Producers

Christoph Wachter is a leading producer in the Eisenberg DAC and handcrafts very fine wines of great purity and elegance. The 2015 Blaufränkisch bottlings are fabulous in their perfect ripeness and balance. Without a doubt, these are great Austrian red wines. — Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate

 

People |

Christoph Wachter

Focus |

Precise, mineral driven Blaufränkisch that clearly shows a sense of place. And that place, Eisenberg, is like no other.

 

Country |

Austria

Region |

Burgenland

 

Sub Region |

Eisenberg (formerly Sub Burgenland), villages of Eisenberg and Deutsch Schützen

 

Climate |

Moderate Continental

• Even though this is the furthest southern region of Burgenland, it is actually the coolest, with harvest 2-3 weeks later than the rest. This is because it sits in the hills of the pre-Alps, surrounded by forest, which keeps cool air circulating and wines very fresh.

 

Vineyards |

Eisenberg is the name of the region, after its most famous hill the Eisenberg or Iron Mountain. There have been iron mines here since the iron age and that mineral component has a huge effect on the wines.

 

Grape Varieties |

Blaufränkisch. What else do you need?

 

Farming |

Organic

• Started conversion in 2010
• Certified in 2018
• Studied biodynamics for 2 years and applies some techniques
• No weeding, lets them grow and die to replenish the soil naturally
• No fertilizer

 

Cellar Work |

Natural, with a classic bent.

• Native yeast fermentation
• 20-30% whole cluster
• Aging in large, neutral oak barrels
• Entry-level, Bela-Joska, ages for 18 months
• Single vineyard & village bottlings age 22-34 months
• Unfined
• Unfiltered

 

About the winery |

Running into Christoph at VieVinum in 2022, we reminisced about our first meeting: An unforgettable evening with the greatest food pairing either of us could remember: Peking duck from Pinch Chinese with Reid Saybritz. Oddly our second experience with a delicate Japanese meal managed to be nearly as captivating.

Christoph Wachter, who took over his family estate at the tender age of 20, manages to capture the essence of the place, across his whole line up from entry level regional blend to top, single-vineyard bottles.

Like many of the vignerons of his generation his first step was to eschew traditional farming. Once he got that under control he reverted back to more traditional ways of winemaking, with no additives, natural yeast, large barrels and time.

Christoph is a real talent, only getting more capable with each passing vintage.

 

What do the wines taste like?

As the least populated sub-region of Burgenland, filled with poly-cultural farms and brooding ancient forests. It is actually cooler than its northern counterparts, leading to wines with higher acid with signature spicy, violet and lilac toned, black-fruited, and intense minerality.

The sanguine, blue and green slate minerality of Eisenberg make some of the very best Blaufränkisch anywhere. The current releases are all in top form. These are some of the best red wines you've probably never had.

 

Wines on Offer |

 

Wachter Wiesler, Blaufränkisch Béla-Jóska, 2020 $23.99 $21.11

Wine Enthusiast 90 Points (reviews in the August issue): The sanguine, blue and green slate minerality of Eisenberg make some of the very best Blaufränkisch anywhere. Christoph Wachter manages to capture the essence of the sub region even in this, his entry level wine. He is certified organic, with some biodynamic methods employed, no new oak is used and his goal is to capture the terroir through the grapes. This wine clearly shows the Chinese five spice character and intense violets on the nose with just picked black berries bright red cranberry, fine supple tannins and a tight knit structure, rare for a wine at this price point. Few wines out there offer so much for so little.

 

Wachter Wiesler, Blaufränkisch Deutsch Schutzen, 2019 $34.99 $30.79

Starting with the 2017 vintage, Wachter-Wiesler began bottling two village-level wines, offering a middle ground between the Bela-Joska which gives a good idea of Eisenberg generally and the show-stopping single-vineyard wines. The Deutsch Schutzen comes from two vineyards, the Ratschen and the Weinberg. Deutsch Schutzen's soils have green schist in the subsoil, but there is more top soil with clay and loam, giving an openness to the delicate and pretty cherry fruit. 12.5% alcohol. Total sulfur is below 50 ppm.

 

Wachter Wiesler, Blaufränkisch Eisenberg, 2019 $30.99 $27.27

Wine Enthusiast 93 Point score forthcoming in the August issue: Eisenberg is the perfect mid-tier treat for introduction into what the region is all about. These are wines with pure black and blue fruit, but are never overripe and are always laden with acidity and minerality. From a mix of vineyards: Fasching, Saybritz and Hummergraben with lots of ferrous green shale and a top layer of clay. Spontaneously fermented in vats and steel tanks. Pressing after 21 days, malolactic fermentation and 22 months storage in 600L & 1500L barrels. Unfined & unfiltered.

 

Wachter Wiesler, Blaufränkisch Ried Ratschen, 2019 $52.99 $46.63

From a cooler north-east-facing site on the Deutsch Schützener Berg. Here the sandy loam top soil gives a fruity, easy drinking character, but this is elevated by the presence of gravel in the subsoil, gives an almost Cabernet Sauvignon-like structure. Spontaneously fermented in vats, pressing after 23 days, malolactic fermentation and 30 months storage in large wooden barrels. Unfined and unfiltered. Blackberry, silky round tannins, quintessential spice and a pleasant, balanced acidity. Drink this in the mid-term.

 

 

Wachter Wiesler, Blaufränkisch Ried Reihburg, 2019 $79.99 $70.39

Reihberg is at the top of the Eisenberg hill at 280-300 meters high. This means it sees more wind, for lower yields, and brighter acidity plus meager top soil. Sandy loam (silt), sandy-gravelly with a high proportion of quartz and mica add layers of a particular salty minerality. Fruity is electric blue with plenty of aromatics of wild flowers and Chinese five spice. Spontaneously fermented in vats, pressing after 28 days, malolactic fermentation and 22 months storage in large barrels. Unfined and unfiltered.

