, the far southwestern corner of Germany where the country borders both Switzerland and France. Winery Ziereisen sits right at the Switzerland – Germany border. Hanspeter Ziereisen and his family are now the fourth generation at the helm of the winery. This family are fanatically dedicated winemakers and are rewarded with four grapes in the 2018 Gault-Millau wine guide. They make very interesting and age worthy red wines made in Germany. Most are Pinot Noirs but their fascination with Syrah led to the production of one Syrah wine. The house wine is a Gutedel. Gutedel is more known under the name „Chasselat“ or „Fendant“ as the signature white grape varietal of Switzerland. Gutedel has also become the signature grape of its close neighbor the Markgräfler Land. It is regarded as oldest known grape variety, grown in Egypt 5000 years ago. In the late 18 hundreds the Chasselat grape was brought from Vervey, Switzerland to the Markgräfler Land.
12:30 Lunch at Restaurant Der Löwen in Staufen, Markgräfler Land, Baden.
Staufen is an incredibly picturesque village with the romantic Schlossberg with it’s ruin on top and vineyards on the slopes. Time seems to have come to a standstill here.
15:00 Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Martin Waßmer in Bad Krozingen, Markgräfler Land, Baden.
The 2018 Gault-Millau wine guide awarded Winery Waßmer with four grapes.
The winery Martin Waßmer is also located in the Markgräfler Land. Winemaking in this region can be traced back to the late 13-hundreds. The Waßmer family have been involved in wine growing for many generations but it was only in 1997 that Martin Waßmer started to make his own wine and founded the Martin Waßmer winery. He specialises in the Burgundy grapes Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris. He also grows and produces Chardonnay, Muscat, Gewürztraminer – a nod to neighboring Alsace- and of course Gutedel. Winemaking is traditional, with only natural yeasts used for the slow, long fermentations, and the wines are all aged in barrel with the top cuvées in Burgundian barriques for up to 18 months, with a minimal filtration before bottling.
17:30 Check in at Hotel Schwarzer Adler, in Oberbergen.
Hotel Schwarzer Adler in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, is a 4 ½ star traditional hotel and well-known address for a refined life style. With its 1 Michelin star restaurant and top notch winery it is an epicurean’s dream destination. It is listed in the association of “Small Luxury Hotels of the World”.
This hotel and its restaurant still run by the Keller family, is epicurean's dream destination for foodies in all of Germany, as well as of neighboring Alsace and Switzerland. With the Keller family, which can trace its roots as winemakers and hoteliers back to the Thirty Year War in the early 17-hundreds, everything started with producing and offering outstanding food. Franz and his wife Irma, parents of the current owner, were among the first generation of chefs to start the German revolution in the kitchen more than forty years ago. Well beyond the immediate post WWII era, the urge to simply have enough food on the table – quantity over quality- lingered on. In 1969 Franz and Irma Keller and their restaurant Schwarzer Adler were awarded one Michelin star (the chef was Irma, the first women to get a star!), which the restaurant defends until today. For Franz Keller, the central idea of winemaking was to produce top quality wines that perfectly accompanied the creations in the kitchen. The current generation, Fritz and Bettina Keller have brought the winery to a new level. They just finished construction of a brand new winery that is an architectural landmark, beautifully integrated in the landscape. Their efforts to produce top wines, among them stunning Pinot Noirs, were acknowledged by their selection as member of the VDP in 2013.
19:00 Dinner at Restaurant Schwarzer Adler ( 1 Michelin Star) in Oberbergen, Kaiserstuhl, Baden.
This 1-Michelin star beautiful, elegant, but at the same time cosy restaurant run by Bettina and Fritz Keller offers a harmonious mix of Baden country charm and elegance. The menu is a successful marriage of French and German cuisine reflecting the frontier on the nearby Rhine River, which is the border between Germany and France. The impressive wine list boasts 2 600 different wines, including an excellent selection of bottles from Baden and a mouthwatering list of French wines, in particular top notch Bordeaux. After dinner we just need to climb the stairs to our rooms and dream about the outstanding food and gorgeous wines we had.
09:45 Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Hunn in Gottenheim, Tuniberg, Baden, with Kilian and Martina Hunn.
Kilian and Martina Hunn were our hosts.
We started the visit with a portfolio tasting at Weingut Hunn and then drove over to the new winemaking facilities outside of Gottenberg for a tour and good-bye drink.
Owners Kilian and Martina Hunn – once the wine queen of Baden - are both passionate winemakers. The Tuniberg and Kaiserstuhl regions are the warmest wine regions with the most sun shine hours in Germany. The Mediterranean climate offers ideal growing conditions for the Burgundy grape. Three quarters of the 60 acres of vineyards belonging to the Hunn winery are panted with Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. Kilian and Martina Hunn produce powerful wines with finesse and grace that perfectly reflect the limestone soils and climate of the Tuniberg.
