Do you always order the
same ice cream cone at your favorite parlor? Do you always go to the
same place each year for vacation? Do you drive the same make of automobile? Same
restaurant......same menu item? Do you only drink red wine and only
collect Cabernet Sauvignon? You, my friend, are a creature of habit
and have found a womb-like comfort zone. And I know, you are very
happy! Well, even if you don't like it, I want to make you HAPPIER!
I want you to experience the joys and safety of diversity!
You don't "put all your eggs in one basket" do you? I know your stock
broker or financial planner has taught you that much....right?
What an introduction,
just to get you to take a chance and purchase some of the greatest
white wine produced in the world! Nope, I am not referring to oily,
buttery, oak lavished Chardonnay, rather German Riesling is today's eye
opener! And some day, even if you don't appreciate it now, trust
me.....you will mutter my name and thank me that I turned you on to
these extraordinary wines.
A couple of reminders.
First, we devoted two days in early June to extensively tasting German
and Austrian Rieslings from the 2002 vintage. Second, although the
2001 vintage has been correctly "hyped" by the critics as the top
vintage since 1971, there is swelling enthusiasm that the 2002 vintage
might be, at the very least, the equal to 2001. One of the most
important features of the 2002 vintage was its early bud break and warm
growing conditions that advanced the ripening and harvest up to three
weeks earlier than normal. Thus, many wines of Beerenauslese quality
were declassified to the "less" expensive Auslese status. A simple
translation in consumer language means relative"savings and
bargains" for highest quality, age worthy wine.....even
with the Euro's lofty value.
Our brief lesson today
provides you with a simplistic breakdown of the German classification
system of measuring ripeness at harvest. German winemakers measure the
ripeness of grapes using the Oeschle scale in which one degree of Brix
is roughly equivalent to four degrees of Oeschle. Unlike most grapes
that have a required "window of ripeness" for picking, Riesling happens
to be a grape that can produce a diversity of successful wines from
the same vineyard when picked at different times throughout the
harvest. As a German-American I am allowed to joke about personality
traits often identified as Germanic; fanatical discipline, frugal, and
hard working. How else could one explain the continuous picking of
the vineyard during the fall harvest?
Given - Vineyard
workers are already "handicaped" as most of the greatest vineyards,
those sites most capable of defining terroir, are planted on hillside
or "mountainous" exposures with steepness up to 70 degrees.
The Main Harvest -
1st Pick - "It's
another nice warm day. The grapes are ready enough. Go pick about
35-45% of the vineyard. We will celebrate with a harvest party!" - QmP
(highest quality defined by German wine laws adapted in 1971) - QUALITATSWEIN
MIT PRADIKAT [kvah-lih-TAYTS-vine mitt PRAY-dee-kaht)
2nd Pick - A few
days later "Go back up there and pick another 30% of the vineyard. We
will drink ale at the end of the day!" - Those grapes that have ripened
to 65-85% oeshle (17-21 Brix) - KABINETT [kah-bih-NEHT]
The Secondary Harvest
-
3rd Pick - Another
7-10 days "Get back out there and find only late ripened grapes....but
not all of them" - Those grapes that have ripened to 76-95 Oeshle
(19-24 percent sugar by weight) - SPATLESE [Shpayt-lay-zuh]
4th Pick - Maybe a few
days later or another few days after that - "Come on now, I want you
back up there to select and hand pick only the most perfectly ripened
bunches of grapes.....preferably with a little boytris cinerea (noble
rot or Edelfaule) on them. Let go!" - 83-105 Oeshle (20 to 25% Brix) -
AUSLESE [OWS-lay-zuh] - Pressed separately
and not blended with other grapes.
The Primo Harvest-
5th Pick - Depending
on the weather, but if it is lovely and mostly cool, but a little of
the day is still warmed by partial sun and relatively dry - "Let GO!
Wear your glasses, take your small scissors, march up in to the
vineyard and examine every vine's remaining clusters and hand pick only
the most perfectly ripened individual berries.....usually
with a more advanced stage of boytris cinerea"
- 110-128 Oeshle (26-30% Brix) - BEERENAUSLESE
[BAY-ruhn-OWS-lays-zuh] - Of course, pressed separately
and not blended.
6th. Pick - The weather
has not dropped to freezing yet - "ATTENTION! Put on your coat with
the big warm pockets! No gloves! Bring your tweezers! I want you to
go through the vineyard with a "fine tooth comb" and pick the individual dry
berries from each cluster" -
shriveled from the evaporative effects of the boytris cinerea"
- Minimum of 150 Oeshle (35% Brix) TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE [TRAWK-uhn-bay-ruhn-OWS-lay-zuh]
- Naturally, nectar is pressed separately and not blended.
"You Want Me To Do What
(?)" Harvest! -
7th. Pick! - The
weather is COLD AND FREEZING! SNOW IS EVERYWHERE! IT IS NICE AND
WARM INSIDE BY THE FIRE! "I KNOW YOU LIKE WORKING HERE.....DON'T YOU!!?
