Germany - Mosel / Rheingau Flashcards
1
Q
Bereiche of the Mosel
North to South
A
- Burg Cochem (Lower Mosel or Terrassenmosel)
- Bernkastel (Middle Mosel)
- Ruwertal
- Saar
- Moseltor
- Obermosel
2
Q
Mosel
Geography / Climate
A
- Mosel River emerges from the Vosges Mountains at Col de Bussang in France and flows eastward into Germany, joining Saar and Ruwer along the way until it mergest with the Rhine River at Koblenz
- Courses between the Hunsruck Hills and Eifel Mountains
- One of the coolest German climates for winegrowing
- Avg. Temperate = 50 C
- Aspect: South and Southwest
3
Q
Mosel
Best Vineyards - Aspect
A
South and Southwest
4
Q
Mosel
Tributaries
A
Saar
Ruwer
Lieser?
5
Q
Mosel
Viticulture
A
- Growing season lasts about 120-140 days (budbreak to onset of ripening)
- Harvesting = October/November typically
- Many vineyards are on original rootstocks
- Exposure is key - north = no good
6
Q
Mosel
Viticulture Hazards
A
- Hail
- Strong rain (erosion)
- Drought (especially for south-facing slopes with shallow soil and high stone content),
- Fungal infections
- Animal pests
Frosts are mitigated by the good heat retention of the Mosel River
7
Q
Goldkapsule
General
A
- With the passing of the 1971 Wine Law, producers in the Mosel and Rheingau lost informal means of classifying Spatlesen and Auslesen wines of extreme richness and sweetness
- Terms like fein, feinste and hockfein were historically used to indicate reserve wines within a larger category, with those terms no longer allowed, producers tuned to a bit of code
- In order to indicate a higher level of sweetness and distinction beyond a wine’s labeled Pradikat, vitners added a golden capsule
- The capsule also correlates to the level of botrytis. as an example, a wine that has reached Beerenauslese (110-128 Oschsle) in the eyes of the law may be “declassified” to Auslese with a Goldkpasule because it showed more pure varietal character than the higher Pradikat would typically demonstrate
8
Q
The Star System (*,**,***)
A
In the Mosel, a second code to distinguish among different tiers of wine within a Pradikat and from the same vineyard
To indicate reserve bottlings, producers may apply one to three stars, somethimes in conjuction with a Golkapsule
9
Q
The Single-Post System
A
- Steep slopes register grades of 50-80%
- Single-post system improves workers’ ability to traverse the dangerous hillsides
- Vines are trained upright, without wires, employing either a vertical cordon or two canes, wrapped in a characteristic heart-shaped bow
- Without wires, vineyard workers have much more freedom of movement when navigating the difficult terrain
- Single-post system has lost a lot of ground in the last few decades in the Mosel
10
Q
Minimum Pradikat Ripeness
Riesling / Muller-Thurgau / Elbling (Roter Elbling)
A
- Kabinett: 73
- Spatlese: 80
- Auslese: 88
- BA / Eiswein - 110
- TBA - 150
11
Q
Burg Cochem
General
A
- Stretches from Zell northward through Cochem to Koblenz
- Slopes are even more steep with grades featuring 70% or more
- Winnigen is a key winegrowing village, home to the star producer Heyman-Lowenstein and the premier vineyard site Uhlen
12
Q
Reinhard Heymann-Lowenstein was approved for Germany’s first three single vineyard for seperate parcels within this vineyard. What are the parcels? Year?
A
Uhlen
- Blaufusser Lay
- Roth Lay
- Laubach
Approved in 2018
13
Q
What is the steepest vineyard in all of Europe and where is it located?