11:45 We left the Baden area and Germany on the right bank of the Rhine River, at the foot of the Black Forest Mountains, and crossed over the Rhine into France, into the Alsace region. The Alsace lies just across from Baden on the left bank of the Rhine at the foot of the Vosges Mountains.
14:30 Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Schlumberger in Guebwiller, Alsace, with Owner Thomas Schlumberger.
Owner Thomas Schlumberg welcomed us. We toured Domaine Schlumberger and sat down for a tasting in the cellar; the new tasting room is still under construction.
The Schlumberger family can trace its roots back to Swabia, a wine region in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the 16th century a branch of the family moved to Alsace to become tanners. They eventually settled in Mulhouse and became a prosperous family. In 1810 Nicolas Schlumberger moved to Guebwiller and founded a factory of fabric machines. He also bought 50 acres of vineyards and hence, the Domaine Schlumberger came into existence. Today there are two generations working at the Domaine side by side: Alain Beydon-Schlumberger (6th generation) and Severine and Thomas Schlumberger (7th generation). And today – some 200 years after the start- the vineyard area has increased to 350 acres. The vineyard is unique in Alsace: 175 acres -half of the vineyards - are classified as Grand Crus. Because of the steep hillsides (some with slopes of 50 degrees), animals are used to work the land rather than agricultural machinery. The philosophy of the Schlumbergers is to work sustainably to leave healthy soils for the future generations. 75 acres are farmed biodynamically and the conversion to biodynamic farming will continue.
16:45 Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Rieflé-Landmann in Pfaffenheim, Alsace, with Paul Rieflé.
We started the visit with a tour of the cellar, where Paul Rieflé was cleaning the barrels. We continued with a tasting of the Rieflé wines and were joined by Paul. Before leaving, we spent a few minutes in the vineyard with Paul Rieflé.
The wine estate Domaine Rieflé was founded in Pfaffenheim in 1850. Today the sixth generation, brothers Thomas, who is the vineyard manager, and Paul, who is responsible for building the business, joined the family business. The philosophy of winemaking at Domaine Rieflé is perfectly described by this quote of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry “we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrow it from our children”. Hence, the organic certification of the Domaine is the logic consequence. Respecting the soil, flora, fauna and health in general, organic agriculture is also a useful means of bringing out the different characteristics of Domaine Rieflé's numerous terroirs.
18:45 Arrival and Check-in at Hotel Le Schoenenbourg in Riquewhir, Alsace.
Hotel Le Schoenenbourg in Riquewhir, Alsace, is a 3 ½ star hotel with a great outdoor pool, nestled at the foot of vine-covered rolling hills just outside of the city gate of Riquewhir, a typical very charming, romantic Alsatian wine town.
20:00 Alsatian Dinner at Restaurant La Grappe d'Or in Riquewhir.
La Grappe d'Or was our second choice. Our first choice, D'Brendelstub, was closed on that day; this is a traditional restaurant serving excellent local specialities prepared under the direction of 1 Michelin star chef Jean-Luc Brendel. His Michelin starred restaurant “La Table du Gourmet” around the corner is one of my absolute favorites in all of Alsace (closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays).
10:30 Cellar Tour and Massive Tasting at Domaine Rolly-Gassmann in Rorschwihr, Alsace, with Pierre Gassmann.
Pierre Gassmann was our host.
We toured the estate, followed by an exceptional portfolio tasting comprising 36 wines.
The Domain Rolly-Gassmann came into existence in 1967 with the marriage of Marie-Thérèse Rolly and Louis Gassmann. But Domaine Rolly-Gassmann is by no means a newcomer in Alsatian viticulture. The Gassmann’s can trace back their viticultural roots to 1611 and the Rolly family to 1676. Today the Domaine is managed by son Pierre Gassmann who already started to convert to biodynamic viticulture in 1997. Domaine Rolly-Gassmann has 150 acres of vineyards which is quite big for an Alsatian family domaine. There are no Grand Cru sites in and around Rorschwihr but several excellent ”lieu-dit”. The style of the Rolly-Gassmann wines is opulent, lush, ripe, and very often with a fair bit of residual sugar. The Domain’s philosophy is to wait for physiological and phenolic maturity in the fruit even with some botrytis. 10% of their production is Pinot Noir, and their Pinot Noir belongs to the best what Alsace has to offer.
15:00 Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pfister in Dahlenheim, Alsace, with Melanie Pfister.
Melanie Pfister, arising star female winemaker in Alsace, was our host.