 

Wachter Wiesler, Blaufränkisch Ried Saybritz, 2019 $79.99 $70.39

Oh Saybritz. One of the most perfect, unique and compelling sites in all of Burgenland. Super steep with a forest at the top, both protecting the site from wind but keeping temps extra cool. The real pizzazz is a unique green iron rich soil that gives the wines a sanguine, spicy, almost smokey quality with razor sharp tannins, akin to Cornas in their wildness. Astute structure, drinkable young with food. Think BBQ, but even better with just a touch more time in the cellar. Do not miss. Spontaneously fermented in vats, pressing after 20 days, malolactic fermentation and 35 months storage in large wooden barrels.

 

Wachter Wiesler, Blaufränkisch Ried Weinberg, 2019 $52.99 $46.63

Christoph farms 5 hectares in the middle of this vineyard. Full of iron-rich clay, similar to the Eisenberg, but with all the benefits of a midslope position (better airflow, drainage and sunlight). Another gorgeous expression of the variations of terroir of the cool Eisenberg region. Raspberries, boysenberries, stone, spicy and a whiff of violet high tones.

 

Wachter Wiesler, Burgenland Rotes Handgemenge, 2019 $18.99 $16.71

New wine! The Rotes Handgemenge is a blend of Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch. The juiciness of the Zweigelt plays well with the structure of the Blaufrankisch. It's meant to be an easy drinking wine on days when you don't want to take yourself so seriously. It's bottled unfined and unfiltered. Enjoy in the summer with a light chill and some burgers or on a cold winter night with a simple beef stew.

People |

Jutta Ambrostich, Owner, Farmer & Winemaker and husband, Marco Kalchbrenner, who takes care of the administration, poetic wine descriptions, and logistics.

Country |

Austria

 

Region | 

Vienna

Vineyards |

Rents and farms 4 hectares spread across 10 parcels. Some planted in the 1950s & 1960s. Rosengartl on the Nussberg hill and Reisenberg

• Soils: clay, marl, limestone, slate, gneiss

Focus |

Traditional with a twist. All micro-cuvées with several [Gemischter Satz], some single vineyard and a few single varietal bottlings. Plus that old-school Ein Liter Wien!

Farming |

Organic, uncertified. Watch out for the wild boars!

Grape Varieties |

Grüner Veltliner, Welschriesling, Zierfandler, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Blaufränkisch, Rotburger, Sankt Laurent, Blauburger, Merlot, & ancient indigenous varieties

Winemaking |

Natural

• spontaneous fermentation with wild yeast
• Most are aged in stainless steel
• Minimal sulfur additions at bottling

About the winery |

There are few things more enchanting than standing in a 2,000 year old vineyard, drinking wines made from the vines that surround you. The situation only improves with great company: the cheery team at Bowler Wines, my charming husband, baby Wine Witch, Marco Kalchbrenner, Jutta Ambrostisch herself and to top it off, her doggo.

Vienna and its residents have a long and intertwined history with its wine. It has the largest number of vineyards within its city limits of anywhere on earth. Most of the wine is used to sate the thirsty Viennese themselves. Winemakers here are known for their traditional, thirst-quenching, white field blends of Gemischter Satz, a perfect pairing for Schnitzel and Käsekrainer sausages. It's a style of wine often relegated to grocery store shelves, or sold out of a tap at any of the many Buschenschank (wine taverns) found around the city.

But Jutta isn't from Vienna or a winemaking family, giving her freedom from the ties that bind this staunchly traditional place. She found herself enamored with the juxtaposition of being a farmer in the big city. In 2004 she left behind her graphic design job to start a new dream.

What are the wines like? |

Her wines are a far cry from the gluggable styles produced by many of her neighbors. They are masterpieces of craft, allowing terroir to transcend grape variety to produce classic, often age-worthy bottles of serious juice.

 

She farms her four parcels organically and her winemaking would be considered "natural", but her clean, linear, complex results are a far cry from some of those who also don that moniker. These are wines unfamiliar to most and really worth exploring. I’ve yet to pour a taste for someone and not see the bottle walk away, and I’ve never started a bottle I didn’t finish.

Wines on Offer |

Ambrositsch, Blaufränkisch Hetfleisch, 2019 $172.99 $152.23
Jutta is from Eisenberg and is friends with Christoph Wachter. She gets some Eisenberg Reihburg fruit from Christoph and makes just one barrel of this very special wine.

Ambrositsch, Gemischter Satz Kosmopolit, 2021 $24.99 $21.99
This Gemischter Satz is named Kosmopolit as it comes from five sites on both sides of the Danube. It is a mix of wild varietals: Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Zierfandler, and many other unknown grapes. The youngest vines are seven years old and the oldest were planted in 1970. The grapes are all picked on the same day then into a press for a 12 hour maceration. A true Gemischter Satz. Nectarine, very clean and fresh. White flowers.

 

Ambrositsch, Gemischter Satz Ringelspiel, 2021 $44.99 $39.59
From a single parcel on the right side of the Danube of the oldest vines, which were planted in the 1950’s. Marco’s notes cannot be skipped on this wine, “Old founding fathers amongst the vines, ancient grape varieties, planted almost 70 years ago. Twelve sorts that we know and some that nobody knows any longer. All in all, a wine that is far from the here and now, no chance to be a hit at the box office, and yet, it is a clear, valid, if not definitive manifest for Gemischter Satz from our cute metropole.”

Ambrositsch, Gemischter Satz Satellit, 2022 $25.99 $22.87
Mostly GV Riesling and SB. Bright lemon. Fresh. Some skin contact 4 days.

Ambrositsch, Gruner Veltliner Revision (Reisenberg), 2021 $44.99 $39.59
As Ambrositsch has chosen to not be in the DAC, they cannot use the vineyard names on the label, but this wine comes from one of their prized vineyards, the Reisenberg. It was planted all to Gruner Veltliner in the 1960’s. Ambrositsch described the soil as creamy and stinky, mainly with slate and gneiss. The vines are planted quite spaced out and they only make a maximum of 1,000 bottles per year. The wine is well structured and rich, a beautiful Gruner from 50+ year-old vines.