A
Calmont
Located between Bremm and Ediger-Eller in Winningen
Popular for rock climbing
Reinhard Lowenstein
14
Q
Winningen
Gross Lage
A
- Uhlen
- Uhlen Blaufusser Lay
- Uhlen Roth Lay
- Uhlen Laubach
- Rottgen
15
Q
Burg Cochem
Gemeinde
A
- Winningen (Most important)
- Kobern-Gondorf
- Hatzenport
- Cochem (Elbling is the most commonly planted)
- Bremm
- Zell
16
Q
Bernkastel (Middle Mosel)
General
A
Located between Graach (North) and Piesport (West)
Named for the township of Bernkastel-Kues
Largest Bereiche, hold’s two thirds of the Mosel’s vineyards (50 km of river)
Follows the river from Tier to Zell
17
Q
Bernkastel
Gemeinde (10)
North to South
A
- Erden
- Urzig
- Zeltingen
- Wehlen
- Graach an der Mosel
- Bernkastel-Kues
- Brauneberg
- Piesport
- Trittenheim
- Leiwen
18
Q
Erden
Vineyards
A
- Pralat
- Treppchen
Producers: Dr. Loosen
19
Q
Urzig
Vineyards
A
Known for Rotliegend soil type
- Wurtzgarten
Producers: Joh. Jos Christoffel Erben, Dr. Loosen, Markus Molitor
20
Q
Zeltingen
Vineyards
A
- Sonnenuhr
Producers: Joh. Jos Prum, Dr. Loosen, Johannes Selbach
21
Q
Wehlen
Vineyards
A
- Sonnenuhr
Producers: Joh. Jos Prum, Dr. Loosen
22
Q
Graach an der Mosel
Vineyards
A
- Domprobst
- Josephshofer (Monopole: Reichsgraff van Kesselstatt)
- Himmelreich
23
Q
Bernkastel-Kues
Vineyards
A
Doktor (Doctor)
- Most expensive vineyard in Germany
- Vineyards east of famous Doctor vineyard, whose vines were excluded in 1984, may label their wines Alte Badstube am Doktorberg
Lay
- Lay = Slate
- Dr. Loosen
24
Q
Brauneberg
Vineyards
A
Juffer
Juffer Sonnenuhr
- Producers: Weingut Fritz Haag
25
Piesport
Vineyards
**Goldtropfchen** (Droplets of Gold)
* Renhold Haart
* Reichsgraff von Kesselstatt
**Domherr**
26
Trittenheim
Vineyards
* Apotheke
* Treppchen
* Altarchen
* Felsenkopf
27
Leiwen
Vineyards
**Laurentiuslay**
* Nik Weiss (St. Urbans-Hof)
* Gerhard Grans (Weingut Grans-Fassian)
28
Bernkastel
Famous Vineyards for Riesling
Bernkastel Doctor
Piesporter Goldtropfchen
Erdner Pralat
Graacher Himmelreich
Urziger Wurzgarten
Sundial (Sonnenuhr) vineyards of Wehlen and Zeltingen
29
Bernkastel Grosslagen Bottlings
* Piesporter MIchelsberg
* Badstube
30
Classic vs. Upstart Producers
Bernkastel
Classic
* Joh Jos Prum
* Reinhold Haart
* Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt
* Dr. Loosen
Upstart
* Ansgar Clusserath
* Daniel Vollenweider
* Clemens-Busch
31
Ruwertal
General
* A small tributary of the Mosel, connecting to the middle Mosel between Trier and Trittenheim
* Similar slate soil composition contains about 200 hectares of vines, predominantly Riesling
Best Producers:
* **Karthauserhof in Eitelsbach**
* Benedictine St. Maximin (Owned by the Von Schubert Family)
32
Ruwertal
Gemeinde
and Vineyards
**Eitelsbach**
* Karthauserhofberg (Monopole: Karthauserhof)
**Mertesdorf**
* Abtsberg (Monopole: Maximin Grunhause) - owned by Schubert-Grunhauser
* Herrenberg
* Bruderberg
33
Saar
General
Small region south of Trier
One of the coolest areas of the Mosel
Best vineyards are south-facing
* Saarburger Rausch
* Horecker
* Altenberg on the Saar river in Kanzem
* **Scharzhofberg in Wiltingen**
Egon Muller is the most vamous producer of **Scharzhofberg**
34
Saar
Gemeinde (2)
and Vineyards
Wiltingen
* **Scharzhofberg (**Egon Muller and Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt)
Saarburg
* **Rausch** (Forstmeister Geltz-Ziliken is a great producer)
35
Moseltor
General
Covers a handful of vines in the Saarland, near Obermosel
Limestone rather than slate soils
36
Obermosel (Upper Mosel)
Occupies the right bank of the Mosel River from just south of Trier to the French border
This sector of the Mosel sits, with Chablis and Champagne, in the Paris Basin, atop a calcareous soil makeup that replaces the Devonian slate of the Middle and Lower Mosel
Riesling takes a back seat in the Obermosel to **Ebling**, an ancient white grape variety that produces simple, fruity white and refreshing sparkling wines
37
Mosel Soil
Explained
Blue Devonian Slate with sandy topsoil, red slate (iron-rich) in vineyards near Erden/Urzig