We toured the winemaking facilities and sat down for a tasting in the tasting room with Melanie Pfister.
Melanie Pfister is the 8th generation and the first women to head the Domaine Pfister. She trained in Bordeaux and studied oenology in Dijon before she retuned home to Dahlenberg. She intends to apply her knowledge and diverse experiences to continue to produce outstanding wines and to pursue the ongoing quest for perfection. Because of the proximity to Strasbourg – only 20 km west – the village of Dahlenheim has an exceptional wine-producing heritage. It served, first and foremost, as a veritable wine-cellar for Strasbourg's ecclesiastic institutions: the Prince-Bishop of Strasbourg as well as the Abbayes in the area, some of them also produced wine. The monks also travelled and brought back new vine varieties to Dahlenheim. In the 13-hundreds it was recorded that “noble wine” was produced. As early as 1780, the name Nicolas Pfister was recorded. He lived as a “bourgeois wine-grower” in Dahlenheim using the farm buildings that are still in place today.
17:15 Arrival and Check-in at Auberge du Cheval Blanc (2 Stars Michelin) in Lembach, Alsace.
L’Auberge du Cheval Blanc in Lembach, Alsace, is a 4 star, beautiful place with pool and spa facilities close to the German border in Wissembourg run by Monsieur et Madame Bastian. Pascal Bastian is a 2 Michelin star chef and the restaurant is known for its refined cuisine known well beyond the Alsace region.
19:00 Dinner at 2 Michelin Starred Restaurant Auberge du Cheval Blanc in Lembach, Alsace.
Chef Pascal Bastian has trained at top restaurants in Switzerland and France– among them the 2 Michelin star restaurant La Plaissance in Saint-Emilion, before he acquired the Auberge Cheval Blanc and its restaurant in 2008. It did not take him long to be awarded with 1 Michelin star and shortly after with the 2nd Mchelin star.
10:00 Tasting at Weingut Friedrich Becker in Schweigen, Pfalz.
Weingut Friedrich Becker belongs to the handful of the best of the best Pinot Noir producers in Germany. His Heydenreich GG (Grand Cru) sells for 125 € a bottle which is an incredible price for a German wine. This is a price still very much below a wine of equal quality in Burgundy. This winery is unique. The vineyards are in two countries - Germany and France- due to the winery’s situation right on the German/French border. In this area the Rhine rift created many different soil types that presented favorable conditions for planting a wide variety of grapes. 60% of the vineyards are planted with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and some Pinot Blanc; 22 % with Riesling and the rest with Silvaner, Muskateller, Traminer, Gewürztraminer, Müller-Thurgau, and Portugieser. Friedrich Becker sees the wealth of nature as being the basis for his work, but more importantly, for him nature is an inspiration. He was the first of his family to distance himself from delivering the grapes to the local co-operative and decided to make his own wine. Right from the start he has been one of the best producers in the Pfalz and one of the best Pinot Noir producers in Germany. Recently his son Friedrich jr has taken over and continues to produce wines of top quality.
12:15 Lunch at Restaurant Ritterhof zur Rose in Burrweiler, Pfalz.
We had a 2013 Weingut Messmer, Riesling, Schäwer GG (imported by Terry Theise/ Skurnik Selection) for lunch. Restaurant Ritterhof zur Rose is at Weingut Messmer. I had a tradional Saumagen, the favorite dish of the late Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
15:15 Vineyard tour and Massive Tasting at Weingut Siener in Birkweiler, Pfalz, with Peter Siener.
Peter Siener was our host.
The visit started with a glass of Weingut Peter Siener Sekt. Peter then took us on a tour of the famous Kastanienbusch and Mandelberg vineyards. We then sat down with Peter Siener in the courtyard of Weingut Siener for a Riesling Kastanienbusch and Pinot Noir Kastanienbusch vertical tasting comprising 5 vintages. Denise Siener served delicious local food from the Pfalz.
Peter Siener is the third generation owner and winemaker at Weingut Siener. He took over from his father in 2000 and has since stepped hard on the accelerator to pursue quality with a vengeance. He also doubled the vineyard site and has holdings in two of the best vineyard sites of the southern Pfalz: the Kastanienbusch and the Mandelberg both in Birkweiler. He belongs to the generation of the young, energetic winemakers in Germany who follow new paths to only produce the best of the best quality. Besides his passion for his wines Peter Siener also loves cooking and is passionate about food. That explains the grip and power of his wines that are perfect to match with food.
18:00 Arrival and Check-in at Hotel Ritter von Böhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz.