Ambrositsch, Riesling Utopie (Rosengartl), 2021 $40.99 $36.07
Wine Enthusiast: 93 Points (reviews coming in August). The Rosengartl vineyard is a legendary site for Riesling. It is on the right bank of the Danube on the famous Nussberg hill, a south-facing limestone slope that has great views of Vienna. Ambrositsch has eight rows of vines, planted in 2000 and 2001, right in the center of the plateau, the best spot. Peach and mineral. Bright acid with citrus finish. And from Marco, “Oh, the white blossoms, the cold wax, the gnawed-off apricot pits, the dried mint…one aroma intertwines with another as if conducted by a professional magician from the Heiligenstadt, leaving no time to pause for breath…”

Ambrositsch, Roter Gemischter Satz Rakete, 2022 $27.99 $24.63
From Marco: “Rotburger, Sankt Laurent, Blauburger, Merlot and a few white vines, probably planted unintentionally, who knows, Vienna 30 years ago, early 80’s, wild times in a city that was not so wild at the time, at least on the surface. Back to the wine: forest soil and fruits…fermented gooseberries, a few scattered cranberries and a somewhat too inflated dark pink air mattress by the pond. Please shake before drinking, bottled with fine yeast directly from the tank.”

This Article Contains Focus People Country Region Sub Region Climate Vineyards Grape Varieties Farming Winemaking About the winery What do the wines taste like? Wines on Offer

Focus |

Exclusively Pet-Nats from the coolest sites in Kamptal, from one set of bubble lovers to another

People |

Collaboration between Stefanie and Alwin Jurtschitsch and Martin and Anna Arndorfer

Country |

Austria

Region |

Kamptal

Subregion |

Langenlois, Village of Merschein

Climate |

Vineyards |

Grape Varieties |

Zweigelt, Cabernet Sauvignon, Müller Thurgau, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, Gelber Muskateller, Welschriesling, Riesling.

Farming |

Certified Organic

Winemaking |

About the Winery |

This little Pet-Nat project was started by best friends Stefanie and Alwin Jurtschitsch and Martin and Anna Arndorfer for the sole purpose of producing delicious bubbly wines! Nothing but Pet-Nat, will be found at this micro winery where the four come together to celebrate the joy wine brings us all. Only 1,500 cases spread across 5-7 cuvées are produced annually, so supplies are limited.

What are the wines like?

They are complex sparkling wines, with crunchy fruit, slightly yeasty, with just enough skin contact for velvet tannins to glide across your palate. Minerality comes through from the well grapes, with prickly bubbles, lifted acidity and a touch of haze. After tasting through the line up at vieVinum last year, I could only describe them as “happiness in a bottle”.

Wines on Offer |

Fuchs und Hase, Pet Nat Volume 1, 2021 $27.99 $24.63 70% Müller Thurgau, 25% Grüner Veltliner, 5% skins of Sauvignon Blanc. Grown in Merschein and Loiserberg, cold, late ripening vineyard sites, mainly surrounded by forest. Whole bunch pressing of both varieties together in one press, skins of Sauvignon Blanc (no stems) are added within the first days of fermentation to gain more fruit and structure. No added sulfites. Fuchs und Hase, Pet Nat Volume 2, 2021 $27.99 $24.63 70% Grüner Veltliner, 30 % Gelber Muskateller, 3% skins of Gelber Muskateller. All grapes are pressed together, after which skins of Gelber Muskateller are added for 7 days to gain more fruit and complexity. 10 mg/l sulfur added at bottling.         Fuchs und Hase, Pet Nat Volume 3, 2021 $27.99 $24.63 Welschriesling and Riesling from clay and crystalline topsoil. Welschriesling is whole bunch pressed, Riesling grapes are added to the Welschriesling-juice and co-fermented for 10 days to gain more fruit and complexity. No added sulfites.         Fuchs und Hase, Pet Nat Volume 4, 2021 $27.99 $24.63 70% Müller Thurgau, 30% Grüner Veltliner. 100% skin fermented for 12 days, no destemming, mainly free run, almost no juice from pressing, bottled at the ideal residual sugar level (vignerons’ secret). No added sulfites.         Fuchs und Hase, Pet Nat Rose, 2021 $27.99 $24.63 85% Zweigelt, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Zweigelt is grown on a very cold vineyard site called Tanzer in Langenlois, primarily rock, and Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on Loess soil with calcareous inclusions. Zweigelt was pressed as Rosé, skins of Cabernet Sauvignon were added to the fermenting juice. 10 mg/l sulfur added at bottling.

"One of the founding fathers of dry cellarable German Rieslings, late release wines are not just what Koehler-Ruprecht does, it is who they are. Among aficionados, even the name can elicit a nearly mythic devotion to the twin deities of tradition and time." — Paula Sidore, Trink Magazine: Vol 3 

People |

Dominik Sona and his cellar master Franziska Schmitt

Focus |

Heady wines, broad, rich and minerally Riesling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from old vines in ancient vineyards. Old-fashioned winemaking for old-school wines, built for the long haul.

Country |

Germany

Region |

Pfalz

Village |

Kallstadt

Climate |

Moderate Continental

• Warmer than the Mosel and the Nahe.
• The northern extension of what are called the Voges mountains on the French side, to the west of which is Alsace.
• A bit of a Mediterranean feel with olive and fig trees
• More powerful broad Rieslings, but still with plenty of acidity and minerality

Vineyards |

Like most of the Pfalz this is the land of sandstone and limestone, but with huge variations in composition, leading to a lot of nuance between each site.

