Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Rheinhessen Cru Wines (Lagenweine) 2014 Tasting in Mainz, Germany

Picture: Christian Schiller, Philipp Wittmann, Weingut Wittmann, VDP President Rheinhessen, and Annette Schiller

Following the pre-release tasting of the 2014 (white) and 2013 (red) Grosse Gewächs (GG) wines in Wiesbaden on Monday and Tuesday, August 28/29, the top producers of Rheinhessen invited for a Rheinhessen Cru Wines (Lagenweine) Tasting on the following Wednesday, just across the Rhein River in Mainz.

See: Germany’s Grosses Gewächs GG Wines Released (2014 White and 2013 Red) - Notes from the Pre-release Tasting in Wiesbaden, Germany

Germany is moving to a terroir-based wine classification, designed along the lines of the Bourgogne classification. Accordingly, Rheinhessen presented dry premium wines of the 2014 (white) and 2013 (red) vintages from its best single vineyards. Interestingly, not only the top layer of quality winemakers in Rheinhessen, i.e. the VDP members, poured their wines, but also those winemakers that are knocking at the door of the VDP, i.e. the second layer of Rheinhessen winemakers in terms of quality.

Pictures: Jürgen Fendt, Sommelier, Hotel Restaurant Bareiss, Annette Schiller, Stefan Sander, Weingut Sander, and Philipp Wittmann

The New German Wine Classification

Although many people think that there is only one wine classification system in Germany – the classification system of the Law of 1971 – this is not correct. True, the classification system of the Law of 1971 is the standard classification system in Germany and the vast majority of winemakers in Germany use this approach. A large number of winemakers, however, have moved away from the standard, in particular the VDP producers. In a nutshell, the VDP is moving to a classification system that resembles very much the classification system in the Bourgogne.

Picture: Annette Schiller and Michael Schmidt (who covers Germany for Jancis Robinson)

Wilhelm Weil: “The new VDP Wine Classification System is basically a matrix classification.” On one axis you find the different quality levels of the wines, along the Burgundian terroir approach, with estate wines, village wines, first growth (premier cru) wines and great growth (grand cru) wines.

Like in the Bourgogne, the terroir principle has taken center stage in the VDP classification. Effective with the 2012 harvest, the VDP classification has the following 4 quality layers (In brackets, the equivalent quality classes in the classification system of the Bourgogne):

• VDP.Grosse Lage (Grand Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Erste Lage (Premier Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Ortswein (Village level in Burgundy)
• VDP.Gutswein (Bourgogne régional in Burgundy)

Note that for some legal reasons, the VDP has started to use the terms Grosse Lage, Erste Lage, Ortswein and Gutswein with the pre-fix VDP.

On the other axis, you find the sweetness levels: Trocken, Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese as well as Eiswein. Please note that in the new VDP classification system the Prädikats have lost their critical importance that they have in the traditional classification system of 1971 and that they have changed their meaning. In the VDP classification system, they have become an indicator for the sweetness range of the finished wine, while in the traditional classification they are an indicator of the sugar content of the grapes at harvest. Generally, in the new VDP classification system, the Prädikats are to be used exclusively for wines with residual sweetness, “thereby enabling the Prädikats to resume their traditional meaning”, as stated by the VDP.

See also:
Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany
The new (VDP) Wine Classification in Germany: Tasting Weingut Robert Weil Wines from Gutswein to Grosse Lage Wine

Picture: Annette Schiller and Derek Vinnicombe (US importer of German wine)

See also: Wine Caravan from Germany Visiting the US East Coast: Dr. Fischer, Fitz Ritter, Bollig-Lehnert, Schneider, Dr. Thanisch 

Rheinhessen: 3 Quality Levels Only – Gutswein, Ortswein, Lagenwein

The VDP Rheinhessen has modified the omnibus classification and reduced it to a 3 tier classification: Gutswein, Ortswein, Lagenwein for its wines. It does not distinguish between VDP.Grosse Lage wines and VDP.Erste Lage wines. All cru wines of VDP producers from Rheinhessen are VDP.Grosse Lage wines.

The Cru Wines Tasting in Mainz

40 elite winemakers from Rheinhessen presented their premium wines from the 2014 vintage (white) and from 2013 (red); some red wines were from 2011 and 2012. The Rheinhessen winemakers did not present any fruity-sweet wines (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese) from their best vineyards. All wines shown were dry wines. The top winemakers from Rheinhessen produce only a very limited amount of fruity-sweet wines. As a rule, premium wines from Rheinhessen are dry (or noble-sweet).

Pictures: Mainzer Schloss

The Rheinhessen Top Winemakers and Schiller's Favorite Wines

Here is a list of all the winemakers that poured their wines (VDP members and non-members). My favorite wines are indicated.