Hotel Ritter von Böhl in Deidesheim, is a 3 star very unique guest house with a 7oo year old history. From its foundation over 700 years ago, it continuously served as a ‘Hotel”. Yet it was only recently that the house was converted to a hotel in our definition of modern times: to provide lodging to the traveler. Since its foundation in the 13th century it served as a “Hotel Dieu”, a hospital and home for the sick, the poor, and the elderly. Still today it caters to the handicapped, and while we are in modern times, internet connection however can sometimes be very poor because the more than 1 meter thick old 700 year old walls obstruct the signal flow.
Evening on our own. Annette had advised: Take the time and explore Deidesheim, a small, picturesque village with half-timbered houses and rustic wine taverns. Time takes on a different meaning in this part of Germany; sipping a glass of wine, savoring delicious local specialties, that’s what is important. The former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, who lived close by, made Deidesheim famous, as he took his powerful guests, such as Margaret Thatcher, the King and Queen of Spain, and Michail Gorbatschow, to Deidesheim to try the Saumagen, his favorite dish.
19:00 Dinner/ Tasting at Vinothek/ Wine Tavern Bürklin-Wolf
This was unplanned. Our plan was to do a little tour of Deidesheim with its many wine taverns. We did not get far as on the first stop - Vinothek/ Wine Tavern Bürklin-Wolf just next to our hotel - we run into the Managing Director of Weingut Bürklin-Wolf, Steffen Brahner. He invited us for cheese and cold cuts and showed us the new Bürklin-Wolf collection, with Marco Gulino (Host Weinbar) and Riccardo Korner (Host Vinothek).
09:30 Vineyard tour and Tsting at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz, with Richard Grosche.
General Manager Richard Grosche was our host.
For the most part of the visit, we toured the world-renowed vineyards of Deidesheim and Forst. Following the vineyard tour, we sat down for a tasting of Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl wines.
Since it’s founding in 1849, Reichsrat von Buhl has stood for some of the noblest Riesling from the best vineyards of Mittelhaardt and has always been considered to be one of Germany’s leading wine estates. Reichsrat von Buhl always produced wines in a terroir-dominated, timeless style true to the grape’s origins in the best soils of Deidesheim and Forst. The winery Reichsrat von Buhl can look back to a rich history. It was founded in 1849 by Franz Peter Buhl. He added the vineyards inherited by his wife, a member of the Jordan dynasty. These latter vineyards came from the break-up of the original Jordan estate into three parts, with the other two parts giving rise to what is today known as Geheimer Rat Dr. von Weingut Bassermann-Jordan and Weingut von Winning - Dr. Deinhard, all also in Deidesheim. Son Franz Armand Buhl inherited the estate. He was a member of the Reichstag and a friend of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Chancellor Bismarck’s famous quote "Dieses Ungeheuer schmeckt mir ungeheuer" this Ungeheuer tastes monstrously good, (Ungeheuer, means “monster” in english) helped make the Forster Ungeheuer vineyard site world-famous. In 1885, Franz Armand Buhl was awarded the title “Reichsrat” der bayerischen Krone, (The Pfalz belonged to the Kingdom of Bavaria in those days) hence the name of the winery. The Buhl wines were very famous and reached the upper price brackets in those days. At the official inauguration of the Suez Canal in 1869 a Buhl Riesling was served. Recently the tradition of making Sekt at the winery has seen a renaissance. Matthieu Kauffmann, enologist at the Champagne House Bollinger was hired to make Germany’s best Riesling Sekt. The first vintage, the 2013 Reichrat von Buhl Sekt, Brut was hyped as the best Sekt ever made in Germany and as close to a grand Champagne as it could get.
14:00 Departure from the Pfalz wine region and drive to Rheinhessen.
14:30 Cellar Tour and Private Tasting at Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier in Hohen-Sülzen, Rheinhessen.
Carolin Spanier was our host.
We had a lovely tasting at the home of Hans-Oliver and Caolin Spanier in Hohen-Sülzen. Before leaving we toured the winery, where the wines of both Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier and Weingut Kühling-Gillot are produced.
Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier is a young winery by German standards. It was only in 1993 that Hans-Oliver Spanier founded the winery in Hohen-Sülzen at the southernmost tip of the Rheinhessen Wonnegau region. The 70 acres of vineyards are planted with 60% Riesling, 20% Pinot Noir, and the rest with Pinot Blanc and Silvaner. H.O. is an uncompromising winemaker and from early on he worked with respecting nature and the environment. In 1993 his winery became organic. Over the years he converted to biodynamic practices in the vineyards and cellar and since 2005 the winery works 100% biodynamically. The Wonnegau vineyards are transversed by thick, underground beds of limestone. For H.O. the Riesling acts best as translator that interprets the influence of the extremely lime-rich soils. I quote him: ”That’s what interests me: the spectrum of aromas of the stones and soils that lies beyond the fleeting sensation of fruit”.