• Saumagen: 200 year old vines are the prized possession of the estate. They own 4 hectares of the south-east facing original parcel with limestone, loess and marl soils. This is where you will find some of Germany’s greatest dry Riesling.
• Steinacker: "stony acre”, a 750 year old vineyard which nearly surrounds the village. As the name implies this is a very rugged, gravelly sandstone and lœss mix on top of a limestone floor. Here you will find Pinot varieties and fruity Kabinett Riesling.
• Annaberg: 120 year old vineyard rife with limestone, where the Chardonnay is planted and sandstone, where the first Scheurebe was planted in 1960.

Grape Varieties |

Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc

Farming |

Sustainable

• No herbicides
• No pesticides
• No irrigation
• Only systemic fungicide treatments, when absolutely necessary

Cellar Work |

Traditional - Natural

• Spontaneous Fermentation
• Fermentation and aging in large, old, neutral oak barrels
• Extended lees contact
• No additions or subtractions, except moderate sulfur after alcoholic fermentation and right before bottling, these are meant to age
• Very old school methods of trusting time to do the job of stabilization.

About the winery |

The Pfalz is ground zero for dry German Riesling but it is also home to some of its more diverse soil types, grapes and styles of wines. Koehler-Ruprecht’s collection of vineyards is unrivaled, taking full advantage of the terroir to make some of the best wines in the region.

K-R are traditional mavericks. Being the first, or close to it to focus on dry winemaking, avoiding the fads of sweet wines last century. They continue to be labeled with both the Prädikat designation, indicating ripeness level of the grapes when harvested and “Trocken”, like Spätlese Trocken. This method of labeling is no longer allowed by the VDP, the German winegrowers association dedicated to quality wines. This is just one reason they have left the group after 80 years and continued down their own tried and true path.

Dominik and Franzi are fully committed to following the tried and true methods of this historic estate.

What do the wines taste like?

These are not gluggable, fast drinking wines, these are for pondering, sipping and contemplating.

They are built for the long haul so give them time and they will reward the patient imbiber.

Wines on Offer |

 

 

 

Koehler Ruprecht, Chardonnay Kabinett Trocken, 2022 $24.99 $21.99

Not to be confused with the Spätlese Annaberg we usually get from KR, this is an estate-level, lighter, dry Chardonnay at a great price. Think of it like a German Petite Chablis.

 

Koehler Ruprecht, Pinot Noir Kabinett Trocken, 2020 $25.99 $22.87

“Sourced from a mix of sites in Kallstadt and one vineyard in Bad Dürkheim where the soils are light and sandy. The grapes were handpicked, destemmed and fermented in stainless steel. Bottled unfiltered. "A light and fruity pinot noir that does what we expect a Bourgogne rouge to do, that is delight with bright cherry fruit that is married to a supple body and lively but not tart acidity." -Stuart Piggott

 

 

 

Koehler Ruprecht, Riesling Kallstadter Saumagen Kabinett Trocken, 2021 $35.99 $31.67

Saumagen, which translates to pig's stomach, is named after the shape of the vineyard (it also happens to be the region's most famous local dish). Established as a vineyard in 1810, this area used to be a limestone quarry in Roman times. The soils here are heavy in chalky marl and full of tiny individual limestones. This utterly elegant, dancing, "true" dry Kabi is considered the calling card of the estate.

 

 

 

Koehler Ruprecht, Riesling Kallstadter Saumagen Spätlese Trocken, 2021 $46.99 $41.35

Barrel-aged, naturally vinified, miraculously broad and precise at the same time with a heart of limestone and endless layers and aspects in this extraordinary vintage. DO NOT MISS!

 

 

 

 

Koehler Ruprecht, Riesling Kallstadter Saumagen Spätlese Trocken 'R', 2018 $164.99 $145.19

“In striking contrast with the corresponding “regular” Saumagen Spätlese trocken, here ripe apple, Persian melon and quince in both fresh and distilled form are met on the nose by seabreeze, chalk, moss, iris and wet stone. In common with other Koehler-Ruprecht Rieslings of its vintage, the feel here is polished and glossy, to soothing effect – and there is an almost honeyed sense of richness – but at the same time there is buoyancy born of alcohol not much over 12%, haunting florality and an impressive impression of underlying grip and active mineral impingement. This bottling represents the contents of one 600- and one 300-liter cask. 93 pts” -David Schildknecht, Vinous Media 

 

Koehler Ruprecht, Riesling Kallstadter Steinacker Kabinett, 2021 $25.99 $22.87

“Very crisp, bright and juicy this is an excellent Kabinett. I love the floral and delicate fruit salad aromas. Excellent balance on the dry side for this category. Super-clean, long finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap. 93 pts” -- James Suckling

 

 

 

Koehler Ruprecht, Weisser Burgunder Kabinett Trocken, 2021 $20.99 $18.47

100% Pinot Blanc (the secret weapon of Teutonic winemakers!) vinified dry. A selection of older vines (40-50 years old) planted in limestone soils mostly from the Steinacker and some from Saumagen. A ""salt-and-pepper"" kind of wine, that is, saline in its minerality with a spicy fruit character. Mineral-driven and creamy with a touch of acidity lifting the finish.

People |

Gernot Kollmann

Focus |

Rieslings that feel etched out of the precipitously steep, stony hillsides they were clung to before harvest. Low intervention winemaking means no make up on these beauties, just dry, searingly mineral wines of slate and air.

Country |

Germany

Region |

Mosel

Village |

Enkirch

Climate |

Cool Continental 

Vineyards |

13 hectares total. All Grand Cru parcels, all contain very old, pre-phylloxera, un0grafted vines

• Zeppwingert: Gray slate and quartzite
• Batterieberg: “demolition hill” named as such after Carl August Immich, blew up a steep rock face to plant more vines. The center of Zeppwingert. Gray slate and quartzite
• Ellergrub: Blue slate next door to Batterieberg. Dizzyingly steep, I know I’ve climbed it, quite the hike.
• Steffensberg: Red slate. A spicy kick to the wines from the iron and copper rich soil. The same geologic formation starts in the Saar in Niedermenniger and surfaces throughout the Mosel at Urziger Würtzgarten and ends at Rothenpfad on the Marienburg.
• Zollturm: located down river in Traben, super steep and used for both a GG and a sekt.