- Put on your woolens and boots, take a rope and a pick and
get yer ass out there and pick all the remaining frozen "remnants" of
fruit you can find. Hurry them back to us before they begin to thaw. We need to sort and press them
while still frozen so the wine will be more richly concentrated....then
go back and find some more ....and don't slip!" Sugar does not freeze,
only the water in the grapes has turned to ice and is discarded when
pressed. Oeshle standards for Beerenauslese - 110-128 - EISWEIN
[ICE-vyn)
Next lesson will be
on Riesling growing regions in Germany.
I offer you
the following outstanding Rieslings from the 2002 vintage in two - two
bottle sets. Or combined as a four bottle set. Mulitply orders are
acceptable. More sets to be offered at future dates. Collect them all!
Monchhof Set - One
bottle of Each - $72.90
Winemaker Robert Eymail reported
unprecedented must weights pushing the Auslese level (in the low 90
Ochsle range) as early as late September, an apparent indication of the
fruit-forward wines yet to come from his vineyards in Urzig and Erden.
There is richness and intensity never before seen at Monchhof with
these selections. In English the word Monchhof tanslates as the "Monks
House/Court." This estate is deep in tradition as wine making here can
be traced back to 1177 AD. The single vineyard wines of the Monchhof
estate are sought after by collectors and are very limited in supply;
coming from 70-degree slopes of the famous Urziger Wuzgarten, Erdener
Treppchen and Erdener Pralat vineyards.
2002
Monchhof Urziger Wurzgarten Spatlese - Importer Rudi Wiest says
it best - "Smells of spicy, iron laced lemon and orange. A chewy
tropical fruit wagon careens through the mouth, kicking up a cloud of
iron dust, almost gritty to the palated, bouncing apple, orange, and
peach from the trailer and a long skid of spicy traction at the end of
the ride". - $22.95
Note the
acid descriptors -"careens...gritty...bouncing...skid...traction" used
to balance the strength of the fruit components!
2002
Monchhof Erdener Pralat Auslese - You will find red fruit
aromas in the ripe nose of this wine, but they are intermixed with a
huge cinnamon spiced yellow peachiness. A big mouthful coats the
palate with texture and weight. Then a jetison of citrus and
minerality elevating the exotic core of peach and adding a new
dimension of tropical pineapple. - $49.95
Franz Kunstler Set -
One bottle of Each - $95.90
Franz Kunstler, with over 40 years
experience in the Hochheimer vineyards, started his estate in 1965. In
1988 his son Gunter joined the estate as cellarmaster. Today, through
intelligence and hard work, the Kunstler's have forged the finest
estate in Hochheim and joined the Rheingau elite. Foraged and highly
prized by collectors.
2002
Kunstler Hochheimer Kirchenstuck Spatlese -
Picked from 50 year old vines, this is a monster Spatlese - a solid
Auslese at any other estate. The nose is full of a minerality that
accents ripe tangerine and peach cobbler aromas. Very lush, the high
level of residual sugar is tamed by a strong current of bracing
acidity. - $35.95
2002
Kunstler Holle Auslese - Classic example of the
forementioned declassification of this vintage; in this case, grapes
harvested at a BA level of 120 Ochsle, and is 100% botrytised. My cup
runneth over with tasting notes on this one - Hints of a wood smoke on
the nose, warm peach and pear cobbler, warm autumn wood spices. Great
texture that freely lilts on the palate and is never a burden. Carmel
heaven with honeyed peaches, apricot and cinnamon pralines. Forgive me
for going overboard! I hate tasting notes that appear contrived! -
$59.95
ORDER NOW BY REPLY EMAIL - All orders will be confirmed by invoice #.
MONCHHOF
SET - $72.90
KUNSTLER
SET - $95.90
BOTH
SETS - ONE BOTTLE EACH - $165
MORE
2002 GERMAN RIESLING TO COME! COLLECT THEM ALL!
LAST CALL FOR 2000
CAYMUS CABERNET SAUVIGNON - NORMALLY $74.95 - > NOW $67.50 A BOTTLE
WHILE SUPPLY LASTS!
92 points - Wine Spectator #314-8052
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT!
In no particular order .....
So far in Sacramento......
Biba's, The Waterboy, Slocum House
So far in the wine country......
Mustard's Grill, Bistro Jeanty, Auberge du
Soleil
So far in the Bay Area.......
The Boulevard, Elisabeth Daniel, Chez Panise,
Masa's, Acquarello
IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT TO LET US KNOW YOUR
FAVORITE!
This week's Priority Email Member can win a
$50 store gift certificate. If you find your #, just respond within 48
hours!
Eric Stumpf
The Wine Consultant
8039 Greenback Lane
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
(916) 721-WINE
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