* Thin sandy topsoil is covered with tiles of broken slate, carried up the slopes to collect heat and prevent erosion of the soil beneath
* Devonian slate helps to defuse night time lows and limit diurnal variation by releasing heat stored throughout the day into the canopy
* Devonian slate is found in both dark blue and red cariations, dark colores slate is most common and its effects are increased
* Without such dry, well-drained, heat-retaining soils, ripening would be delayed
* It is helpful against Phylloxera
* Dark Slate = about 50% of cultivated areas
* Red Slate = about 16% of cultivated areas
38
Mosel
Producers
* Alfred Merkelbach (Urzig)
* Annegret Reh-Gartner (Morscheid)
* Ansgar Clusserath - Upstart
* Benedictine St. Maximin
* Bernhard Kirsten (Klusserath)
* Clemens-Busch (Punderich) - Upstart
* Daniel Vollenweider - Upstart
* Dr. Loosen (Ernst Loosen) (Bernkastel)
* Dr. Manfred Prum (Bernkastel-Wehlen)
* Egon Muller (Wiltingen)
* Eva Clusserath (Trittenheim)
* Fritz Haag (Brauneberg)
* Herhatrd Grans (Leiwen)
* Johannes Selbach (Zeltingen)
* Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erban
* Joh. Jus. Prum (Wehlen)
* Karthauserhof
* Markus Molitor (Bernkastel-Wehlen)
* Nik Weis of St. Urbans-Hof (Leiwen)
* Raimund Prum (Bernkastel-Wehlen)
* **Reinhard Lowenstein (Winnigen)**
* Reinhold Haart
* Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt
* Theo Haart (Piesport)
* Thomas Haag (Lieser)
* Willhelm Haag (Brauneberg)
39
Rheingau
History
1712 - Kloster Eberbach begins making high-quality wines as Cabinet
1775 - Schloss Johannisberg announced first planned *Spatlese* harvest of botrytis-affected fruit
40
Rheingau
Important
First vineyards to be demarcated
Perfectly suited to Riesling (80% of vineyard acreage = higher proportion than any other anbaugebiet), 7.3% of the world's Riesling comes from the Rheingau
Essentially one long southeast facing slope
Favorable soils / mesoclimate produce a more powerful (fuller body / more concentrated) style of Riesling than Mosel
Dry wines account for **over 50%** of Rheingau Riesling production
VDP lists more Erste Lage in the Rheingau than any other anbaugebiet
**Geisenheim Institute is located here**
Stylistically: around **80% of Rheingau Riesling has 9 g/l or less** of residual sugar
41
Rheingauer Flote
Flute-Shaped brown bottle for Rheingau Riesling
42
Rheingau Charta
Est. 1984
Spearheraded by **Bernhard Breuer** (of Georg Breuer estate) in Rudesheim
Strove to promote more stringent quality guidelines than the 1971 wine law proides, to better define the Rheingau's great vineyards and elevate dry Riesling to its historical role as top product of the region
Erste Gewachs
43
Erste Gewachs
Trademarked term by Charta for dry-wines from Grosse Lage sites, legally authorized term that may be spelled out in full (unlike Grosse Gewachs = GG) permitted under German wine law for the **1999 vintage** forward.
Only applies to dry Riesling and Spatburgunder from selected Rheingau vineyards. The Logo is Three Arches
44
Rheingau
Minimum Pradikat Ripeness
White Grapes
* Kabinett - 75
* Spatlese - 85
* Auslese - 100
* BA/Eiswein - 125
* TBA - 150
Roter Riesling / Roter Nobling
* Kabinett - 75
* Spatlese - 85
* Auslese - 95
* BA/Eiswein - 125
* TBA - 150
Red Grapes (red/rose)
* Kabinett - 80
* Spatlese - 90/85
* Auslese - 105/100
* BA/Eiswein - 125
* TBA - 150
45
Rheingau
Geography / Climate
Aspect: Steep, south-facing
Located between Wiesbaden (West) and Rudesheim (East)
Bordered by the **Taunus Mountain Range** to the North
Slope is roughly 75 to over 300 meters
Because of the aspect and the Rhine river reflecting the suns warmth, the Rheingau is much warmer than much of the Rheinhessen to the South
The Rhine is as wide as a lake in some areas, serves to mitigate temperature swings more as a reservoir of humidity and warmth, than it does as a reflective surface
46
Rheingau Grapes
Riesling - 80% - perfectly suited to the Rheingau - 7.3% of all Riesling in the world comes from the Rheingau
Spatburgunder - Pinot Noir - 13% - Enjoys a long history in Assmanhausen