Grape Varieties |

Riesling

Farming |

Organic

• Practicing for 10 years
• Certified in 2022

Cellar Work |

Natural

• Mix of stainless steel and old casks
• Ambient yeast fermentation
• No additions, except a small about of sulfur at bottling
• Fermented to dryness

About the winery |

In 2008 after a stint at Von Volxem and winemaking at Knebel, Gernot Kollmann and his partners purchased the Batterieberg property. The vines are some of Germany's most genetically diverse, planted long before clonal selections and vine nurseries proliferated.

The castle onsite dates from the 12th century and the Immich family lived there for 500 years until 1989. All of the parcels are in Grand Cru vineyards, super steep, most right along the Mosel river bank. The old Prussian tax maps of the 19th century rated them some of the best in the country.

Gernot has spent 15 years coaxing the very best from these storied vineyards. His dedication to farming and hands of winemaking place him in the echelon of greatest winemakers in the valley.

What do the wines taste like?

Very precisely terroir driven. Super mineral, mostly dry, with quivering acidity and a clarity that makes you stop and think. These are thrilling in their youth but  age very well, even 10 years old bottles I’ve had feel like they’ve barely budged.

Pure, unvarnished and powerful.

Wines on Offer |

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Batterieberg Trocken, 2021 $95.99 $84.47

“The 2021 Batterieberg was picked six days later than the Zeppwingert and is the wine whose grapes were picked at the very end of the harvest, October 27-28. The nose is elegant and refined, with ripe and intense fruit and fine mushroom aromas intermingled with delicate slate aromas. Round and juicy on the palate, this is a voluptuous Batterieberg with ripe, rather mild acidity, remarkably fine tannins and lingering salinity and crystallinity that carries the wine to a long and intense finish. 12% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in October 2022. 94 pts” -- Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Batterieberg Trocken, 2022 $104.99 $92.39

The namesake of the estate. The 80-year-old, ungrafted vines on gray slate soils with quartzite elements in the upper terraces of the cru give a crystalline, finessed and elegant but also powerful and intense Riesling of great complexity and length. Fermented spontaneously and aged in small used wooden casks, like all of the estate's grand cru wines.

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Briedler Herzchen Trocken, 2021 $35.99 $31.67

2021 is the 3rd vintage of this wine, sourced from organically grown grapes in a vineyard site just the other side of the Marienberg from Clemens Busch's holdings. A legally dry wine made from fruit picked on 40-year-old vines in this less well-known but almost full south-facing steep vineyard on a soil of iron-infused grey slate forming the prolongation of the Pündericher main hill.

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Ellergrub (Feinherb), 2019 $74.99 $65.99

“The 2019er Ellergrub, as it is referred to on the main part of the label, is a barely off-dry wine (with 12 g/l of residual sugar) made from parcels planted with very old un-grafted vines, and was fermented and aged in used barrique and small oak cask for 10 months. It offers a superbly delicate and refined nose of white flowers, almond cream, herbs, spices, pear, mirabelle, and a hint of apricot. The wine is subtly juicy and creamy on the smooth palate driven by ripe fruits. The sweetness, even if it packed into zesty fruits in the long finish, is still at the forefront at the moment, but this only needs a couple of years of patience in order to melt away into the wine. 2026-2044. 95 pts” -- Mosel Fine Wines

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Ellergrub (Feinherb), 2022 $77.99 $68.63

A monumental, off-dry wine made from parcels planted with century-old un-grafted vines, spontaneously fermented and aged in used barrique and small oak cask for 10 months. Always needs a couple of years of patience.

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Escheburg Trocken, 2021 $34.99 $30.79

Normally a blend of all four steep slope grand crus from Immich: Batterieberg, Zeppwingert, Ellergrub, and Steffensberg; but this year the Ellergrub fruit from blue slate dominates to scintillating effect. Mostly old and ungrafted vines — at least 60 years old — the vinous heritage of Germany expressed in a generously affordable bottle. Dry every vintage, and especially electric and precise in 2021. One of the star wines of the estate, and dollar-for-quality, the best value.

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Jour Fixe Extra Brut, 2020 $54.99 $48.39

The Riesling Sekt Brut Nature Jour Fixe is made from equal parts of fruit harvested in the upper part of the Enkircher Ellergrub, the west-facing part of the Trabener Zollturm and bought-in grapes from old vines in the Oberemmeler Altenberg. The wine is methode champenoise, aged nine months in barrels, and disgorged without any dosage or SO2 (the disgorgement date is not provided on the label). Gernot allows the base wine ample contact with oxygen to reduce the primary fruit and enhance the texture. The finished Sekt is nicely intense with mouthcoating mousse on the palate, yet there is a really fine delicately racy acidity lifting up the aromatics and giving this overall richer styled Sekt much vibrancy and focus right into the beautiful finish. Notably Chenin-like in many ways! NOTE: No sekt was released in 2017, 2018, or 2019.

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Kabinett Trocken C.A.I., 2021 $24.99 $21.99

Deep, fragrant, minerally, and pure! Under 5g/l RS. 10.5% alc. The calling card wine from hero/vintner/reconteur/gourmand Gernot Kollmann is a crisp, crunchy, keenly balanced, TOTALLY DRY Riesling from multiple sources along the Mosel, including the Saar, Mitelmosel and Gernot’s own vineyards in Enkirch. 