19:00 Supper and Wine Tasting at Ladendorf’s Weinhaus in Mainz, with Roland Ladendorf.
In Mainz - one of the ten Wine Capitals of the world - wine is ubiquitous. Ladendorf's Weinhaus is the perfect place to discover a typical local wine tavern and have traditional Määnzer food such as Fleischwurst, Handkäs mit Musik, Nackesche.
Roland Ladendorf, the owner of this unassuming wine bar, is a dictionary when it comes to German wines. His knowledge is profound and the wines on his list are the best what Germany has to offer. Roland showed us 4 different wines in a blind-tasting.
10:00 Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wagner-Stempel in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen, with Winemaker Oliver Müller and Owner Cathrin Wagner.
Oliver Müller, right-hand of Daniel Wagner (who was in the vineyard) and Cathrin Wagner were our hosts.
Cathrin Wagner showed us the wine cellar and Oliver Müller conducted a tasting for us. Our visit coincided with the "Open House Weekend" of Weingut Wagner-Stempel.
Owner and winemaker Daniel Wagner is the 9th generation of this estate in Siefersheim, in the far northwestern corner of the Rheinhessen wine region.
When Daniel took over he decided to build on the tradition of classic wine production and to pay special attention to the once famous vineyard sites Höllberg and Heerkretz that were somewhat under the radar for the past fifty years. The Siefersheim sites are carved out of volcanic hills and the weathered volcanic soil brings out phenomenal, well structured wines. Daniel’s thrive for precision and quality regularly gets awarded with 4 grapes in the Gault-Millau wine guide for Germany.
12:45 Cellar Tour and Wine Lunch at Weingut Schloss Westerhaus in Ingelheim, Rheinhessen, with the Owners Countess and Count von Schönburg-Glauchau and Technical Director Toni Frank.
The Owners Countess and Count von Schönburg-Glauchau with Technical Director Toni Frank were our hosts.
Toni Frank showed us the estate. Like at Weingut Wagner-Stempel, there was a large wine festival at the estate during the weekend of our visit. We took advantage of it and enjoyed the lovely food - Flammkuchen - that was being offered, with the wines of Weingut Schloss Westerhaus.
The Westerhaus castle from the 16th and 17th century high above the “imperial city of Ingelheim” -once a very important seat of Charlemagne- is visible from afar. In 1900, a son of famous car manufacturer Adam Opel bought the castle and winery. Today it is managed by the 4th generation of the Opel family, Countess and Count von Schönburg-Glauchau. It is a beautiful, truly stunning estate, surrounded by 40 acres of vineyards including the Monopol Grand Cru site Schloss Westerhaus. The VDP Grosse Lage (GG) wines of Riesling and Pinot Noir are the crown jewels at the top of the quality pyramid and the village wines show the marked influence of the vineyard’s calcerous clay soils.
15:30 Tasting at Weingut Knewitz in Appenheim, Rheinhessen.
Laura Henrici was our host. We had a wonderful tasting of a wide selection of Weingut Knewitz wines with her, including 4 Chardonnays. Laura had just returned from an internship at a winery in Michigan.
There is hardly another winemaker as Tobias Knewitz who embodies the new generation of excellently trained, and ambitious winemakers of Rheinhessen. To describe his estate and his vision, I simply quote his website – I could not come up with something better:
“An Estate by the Sea. In Rheinhessen? Of Course! 40 million years ago, anyways. During that epoch, the northern section of Rheinhessen known today as the Mainz Basin was actually part of the Tertiary sea. It was an age in which continents shifted, mountains rose from the ground and a large coral reef took shape in the place where we now live and our grapes grow. The reef has long since disappeared, of course, but its legacy remains — especially in the high limestone content of the soil it left behind.
For us it is a true gift, with those limestone remnants serving as the distinctive foundation for our wines. Tasting their almost unbelievable life and energy, one is reminded that the greatest of Burgundian wines thrive on limestone as well. Each and every grape variety we grow at our estate flourishes in these ancient coral reefs. Riesling, as it turns out, is an unparalleled translator of this kind of soil. Appenheim serves as a confluence for those elements we love so much: our beloved limestone vineyards — Hundertgulden, Laurenziberg, and Steinacker — and our Riesling. We tend to our vines deliberately but conservatively, spending hundreds of hours in the vineyards each year. This philosophy of care and consistency ultimately helps the wines better tell their own story. A story of their origin and our obsession.”
After a busy day with 3 tastings, some of us stayed at the hotel to watch the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. I also stayed at the Hilton and watched the German soccer cup finals between Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayern München. Others went to the near-by wine tavern Wilhelmi, where I joined them after the game for a glass of wine and an home-made Spundekäs.
