Rheinhessen

 

Justly maligned for producing oceans of sweetish watery Liebfraumilch and Niersteiner Gutes Domtal, Rheinhessen is witnessing a quality upheaval. Many of us have been won over by St Antony's spicy offerings from Nierstein's Grand cru red cliffs - showing us what can (and should!) be produced in the name of Nierstein.

Until very recently, the most maligned corner of this maligned area was the South-Eastern Wonnegau which most writers considered incapable of producing good wine. There is a ridge that rises from the flat plain, visible for kilometres, clustered with wind turbines and it is here that two 25 year-olds are changing minds. Just below the radar of the wider German Wine scene, it was our friend in Berlin Stuart Pigott (who writes for the Frankfurter Allgemein) who told us “you just have to go there!”

 

 

Riffel  (Bingen)

Bingen is on a massive corner on the Rhine, opposite Rüdesheim. It is at the north-western edge of the region where four wine-growing regions meet. Rheinhessen Nahe, Mittel Rhein and the Rheingau. Carolin and Erik Riffel have vines in the full south-facing Bingen Scharlachberg vineyard. Millions of years ago the Rhine looped below it, which explains why the wines are more Rheingau in style than Rheinhessen,  The Riffels make electric, dry, modern Riesling which express the steep mineral-laden slate it is grown on and the very late October harvesting which extracts maximum ripeness.

We owe thanks to the German Food Writer Ursula Heinzelmann for the tip. She was researching a piece about the wines Goethe drank and heard about the Scharlachberg. Thanks Ursula!

 

trocken
	Riesling trocken	2007	9.99
	Riesling Spätlese trocken	2007	11.50
	Quarzit Binger Scharlachberg Gewürztraminer trocken	2007	13.99
	Quarzit Scharlachberg Riesling trocken	2007	14.99

 

 

Battenfeld-Spanier (Hohen-Sülzen)

We hammered down the Autobahn into the Wonnegau, the deepest darkest south-eastern corner of Rheinhessen. Until recently this was the least-favoured spot in Germany's least-favoured wine region. Now it is alive with hot-blooded, hot-headed young men. We already know Stefan Winter, Jochen Dreissigacker and Klaus-Peter Keller. Now here's Hans-Oliver Spanier, the young owner of Battenfeld-Spanier who makes succulent modern dry Rieslings, stylish Sekt and Gruner Silvaner, the local speciality. Why is there a pram on his chimney? "Some mates of mine put it up there when I got married and I haven't figured out how to get it down yet!"

 

sparkling
	Cuvet von Pinot SEKT	N.V.	17.99
white
	Hohensülzer Grüner Sylvaner	2005	13.99
	Hohensülzer Riesling S	2005	14.50
	Rosengarten Riesling trocken	2004	23.99
	Frauenberg Riesling trocken	2004	26.99

 

 

The following two stories are similar, the 25 year old sons Stefan Winter and Jochen Dreissigacker have recently taken over running their long established family wineries. Both believed there was untapped potential in their vineyards and set about slashing volume - Stefan Winter, who has been making the wine since 2000, says “Costs have tripled, everything is now picked by hand. We pick much later - until mid-November. Everyone else finishes weeks earlier, so we have to go through the vines with airguns to scare the birds away!”

 

After studying in Weinsberg near Heilbron, Jochen Dreissigacker did stages with Bergdolt in the Pfalz and local star Christian Keller. Like Winter, they have been picking by hand for 5 years. Jochen always chooses the precise time to pick by tasting the grapes, which may sound obvious but many people rely on the refractometer. Only wild yeasts are used - plenty of cold maceration. There has always been a tradition for quality wine in his village - which 250 years ago boasted only Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Bechtheim has 1800 inhabitants and 600ha of vines - 3ha per head! Jochen works with the soil too, applying horse and straw compost every other year, building a harmonious, healthy microbiology around his vines. His “Selection” wines, which always come from the best grapes from the best vineyards, Hasensprung, Rosengarten or Geyersberg, are always Auslese trocken level, making them exotic, oily and ample.

 

trocken
	Bechtheimer Hasensprung Riesling SD	2003	12.99
	Bechtheimer Geysersberg Riesling SD	2004	18.50
fruity
	Bechtheimer Heilig-Kreuz Riesling Kabinett	2004	9.99

 

Keller  (Flörsheim-Dalsheim)

Usually we are the ones doing the chasing, beating the doors down. Now the hunter becomes the hunted… Klaus-Peter Keller, possibly the most-feted young grower in Germany, wanted his wines on our shelves and, having tasted them again, we finally capitulated!

 

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	Riesling Spätlese "S" trocken	2005	19.99

 

St Anthony  (Nierstein)

Owned by truck manufacturers MAN, St Anthony manages to remain completely un-corporate and is run like a family business by Dr Alex and his lovely wife, in her own right an extremely knowledgeable wine-chemist and sought-after local consultant. Rheinhessen is known for producing poor quality bulk wines and this is a shame as there are some spectacular sites in and around Nierstein.  Here the Rhine is wide and the sloping vineyards benefit from its warming influence producing ripe, rich wines – the fullest bodied that we tasted throughout the trip.  The soils change from vineyard to vineyard bringing a different character to each wine, which is why we felt it reasonable to buy four Grosses Gewächs from the same producer, from the same sweep of land.

“Vom Rotliegenden” is rom vines grown on red slate soil – rotschiefer of the Jurassic period of 250 million years ago. The nose is wonderfully different from anything else we have on the shelves – it reminded us of a seaside fairground – some oil fumes mixed with fresh salty air! Very focused juicy fruit, veering toward the exotic, mangoes especially, with noticeable sweetness in the middle (usually these vines produce Spätlese but in the hot 2003 vintage this could be Auslese level).  Even though the wine tends to off dry, the lush fruit is cut through by slatey minerality on the finish.  This wine takes you on an effortless journey.

Orbel has a lovely golden colour, and a very exotic nose of pineapple and mango. Mellow fruit flavours (malolactic fermentation just broke out in 2003) follow the nose, offset by a great jingly spritz of CO2 and a good clean mineral finish. The acidiy is high in Orbel wines due to the huge day/night temperature variation influenced by the Rhine

Hipping is a warmer site, nearer to the river, and this wine has a fuller body than the others.  The nose is more zesty with hints of passion fruit and the palate is higher toned with jingly fruit and a flinty, almost salty finish.

Pettental is from 25-30 year old vines planted on the warmest site in just 60cm of top soil so the roots have penetrated into the rock beneath.  Big, deep and dark with exotic and grapey fruit with hints of incense perfume.  Less minerality than the others but still wonderful acidity. 

 

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	Pettental Riesling GROSSES GEWÄCHS	2003	24.99