"The 2021 Riesling Kabinett Trocken CAI offers a deep and pure as well as aromatic and slate-driven bouquet with ripe and elegant Riesling aromas. Lush and supple but refined and elegant on the palate, this is a medium to full-bodied, pure, fresh and saline/crystalline but full-flavored and textured dry Kabinett with stunning substance and juicy, ripe fruit but just 10% stated alcohol. It has a saline and stimulatingly fresh finish. It was bottled with about 21 to 22 milligrams of free SO2, which is lower than in previous years and possibly causing the suppleness and textural qualities of this serious dry Riesling. A gorgeous Kabinett! Tasted in October 2022. 90 pts" -- Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate 

 

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Steffensberg Trocken, 2022 $50.99 $44.87

Equivalent of a Premier Cru from 60-year-old ungrafted vines planted on red slate, adding a splash of spice. This year the wine is dry. Look for the signature notes of mandarin orange and spicy florals from the vineyard. 

 

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Zeppwingert (Feinherb), 2018 $89.99 $79.19

“Deep, spicy nose with great apricot, then stunning concentration on the generous and texturally complex palate, right through the very long finish. This is very sophisticated, almost dry riesling with a unique style. Would greatly reward considerable further aging. Drinkable now, but better in 2022. 95 pts” -- James Suckling

 

 

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Zeppwingert (Feinherb), 2022 $104.99 $92.39

Zeppwingert is a steep grand cru of grey slate + quartzit containing multiple parcels of very old, ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines. It actually surrounds the Batterieberg on the hillside. Zeppwingert, along with Ellergrub and Steffensberg, were among the highest-ranked vineyards according to the 1897 Mosel-Weinbau-Karte, the Prussian viticultural tax map of the Mosel. Like many of the great sites along the Mosel outside of the "Miracle Mile", they'd been neglected, but with renewed interest from passionate producers like Immich, Vollenweider and Weiser-Künstler, we can all enjoy these breathtaking takes again. 

Immich Batterieberg, Riesling Zollturm Trocken, 2020 $69.99 $61.59

The Trabener Zollturm is sourced from the old-vines portion of a hectare recently acquired from a Kröv vintner in a once highly rated site just upstream from Gaispfad and Ellergrub. The name means "toll gate", referring to the old ruins of a toll station on a cliff atop the vineyard, overhanging the river. There was no 2021 Zollturm made due to inclement weather and wild boars! The 2020 was fermented for almost two years and bottled in September 2022. "Fermented for almost two years and bottled in September this year, the 2020 Zollturm is clear, deep, fresh and intense on the nose, with concentrated and stewed apricot aromas and chutney notes. On the palate, this is a round, intense, crystalline and stimulatingly saline Riesling with precise acidity and a long, tensioned, crispy finish. The sweetness of 17.5 grams per liter of residual sugar is still prominent, so the wine needs another 7-8 years to show the purity and complexity it really has. 12% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in October 2022. 95 pts" -- Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate

 

People |

Rebecca Materne & Janina Schmitt

Focus |

Traditionally made Riesling from steep, slatey, terraced sites

Country |

Germany

Region |

Mosel

 

Sub Region/Village |

3 different towns Winninger, Koberner and Lehmener

Climate |

Cool Continental

• The Terrassen Mosel is the warmest subsection of the Mosel, nearest its end into the Rhein river

Vineyards | 

• Vineyards are all scattered across Winninger, Koberner and Lehmener. 
• All are slate sites.
• 3.5 hectares across 40 different plots.
• Lehmener Ausoniusstein: The only single vineyard wine they bottle. An incredible Grosse Lage, of gray and green slate with pockets of rare limestone from a coral reef. Perched high up on a super steep site above the river, it still manages to have a good water supply, necessary for the 100+ year old un-grafted vines.

 

Grape Varieties |

Riesling.

Farming |

Organic

• A death defying feat on 30 degree slopes.

Cellar Work |

Very low intervention, rare for the Mosel

• Extremely low yields, 20 to 35 hl/ha (most farmers here are closer to 60-80hl/ha, and higher is not unusual)
• Macerated on skins
• Gently pressed
• Gravity fed into cellar
• Spontaneous fermentation
• no temperature control
• No additions or fining
• Sulfur never past 60 ppm

About the winery |

This is our first time featuring the wines of these two incredible women and it was way overdue.

Neither of them came from a winemaking family and built everything from scratch. They met in school at Geisenheim, the UC Davis of Germany, in a country and a wine region with a frighteningly low percentage of female vignerons. 11 years in they now deserve our undivided attention.

Their chosen home of Winningen in the far-flung Terrassen Mosel didn’t help their notoriety. An hour away from the “Miracle Mile” of the Middle Mosel, are tiny villages few have ever heard of, along with the world’s steepest vineyards. Its most famous names are Knebel and Heymann-Löwenstein, whom they trained with, so lovers of those two will certainly find something here worth appreciating.

What do the wines taste like?

Slate. Crystalline structure, almost powdery texture, very precise and focused. Aromatics range from subtle to more effusive from rocks and salt to spicy and sanguine to peachy and roasted lemon although fruit is always in the background. There is a slight sponti/yeasty, just a touch of crunchy oxidation, but it's welcome compared to the overly polished wines readily found in most other places.

There is a lively electricity to these wines. A nerviness hard to achieve in a conventional winery, often muted by manipulations. Here the low alcohols are in balance with the lower than normal acidity and moderate sugar levels for refreshing wines of nuance and terroir. 

Wines on Offer |

Materne & Schmitt, Riesling Kabinett, 2021 $30.99 $27.27

“Yummy, yummy, yummy. Perfection. This wine just made me dumb with its outrageous deliciousness. It’s the kind of Mosel Riesling I live for” - CD 9g TA, 30g/l RS, 9% abv.

 

"Super sharp and salty, my palate is vibrating, truly electric. lemon juice, ripe phenolic, mineral water, pooling along the edges" -- CD

M&S owns only 2,500 square meters of vines in this epic grand cru which contains a high percentage of 100+ year old un-grafted vines. Perched dizzyingly high and steep over the northern Mosel, the vineyard combines high elevation, a good water supply, and plenty of gray-blue slate with calcareous chunks of rock from an ancient coral reef. The result? Penetrating aromatics and terrific nerve and purity in the wines. Vinified in steel to a seriously dry 1.4g RS and 6.6g acid (but it feels way higher than that thanks to the wine's innate minerality and very low RS). An incredible, rare wine.