Everywhere you walk in Mainz, you step on ruins from Roman times. Every time when renovating, building, etc, construction workers stumble on Roman artifacts buried under layers of past century buildings.
Mainz is also the birth-place of Johannes Gutenberg, the man who gave the world the power to print and hence to develop our digital future. We traced Johannes Gutenberg’s steps in Mainz.
One could also have followed the recommendation of Annette - Stiftsamt in the Mainz Cathedral. If you desire to attend a very special, spiritual service every Sunday a “Stiftsamt” conducted by the Bishop with choir and organ concert takes place in the mighty, impressive 1000 year old cathedral.
03:00 pm Arrival at Frankfurt International Airport.
schiller-wine: Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen - All Postings (Published and Forthcoming)
The Sun-Kissed South: Germany’s Pinot Noir, the Other Whites, the Culinary Regions - Germany-South and Alsace 2018 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: Baden, Alsace, Pfalz and Rheinhessen
Sekt: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Griesel in Bensheim, Hessische Bergstrasse
Lunch at 1 Michelin Star Restaurant Landhaus Feckl in Ehningen
Dinner Tasting at the Vinothek/ Wine Tavern of Weingut Bürklin-Wolf, with the Managing Director of Weingut Bürklin-Wolf, Steffen Brahner
Extensive Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl in Deidesheim, Pfalz, with General Manager Richard Grosche
Tasting and Cellar Tour at Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier/ Kühling-Gillot in Hohen-Sülzen, Rheinhessen, with Carolin Spanier
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wagner-Stempel in Siefersheim, Rheinhessen, with Oliver Müller and Cathrin Wagner
Cellar Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Weingut Schloss Westerhaus in Ingelheim, Rheinhessen, with the Owners Countess and Count von Schönburg-Glauchau and Technical Director Toni Frank
Tasting at Weingut Knewitz in Appenheim, Rheinhessen
Terry Theise is one of the leading experts of German Wine in the US. Among the vast number of his followers, he has gained something like a cult status. He publishes a thick catalogue once a year with extensive comments. In addition to the compendium of exciting wine reviews, the Terry Theise’s annual catalogue is a very good introduction to German wine, both to the basics and to the current trends and issues.
If you want to learn more about Terry, the Washington Post carried an excellent article about him some time ago. See here.
2008 James Beard Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional 2005 Food & Wine Magazine Importer of the Year
His wines are imported by Michael Skurnik, an importer and distributor of fine wines based in Syosset, New York. Terry also imports Austrian wine and Champagnes, including excellent grower Champagnes.
A few comments. First, there are no red wines, although they now account for 1/3 of the German wine output. Terry is clearly focusing on Germany’s white wines. Second, nor have I seen a category for sparkling wines; for sparklers, you have to go to his excellent portfolio of Champagnes, including many grower Champagnes. Third, his list does not include any noble-sweet wines (Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein). Fourth, Terry is known for having a preference for sweet-style wines, although his portfolio increasingly includes also dry wines (more on this see below). Fifth, as mentioned above, this is not a list based on a comprehensive review of German wine, but is limited to Terry Theise’s portfolio of winemakers, which is large and exceptional.
Pictures: Happy Hour in New York at Paul Grieco's Terroir with Valerie Masten of Skurnik Wines and Husband and Wine Journalist Jon Bonné and Caroline and Sylvain Diel, Schlossgut Diel, with Danielle King,, Justin Christoph, Sommelier/ Wine Consultant Sabra Lewis. See: The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA
Terry Theise’s Portfolio and ombiasy WineTours
My wife Annette Schiller organizes wine tours to Germany (This year: 3 tours – Germany-North, Germany-South and Germany-East). Many of the winemakers we have visited or will visit this year, are represented in the US by Terry Theise: Diel, Dönnhoff, Spreitzer, Von Winning, Kruger-Rumpf, Künstler, Selbach-Oster, Müller-Catoir, etc. I have added pictures from some of these visits, including references to relevant postings on schiller-wine.
Picture: Deputy Managing Director Andreas Hütwohl of Weingut Von Winning, Pfalz, with Annette Schillerat the 2017 Rieslingfeier in New York. See: The Annual "Slaughterhouse" Riesling Feast in New York: Rieslingfeier 2017, USA.
Picture: At Weingut von Winning in Deidesheim, Pfalz. See: Tour and Tasting at Weingut von Winning in Deidesheim, Pfalz– Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany
Therry Theise’s Best Germany Wines and Winemakers – Vintage 2017
Here is Terry Theise in o-tone.