VDP: C. Spanier-Gillot and H.O. Spanier (Battenfeld-Spanier and Kühling-Gillot)
Favorites: 2014 Kirchenstück Riesling GG, 2013 Kirchenstück Spätburgunder GG, Pettenthal Riesling GG and 2013 Kreuz Spätburgunder GG
See also: Wine Tasting at Weingut Kühling-Gillot in Bodenheim: Kühling-Gillot and Battenfeld-Spanier Wines – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Pictures: Carolin Spanier, Philipp Wittmann and Annette Schiller

Becker Landgraf

Beck – Heidesheimer Hof

J. Bettenheimer

Bischel

Bossert

Braunewell
Favorite: Teufelspfad, Essenheim, Riesling
See also: Frankfurt/Wein Celebrated with the German Wine Queen Nadine Poss and 5 Winemakers: Simone Adams, Weingut Simone Adams, Markus Berres, Weingut C.H. Berres, Stefan Braunewell, Weingut Braunewell, Carmen von Nell-Breuning, Dominikaner Weingut, and Stephan Attmann, Weingut von Winning

VDP: Brüder Dr. Becker

K. and K. Dautermann

Dreissigacker
Favorites: Kirchspiel, Westhofen, Riesling and Morstein, Westhofen, Riesling
See also:
The Wines Chancelor Merkel Served President Obama and Michelle Obama in Berlin (and the Wines she did not Serve), Germany 

Espenhof

Winzerfamilie Flick

Oekonomierat Johann Geil J. Erben

VDP: K.F. Groebe
Favorites: Aulerde Riesling GG and Kirchspiel Riesling GG

Picture: Friedrich Groebe

VDP: Gunderloch
Favorites: Rothenberg Riesling GG, Pettenthal Riesling GG and Hipping Riesling GG
See also: Wine Tasting at Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim, with Owners and Winemaker Fritz Hasselbach and Agnes Hasselbach-Usinger – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Picture: Weingut Gunderloch

VDP: Gutzler

Hofmann
Favorite: Hundertgulden, Appenheim, Riesling
See also: Slate meets Limestone (Schiefer trifft Muschelkalk): Weingut Hofmann in Rheinhessen and Weingut WillemsWillems in the Saar, Germany

Picture: Jürgen Hofmann

Kampf

Keller
Favorites: Hubacker Riesling GG, 2013 Morstein Spätburgunder GG
See also: The 11 Winemakers: Rieslingfeier 2015 in New York City, USA


Knewitz
Favorite: Hundergulden, Appenheim, Riesling

Picture: Tobias Knewitz

VDP: Kruger-Rumpf
Favorite: Scharlachberg Riesling GG
See also: Lunch and Wine Tasting with Georg Rumpf, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, Nahe Valley – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Pictures: Stefan Rumpf, Philipp Wittmann, Annette Schiller and Georg Rumpf

Landgraf
Favorite: Hölle, Saulheim, Riesling

VDP: J. Neus

Pfannebecker

VDP: Rappenhof

Riffel

Sander

Schätzel
Favorites: Hipping, Nierstein, Riesling; Ölberg, Nierstein, Riesling; Pettentahl, Nierstein, Riesling
See also: Tour, Tasting, and Lunch at Weingut Schätzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Picture: Kai Schätzel and Annette Schiller

Seehof

VDP: Schloss Westerhaus

Spiess

VDP: St. Antony

VDP: Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Oppenheim

Thörle
Favorites: Hölle, Saulheim, Riesling and 2013 Hölle, Saulheim, Spätburgunder
See also: Visit: Winzerhof Thörle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Pictures: Johannes Thörle and Annette Schiller

VDP: Wagner-Stempel
Favorite: Höllberg, Riesling GG

Wechsler
Favorites: Kirchspiel, Westhofen, Riesling; Morstein, Westhofen, Riesling; Benn, Westhofen, Riesling
See also: Winetasting with Katharina Wechsler, Weingut K. Wechsler, Westhofen, Rheinhessen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Picture: Katharina Wechsler

Weedenborn
Favorite: Steingrube, Westhofen, Riesling

Picture: Gesine Roll

Weinreich

VDP: Winter

VDP: Wittmann
Favorites: Aulerde, Riesling, GG; Kirchspiel, Riesling, GG; Morstein, Riesling, GG
See also: Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Philipp Wittmann and Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann at Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
See also: The Premium Apple Wines of Andreas Schneider - Obsthof am Steinberg - in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Pictures: Philipp Wittmann and Andreas Schneider (ultra-premium apple wine producer from Frankfurt)

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany

The new (VDP) Wine Classification in Germany: Tasting Weingut Robert Weil Wines from Gutswein to Grosse Lage Wine

Wine Caravan from Germany Visiting the US East Coast: Dr. Fischer, Fitz Ritter, Bollig-Lehnert, Schneider, Dr. Thanisch 

Germany’s Grosses Gewächs GG Wines Released (2014 White and 2013 Red) - Notes from the Pre-release Tasting in Wiesbaden, Germany

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

Frankfurt/Wein Celebrated with the German Wine Queen Nadine Poss and 5 Winemakers: Simone Adams, Weingut Simone Adams, Markus Berres, Weingut C.H. Berres, Stefan Braunewell, Weingut Braunewell, Carmen von Nell-Breuning, Dominikaner Weingut, and Stephan Attmann, Weingut von Winning

The Wines Chancelor Merkel Served President Obama and Michelle Obama in Berlin (and the Wines she did not Serve), Germany

Wine Tasting at Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim, with Owners and Winemaker Fritz Hasselbach and Agnes Hasselbach-Usinger – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

The 11 Winemakers: Rieslingfeier 2015 in New York City, USA 

Slate meets Limestone (Schiefer trifft Muschelkalk): Weingut Hofmann in Rheinhessen and Weingut WillemsWillems in the Saar, Germany

Lunch and Wine Tasting with Georg Rumpf, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, Nahe Valley – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Tour, Tasting, and Lunch at Weingut Schätzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Visit: Winzerhof Thörle in Saulheim, Rheinhessen – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

Winetasting with Katharina Wechsler, Weingut K. Wechsler, Westhofen, Rheinhessen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with Philipp Wittmann and Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann at Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

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

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