 

 

 Materne & Schmitt, Riesling Trocken Koberner, 2019 $33.99 $29.91

12.5% abv. Natural, dry Riesling made from the Estate’s holdings in the steep hills of the Weissenberg and Fahrberg overlooking the village of Kobern. More blue slate found here. No additions, no subtractions, spontaneous ferments, and long, gradual maturation. Very salty with serious DENSITY! Riper, pear-like fruit commands the palate. A wine for the cellar.

 

 

 Materne & Schmitt, Riesling Trocken Lehmener, 2020 $33.99 $29.91

Bone-dry Riesling made from holdings in the lower part of the Lay and in the Ausoniusstein. Soils are gray-blue slate w/ calcareous elements from an ancient coral reef. Vinified in steel with no additions, spontaneous ferments, minimal sulfur, and long, gradual maturation. The wine is beautifully balanced on the elegant and spicy palate and braced by a gorgeously crystalline structure. By far the leanest and most precise, mineral-driven wine made here.

 

 

Materne & Schmitt, Riesling Trocken Winninger, 2020 $33.99 $29.91

The 2020 Winninger is a dry Riesling made from a blend of estate’s holdings closest to their winery in the Grand Cru sites Winninger Brückstück, Röttgen, Hamm and steep hill parts of Domgarten. These are some of the most forbiddingly steep sites in the entire world, covered in pure slate. Some of the juice was aged in acacia barrels. This darker-hued wine offers a profound mineral nose, high toned fruit, and terrific nerve and structure.

 

Natural, but with the most classic results possible, rather than some of the more slap-stick “natural” wines to be found in the valley. A dry Riesling from this woman-owned micro-estate working on the natural end of the spectrum, sourced from absurdly steep terraces in the far northern Mosel, mostly from Winningen. A short maceration on the skins, natural settling by gravity, spontaneous fermentation, no chaptalization, no fining, no additions or reductions of any kind. The wine develops for almost a year on the lees in stainless steel tanks; filtered and sulphured minimally before bottling.

People |

Johannes Hasselbach, since 2016

​​ 

Focus |

Rieslings of the Roter Hang from a 135 year old historical estate, infused with a youthful exuberance. No longer pushing for ripeness, you can expect wine made in the vineyards, not the cellar, with lower sugar and alcohol levels with a tighter structure, just oozing with minerality.

 

Country |

Germany

Region |

Rheinhessen

Village |

Nackenheim

 

Climate |

Cool Continental, although things are quickling heating up in the Rheinhessen

 

Vineyards |

24 hectares across the two villages of Nackeheim and Nierstein

• Rothenberg: The crown jewel of the family estate, owning 65% of it. It’s one of the top Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) sites along the 5 km long stretch of the Roter Hang. This iron rich cliff along the Rhein river is known for spicy, savory, long lived wines. Their parcels have vines up to 40 years old.
• Pettenthal: finer soil than Rothenberg, pebbly with broken rocks and less geological compression. Wines tend to show a slightly finer structure, are more filigreed and tense.
• Hipping: The smallest of the Gunderloch holdings from a super steep site.

 

Grape Varieties |

Riesling. Plus some pinot blanc, pinot gris, silvaner, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir for the German market.

Farming |

Practicing organic

• Started certification process in 2022
• Super low yields harvested, especially for the Rheinhessen

 

Cellar Work |

Moving towards low intervention

• GG’s are macerated for a few days then quickly pressed into barrel
• There is no clarification of the must
• Fermentations start spontaneously
• Finished to dryness

 

About the winery |

The Rheinhessen is Germany's largest wine region and encompasses both the majority of its bulk wine production AND its very finest dry wines, like "The German Montrachet" of Keller.

Gunderloch is both one of its most important historically, being a top estate for 135 years, and heading sure shot into the 21st century under the leadership of forward thinking  Johannes Hasselbach. The wines today may be the best they’ve ever been. He's pulled the wines into the modern era, by pulling back all the unnecessary “make-up” of the last 50 years. Wines are made in the vineyards, farming is now organic, the cellar is a place for allowing time to finish the wines, not dress them up.

His goals are lofty, from reducing residual sugar and alcohol, quite a feat in the new age of climate change, to adding complexity with spontaneous fermentation. He's moving away from purely reductive techniques by incorporating used barrels with longer maturation and playing with skin contact.

Of course it helps to have a host of desirable vineyard sites with which to work from including "Roter Hang", Rheinhessen's notorious red slope, and its three most important Grand Cru sites: Rothenberg, Pettenthal and Hipping. 

In the hands of Johannes these sites are able to produce wines that have gained notoriety for their exceptional balance, grace, and filigreed nuance.

 

What do the wines taste like?

They tend to show a darker side of Riesling, probably thanks to the iron rich soils. Darker fruits, herbs, spices, are overlaid onto the typical Riesling aromas of yellow and citrus fruits, salty, stony minerality with some floral and sometimes tea notes. 

The structure is about power and density, but pulled back from the edge of being baroque or over ripe. Johannes and put a lot of work into using oxygen instead of reductive practices to coax out a more savory side of these wines. 

If you haven’t had Gunderloch in a while, it's time to give them another chance, and if you’ve never had Gunderloch then now is the time.

 

Wines on Offer |

Gunderloch, Fritz`s Riesling, 2022 $13.99 $12.31

A feinherb or "off-dry" style (around 20-25g/l RS) named in honor of Johannes' father, world-renowned winemaker Fritz Hasselbach. The vineyards are very close to the Rhein on steep slopes facing south-east. The combination of red slate soil, closeness to the river, great sun exposure and steep vineyards—are the perfect combination to produce Fritz’s Riesling, one of the best value wines in the Riesling world.