THE 2017 VINTAGE
After an early Spring that was too-warm too-soon, everyone worried about late frosts. And then came late frosts. Before the end of April, nearly all of northern Europe was affected, and the damage ranged from substantial to devastating. Germany was not spared.
Crop losses ranged from 25-30% to nearly 60% in the worst instances. Yet there was a curious phenomenon of second-growth (which the Germans call Verrieseln) which, while somewhat reassuring in terms of yields, made for some confusion later on because the second-growth grape bunches could not be eyeball- distinguished from the original bunches. “We really had not one but two vintages,” said Cornelius Dönnhoff, with parallel bunches ripening around two weeks apart from one another.
Frost was universal, but different regions (and even places within regions) also contended with hail and with untimely botrytis, including one luckless corner which suffered a late-August hail storm which brought mildews in its wake. It was not an easy vintage!
But it is a good one, at times a very good one, and at times perhaps a great one, which we will know in the fullness of time.
Low yields correspond to high extract, and certainly a lot of the growers were pleased with the readings. (Extract gives a mid-palate umami that registers as density, stuffed-ness, like a suitcase you have to sit upon in order to shut.) The more candid growers pointed out that botrytis (and excessive moisture) could also create high extracts, and the warning was apt. 2017 isn’t a vintage you can “read” from a lab analysis. You have to taste.
And what do you taste? After the nearly perfect lissome and sleek 2016s, 2017 is a marked contrast; it is a serious tasting vintage, by no means unfriendly, but levity does not obtrude upon it. There are certainly some charming wines, and there are loads of delicious wines, but ’17 is a vintage of dark character whereas ’16 was lyric and bright. “Dark” can be construed either metaphorically or in some cases almost literally – ’17 has an iron-like cast, almost always smoky, like burning vine shoots. I used “shoot-smoke” quite often in my notes, and I surprised myself by writing “peppery” from time to time. Compared to the mischievous ‘16s, the new vintage seems a little earnest.
But if you’re a serious kind of person (and a taster who appreciates no-nonsense wines) you’ll be richly pleased by these 2017s. And there are many, many wines that everyone will flip over.
Pictures: At Weingut Kruger-Rumpf with Stefan and Georg Rumpf. See: Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir
Pictures: In the Vineyard (with the ombiasy Group in 2013), see: Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Lunch with Georg Rumpf, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, Nahe Valley, Germany
The vintage was gathered early almost everywhere, but the Pfalz was really early: Many were finished by the first few days of October (about 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule), and what they gathered should make them very very happy. If 2017 is potentially great anywhere, it’s in the Pfalz. Three of my producers showed me the best collections I’d ever tasted – Meßmer, Eugen Müller and Darting (and forget any notion you harbored that Darting makes fun little wines, because these ‘17s are lysergic), while another one presented a grand and unusual collection (Catoir!), while our pals at Von Winning continue their orbit around the Van Allen Belts (and the “GGs” won’t be offered until January 2019, and may be the best they’ve ever made…), and finally my beloved Minges made the excellent vintage they always make, only unusual in the 2017 context where everyone reached new levels whereas Theo and Regine “merely” maintained their prevailing and consistently superb level.
In any case, the smart money says to allocate more of your (mingy and pitiable) German Riesling budget to the Pfalz in 2017.
EISWEIN, ALL OF IT ASTONISHING:
Three from Hexamer and one from Selbach are as good as they get.
Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Hexamer with Harald and Petra Hexamer. See: Wine Tasting at Weingut Hexamer in Monzingen, Nahe– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
I found excellent wine throughout the Rheingau and Rheinhessen (and tasted from four estates in the latter region, though two were newbies under consideration).
If there’s a demarcation in 2017, it follows a frequent vein that divides Mosel and Nahe from regions south and east. The Nahe also varies within itself (as indeed it often does, encompassing so many climate and soil zones) so that you can’t generalize except to say it is always good and sometimes superb. Most fascinating for me, the two great estates (Diel and Dönnhoff) seemed to run counter to the vintage’s prevailing solemnity and made stirringly tender, lapidary wines. Don’t ask me how, or if you do ask me how, be ready for a fusillade of gibberish as I try fruitlessly to explain the inexplicable.
And finally to the Mosel. First, the good news: the very best wines I tasted from 2017 were Mosel wines. At times their profundity made me think of great years like 1971 or 2005, and at other times their serenely perfect harmonies stopped me in my tracks and filled me with wonder and gratitude.
But, there is also not-so-good news. The Mosel vintage has markedly present acidity. The best growers managed it. The others….did not. At times 2017 – normally a vintage of almost imposing stature and command – seemed rather small at certain Mosel estates.
But please be aware, this is my palate speaking, and I have arrived at a point whereby if I notice acidity it’s because it’s too caustic for me. The right acidity is a vibrating but silent partner. The wrong acidity is a sharpness I do not find agreeable – but that’s me, and you may well feel differently. In any case, my colleagues Valerie Masten-Bonné and Gabe Clary all agreed it was a yo-yo sort of year along the silvery Mosel.
Picture: Christian G.E. Schiller with Gunter Kuenstler at Schloss Johnnisberg. Weingut Kuenstler was founded by my the late Franz Kuenstler. We were both founding members of the Weinfreundeskreis Hochheim: The Wines of Franz Kuenstler from Hochheim, Rheingau, Germany
Pictures: At Weingut Künstler in Hochheim am Main, Rheingau, with Stefan Traub. See:Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut Künstler– Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Even then I was reminded that I have the luxury of tasting only from solid producers, and there is apparently plenty of yucky wine in 2017 – but nothing I tasted was objectionable in that way (except for a few potential newbies whose wines helped me appreciate what I already have…) and such issues as I have with some ‘17s are just my querulous palate throwing a tantrum.
If 2016 is a well-told joke, 2017 is a magnificently constructed argument. If 2016 is a morning in Spring, 2017 is an evening in Autumn.
The small crop and the weakened Dollar will push prices upward, making the remaining ‘16s quite the bargains. That said, to pay a premium for wines such as the best ‘17s is a reasonable proposition, in view of the sheer concentration of the wines.
HIGHLIGHTS AND SUPERLATIVES
Bearing in mind, as always, that Selbach-Oster and Dönnhoff are always superlative, and I have struggled how to acknowledge this and still give “emerging talents” a chance. This time I shall attempt another futile means of squaring the circle, for which I invite you to tease me contemptuously, should we ever meet.
The Winery(s) Of The Vintage is (Are)
CARL LOEWEN is the estate with whom I was most profoundly impressed. They not only ascended to a hitherto undreamt-of level, they seemed to have the Midas-touch, as wine-after-wine-after-wine was almost eerily perfect, gorgeously balanced, and poised not with any great assertiveness but instead with a serene gentle perfect-pitch of the purest harmony. Possibly this is the full flowering of the father-son synergy of Karl-Josef and Christoph, and possibly it’s just one of those things. It’s also contrary to my commercial interests, because there isn’t much wine and we won’t be able to entirely fill orders. But credit where it’s due – and it is richly due here!
(Not surprisingly, the collections of both Selbach-Oster and Dönnhoff are replete with masterpieces, and I ask you to accept it as a given, that these two estates will always be “best-of” in every vintage and every category of consideration.)
Other Marked Successes
That is first, any estate who have conspicuously exceeded their usual standards, and second, estates presenting a sustained high level of excellence.
Spreitzer, for a steady hand over the whole range, and for many high points.
Pictures: Müller-Catoir, Neustadt-Haardt (Pfalz) - Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Müller Catoir – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Goldatzel, for an almost Nigl-like perfection of focus and expressiveness, over and over, to the point it almost physically hurt to leave any wine behind.
Diel, for perhaps the first vintage where Caroline’s influence can be tangibly felt. The wines seem to be entering a new era of finesse and a quality I can only describe as melting, yielding, swooning.
Darting, who showed me simply their best-ever vintage, at least two levels above anything they’ve produced to date.
Von Winning, with the caveat that we can’t yet place the GGs into the mix as they can’t be offered before 2019. And yet, if we did….
Meßmer, my “vanity project” has made their best vintage in Gregor’s era. He himself concurs, and he is self-critical like few others I know.
Müller-Catoir, for a new departure in style or syntax, and for an insanely good group of Scheurebes.
To Be Considered
If one isn’t only taking 2017s into account, estates offering earlier vintages would lunge toward the top. Thus credit where it’s due, to Künstler and Breuer, for wonderful collections across vintages and colors.
Picture: Johannes and Barbara Selbach and Annette Schiller in New York at the 2015 Rieslingfeier, see: The 11 Winemakers: Rieslingfeier 2015 in New York City, USA
Picture: Annette Schiller, Helmut Dönnhoff and Daughter Christina Dönnhoff (Weingut Dönnhoff) and Didier Cuevelier (Chateau Leoville Poyferre) at Weingut Dr. Robert Weil
Darting also shows us TWO: the 2017 Pinot Blanc Kabinett Trocken, and the 2017 Riesling Kabinett in LITERS.
Meßmer the Riesling Feinherb in LITERS is the best he’s ever made, and three levels above any class existing before.
Minges Scheurebe Feinherb
Müller-Catoir “MC” Scheurebe Trocken
schiller-wine: Related Postings
UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: May 1, 2018)