47
List of Grosslage (inferior quality)
Rheingau
* Burgweg
* Daubhaus
* Deutelsberg
* Erntebringer
* Gottesthal
* Heiligenstock
* Honinhsberg
* Mehrholzchen
* Steil
* Steinmacher
48
Rheingau
Bereiche
Johannisberg
49
Major Villages
West to East
Johannisberg
* Lorch
* Assmanshausen
* Rudesheim
* Geisenheim
* Johannisberg
* Winkel
* Oestrich
* Hallgarten
* Hattenheim
* Erbach
* Kiedrich
* Eltville
* Rauenthal
* Martinsthal
* Walluf
* Hochem am Main
* Wicker
50
Assmanhausen
General
Important Vineyatds
* Rheingau's center for red wine production, Spatburgunder
* **Hollenberg (Grosse Lage) -** August Kessler is the finest grower and the best Spatburgunder comes from this vineyard
* Deep slate soils with loamy quartzite
* Hessen Wine Estate is also a large contributor to this site
51
Rudesheim
General
Important Vineyards
* Steepest slopes in all of Germany (70%)
* **Berg Roseneck (Grosse Lage)**
* **Berg Rottland (Grosse Lage)**
* **Berg Schlossberg (Grosse Lage) - 70%!**
52
Johannisberg
Important Vineyards
* **Schloss Johannisberg (Grosse Lage) -** succesful harvesting of botrytis in the late 18th century led to development of **Spatlese and Auslese Terminology**
* **Holle (Gross Lage)**
53
Winkel
Important Vineyards
* **Schloss Vollrads (Grosse Lage)**
* **Hasensprung (Grosse Lage)**
* **Jesuitengarten (Grosse Lage)**
54
Hallgarten
Important Vineyards
Upslope from Hattenheim = higher elevation
**Schonhell (Grosse Lage)**
**Jungfer (Grosse Lage)**
Kloster Eberbach
55
Hattenheim
Important Vineyards
**Pffafenberg** (Monopole: Schloss Schonborn)
**Mannberg** (Erste Lage)
* Almost entirely owned by Langweth von Simmern
**Steinberg** (Monopole: Kloster Eberbach)
56
Hattenheim Producers
Schloss Schonborn and Langwerth von Simmern are the principal growers here
57
Ernbach
Important Vineyards
Marcobrunn (Grosse Lage) - Low-lying and contiguous to eastern edge of Mannberg
58
Kiedrich
Important Vineyards
* North of Eberbach, famous for wines of **Robert Weil**
**Grafenberg** (Grosse Lage) - source of **outstanding sweet wines from Robert Weil**
Turmberg (exception to the 5 ha minimum law)
59
Eltville
Important Vineyards
* Sonneberg (Erste Lage)
60
Hochem am Main
General
Important Vineyards
Gentler slope than elsewhere in Rheingau and **very warm**
**Holle** (Grosse Lage)
**Kirchenstuck** (Grosse Lage)
* "Church Parcel"
* Finest vineyard in Hocheim
* **Franz Kunstler - dominant producer**
61
Rheingau
Soil
* Upper Rheingau (Hocheim, Wicker, Florsheim) - characterized by sediments from marl, gravel, sand. loams and clay
* Lower Rheingau - more Devonian sandstone, quartzite, and shale in the medium and deep soils
* The steep vineyards between Rudesheim and Lorchhausen are slate, quartz, gravel and sandstone predominantly
* Upper slope = dominated by slate
* Lower vineyards = closer to the water - mixture of clay, loess, alluvial sand and red slate
62
Rheingau
Major Producers
* **August Kesseler (Assamanshausen)**
* Eva Fricke
* **Franz Kunstler (Hochheim)**
* George Breuer (Rudesheim)
* Josef Leitz (Rudesheim)
* Josef Spreitzer (Oestrich)
* Kloster Eberbach (Hallgarten) **\*\* This is now the property of the Hessen Wine Estate**
* Peter Jakob Kuhn
* Robert Weil (Kiedrich)
* Schloss Johannisberg (Geisenheim) **\*\*Continues to label their "Silberlack" *Grosse Lage* Riesling as *Trocken***
* Schloss Schonborn (Hattenheim) \*\*Founded in 1349! Among the first to introduce glass bottles in early 1700s
63
What are the monopoles of the Ruwer?
Who owns them?
Karthauserhofberg - Karthauserhof
**Abstberg**
**Henneberg**
**Brudeberg**
All owned by Maximin Grunhaus
64
Recent TOP vintages of the Rheingau
* 2018
* 2016
* 2015
* 2011
* 2009
* 2005
* 2001
* 1990
* 1989
65
Difficult Vintages of the Rheingau
* 2003 - Europe-wide heatwave
* 2000
* 1999
* 1994
* 1993
66
What are two legendary vintages of Rheingau?
1971
1976
67
List the Gross Lage of Rheingau
* Burgweg
* Daubhaus
* Deutelsberg
* Erntebringer
* Gottesthal
* Heiligenstock
* Honigsberg
* Mehrholzchen
* Steil
* Steinmacher