 

Gunderloch, Riesling Fenchelberg Grosses Gewachs (Auction), 2021 $164.99 $145.19

2020 was the first release for this GG and is only through the VDP auction. Bowler won a few bottles of this in the bidding and can offer them to us today. Grown organically, ruthlessly selected, vinified dry at 12% alcohol, aged in barrel for nine months, exceedingly small in quantity.

"A clear red thread emerges - power without richness, tension without severity.The Fenchelberg-Wingert in the Rothenberg location, family-owned since 1890 as our local mountain, is unique. The sensory proximity to the Rothenberg is clearly noticeable, but the individuality of this plot really came to light for us in the 2nd year." -- Winemaker's Note

 

 

 Gunderloch, Riesling Hasselbach Trocken, 2022 $14.99 $13.19

Juicy, sleek, aromatic and lively DRY Riesling (about 7g RS) grown along the Rhine in soils of red slate and clay, harvested on the early side of the season to capture perfect acidity. Yellow fruits and vivid, convincing minerality spring easily from this wine.

 

 

 

 Gunderloch, Riesling Hipping Grosses Gewachs, 2022 $74.99 $65.99

Niersteiner Hipping is Gunderloch’s smallest grand cru, sourced from an extremely steep portion of the vineyard. Spontaneously fermented, barrel-aged, and picked at very low yields. It is a tick lighter than the other GGs and less about the stones than about its raft of salty, sexy, tropical fruit.

 

 

 Gunderloch, Riesling Jean-Baptiste Kabinett, 2022 $20.99 $18.47

The "calling card" of Gunderloch, one of the top three wineries in the Rheinhessen and a beacon of great winemaking throughout Germany. The JBK as we call it is certified organic starting with this vintage, and sourced from the blood red slate soils of the Roter Hang (the "red cliff"). It must be noted that it all comes from the three grand cru sites where the estate gets its GG wines: Pettenthal (mainly), Rothenberg, and Hipping. That is a helluva provenance for a fruity Kabinett wine!!! Hovering around 22-25g/l RS with juicy, balancing acids, this is textbook Kabi, the kind you can teach a class with, the kind that tastes great with a huge variety of flavorful cuisine, the kind that makes people irrationally and exuberantly happy.

 

 

 Gunderloch, Riesling Niersteiner Trocken, 2022 $35.99 $31.67

The dry Nierstein Riesling is entirely sourced in the Pettenthal and the vines were cultivated to become Grosses Gewächs. Laser-like in its focus, shocking high acid for Rheinhessen in a warm year, and basically a Spatlese Trocken disguised as a village wine, punching way above its class. Pure, elegant, gripping at the finish - and definitely in need of some serious seafood.

 

 Gunderloch, Riesling Pettenthal Grosses Gewachs, 2016 $74.99 $65.99

“The citrus coloured 2016 Pettenthal Riesling GG has a clear, fresh/coolish and spicy bouquet of ripe and concentrated Riesling berries, slate and very discreet toast aromas. Full-bodied, round and creamy piquant on the palate, with lush and intense fruit, grainy tannins and some prominent oak that still has to be integrated (Hoesch 1200-liter Stückfass) this is a complex and mouth-filling Pettenthal that needs some years to develop and gain finesse. 91 pts” -- Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate

 

 Gunderloch, Riesling Pettenthal Grosses Gewachs, 2021 $74.99 $65.99

“The 2021 Pettenthal Riesling trocken GG offers a clear, deep yet bright and complex, very elegant and beautifully flinty bouquet of crushed or finely weathered stones, herbs (dried rosemary) and ripe mirabelles. Rich and dense on the palate, this is a powerful and firmly structured Riesling with crystalline acidity and uplifting salinity. The finish is still very young, which means tight and grippy, even slightly dryish, but this will all come together. 12.5% stated alcohol. Screw-cap closure. Tasted at the domain in August 2022. 94 pts” -- Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate

 

Gunderloch, Riesling Rothenberg Beerenauslese (BA), 2015 (375ml) $230.00 $202.40

“Picked early, during the main harvest. Pineapple, cumin, curry, a very clean, clear botrytis, finely spiced, candied fruit. Viscous in the mouth, but also permeated by a steely, very transparent acidity, intensively tactile and mineral, an intensity of great finesse, a lot of juice and nerve in the finish, great elegance - and almost animating to drink. 97 pts” -- Falstaff

 

 Gunderloch, Riesling Rothenberg Grosses Gewachs, 2022 $89.99 $79.19

The flagship wine of the estate, their best wine from their best vineyard. Certified organic for the first time this year.

 

 

 

 

Gunderloch, Riesling Rothenberg Spatlese, 2021 $47.99 $42.23

“This category of medium-sweet wines may not be in favor, but that doesn’t take anything away from this riesling Spätlese masterpiece that swims against the current with great energy and determination. So much pink grapefruit, rose hip and pomegranate, with wild herbs leaping from the glass. Such brilliance at the very long finish. A minor miracle that the 2021 vintage made possible! From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold. Screw cap. 95 pts” -- James Suckling

 

Gunderloch, Riesling Rothenberg Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), 2015 (375ml) $420.00 $369.60

Their TBAs made Gunderloch a legend. . .

"An astonishing Trockenbeerenauslese from this producer. Enormously concentrated and extremely pure. Dried exotic fruits character, very lush and creamy, but easily enough acidity to carry this and the luscious sweetness. The finish is long and complete. Drinkable now, but this could easily mature another half century. 98 pts" -- James Suckling

 

“From the Rothenberg, Pettenthal and Hipping grand crus and vinified in stainless steel until late winter, the 2021 Riesling trocken vom Roten Schiefer offers a clear, pure and refined, bright and flinty Riesling bouquet with notes of red stones. Light but lush and round on the palate, this is an elegant, refined and crystalline as well as saline dry Riesling bottled with 12% stated alcohol. An excellent estate wine with the red slope character. 88 pts" -- Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate