German Wines from the VDP: Tasting Notes
Oxford University Wine Society played host to the wine-writer and historian Giles MacDonogh http://www.macdonogh.co.uk/index.htm , who provided and up-date to changes in the VDP wine classifications together with a guided tasting of representative wines.
Oxford University Wine Society played host to the wine-writer and historian Giles MacDonogh http://www.macdonogh.co.uk/index.htm , who provided and up-date to changes in the VDP wine classifications together with a guided tasting of representative wines.
Since its foundation in 1910 the Verband Deutscher
Qualitäts- und Prädikatsweingüter (Pradikat Wine Estates), better known as the
VDP, the world’s oldest wine growers association has been dedicated to the
relationship between producer, site and quality.
Over the past decade the Association has developed a classification
pyramid for wines, which from the 2012 vintage has changed somewhat to reflect
a pyramid based on the traditional Burgundian model. This equates to:
• VDP Grosse Lage (like Grand Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP Erste Lage (like Premier Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP Ortswein (like Village in Burgundy)
• VDP Gutswein (like Bourgogne régional in Burgundy)
The terms Erste Lage and Grosses Gewächs are private brands
of the VDP. To complicate things slightly, in the Rheingau they will
simply be referred to as Erstes Gewächs (as this classification is a legally
part of the wine law there).
The goal is to implement the “one wine principle” for dry
wines bearing the name of a classified vineyard site. A dry wine from a VDP
Grosse Lage is a “Grosses Gewächs”. The traditional Prädikats are reserved for
all wines with natural, ripe sweetness.
It is up to each region to decide whether or not to
differentiate between great sites (i.e. VDP Grosse Lage) and very good sites
(i.e. VDP Erste Lage).
The Association provides a detailed over-view in English on
its website:
http://www.vdp.de/en/vdp-die-praedikatsweingueter/
Wine Tasting Notes
Schlör, First Weissburgunder GG 2011 (Baden)
Weissburgunder = Pinot Blanc.
Clear, pale lemon-green and rather watery appearance. Open,
medium intensity nose. Buttery malolactic notes, almost vanilla like.
Herbaceous and a little grassy. Rather typical Pinot Blanc character and
certainly developed. Dry and medium acidity on the palate. Quite marked high
alcohol levels and hot in the mouth. Medium body and medium flavour
characteristics. Medium finish. A rather medium wine, and served too warm to do
it justice.
Hans Wirsching, Kroonsberg Silvaner GG 2011 (Iphöfer,
Franken)
Clear, pale lemon appearance. Closed nose. Clean with
light-intensity. Difficult to discern any characteristics. Off-dry palate with
medium acidity. Hot alcohol. Medium intensity with marked stoney and herbaceous
characters. Again, served to warm but this is only good at best.
Kruger-Rumpf Riesling Trocken 2011 (Pittersberg, Nahe)
Clear, medium lemon yellow appearance. Clean nose with medium
intensity. Floral and blossom characters predominate. Rather classic young Riesling
flavour profile, but not that expressive (currently). Off-dry palate with
medium acidity. Medium alcohol. Full bodied with medium-pronounced flavour
intensity. Very mineralic and stony with citrus characters. Long and
concentrated finish. Very good quality and much to give.
Spreitzer Oestricher Lenchen Riesling 2011 (Rheingau)
Clear, medium lemon appearance. Clean and light nose – gives the
impression of being very youthful and closed. Medium-plus intensity, quite
aggressive in a positive way. Dry, high acidity and strong citrus flavours
characters. Long finish. Very good quality and even more concentrated than the
previous wine. Drinking well but will improve and develop further.
Wehrheim Kastanienbusch Riesling GG 2011 (Pfalz)
Clear, deep lemon appearance with noticeable legs inside the
glass. Clean nose, medium intensity. Lemon characters and flower blossom.
Developing. Very clean, delineated and focussed in character. Dry plate, medium
acidity hiding behind a full body. High alcohol but again being served too warm
really. Pronounced intensity. Mineralic and very Alsatian in style (southern
Pfalz in origin). Long length of finish and almost a little spicy. A powerful
wine and very good quality.
Grafen Neipperg Ruthe Lemberger 2010 (Württemberg)
Lemberger = Blaufränkisch
Clear, pale garnet appearance. Legs inside the glass. Clean nose
with medium intensity. Earth, savoury, farmyard and animal characters.
Developed. Dry palate with medium acidity and high alcohol – might be a good
example of a red wine that benefits from being served cool. Medium body. Medium
tannin levels. Red fruit flavour characteristics, more simple than the nose
would suggest. Medium finish. Good quality, not for keeping. I note this wine
is priced at quite a high point and this does not offer good value for money internationally,
a curse suffered by many German red wines unfortunately.
H. Schlumberger Altenberg Spätburgunder 2010 (Baden)
Spätburgunder = Pinot Noir.
Clear, paly ruby colour with legs. Clean, open and expressive nose
with medium intensity. Black cherries and also some smoky and spicy aromas
which I suspect are from time in wood. Dry palate with medium-plus acidity.
Medium tannin, more than the previous Lemberger. Has some balance to it but
powerful in style rather than elegant. Can drink now but has some short-term
potential. Long finish but really just hot rather than flavour. I would say
almost slight New World in character. Good quality overall.
Prinz Jungfer Riesling Auslese 2007 (Rheingau)
Clear, medium gold in appearance. Nose is clean with medium
intensity. Sweet fruits but no botrytis. Developing? Sweet palate. Low acidity –
noticeable – not nearly enough. Leave
the wine a little unbalanced in the sweetness for a typical / classic Riesling
Auslese. Full bodied. Perhaps a little caramel on the palate. Long, sweet
finish. Good quality and drinking now. I think without the acidity this is not
a keeper and better as aperitif as slightly simple without any botrytis
character.
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