Germany Grand Cru Riesling: 2004-2013

On
the eve of the first official presentation of the 2013 Grosses Gewächs (Grand
Cru) for the press in Wiesbaden, three of Germany’s leading producers of dry
Riesling hosted a vertical tasting of their respective cult sites. Steffen
Christmann showed his Idig, Philipp Wittmann his Morstein and Hansjörg Rebholz
his Kastanienbusch from 2013 back to 2004. As all three are produced in only
modest quantities and thus are not widely available, it was a rare opportunity
to see how each wine had developed since its initial release. And the event
offered insights into both the estates’ winemaking philosophy and the style of
the respective vintages. While warmer years like 2011, 2009 and 2007 are
generally regarded highly because of the larger number of pleasant wines made
by even second-tier producers, I generally prefer cooler vintages such as 2013,
2008 and 2004. To make them work, though, you need an excellent site and a
passionate producer. Caught between the extremes, 2005 has also matured very
nicely.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1418252277501-producers+-+Copy.jpg"> From left to right:&nbsp;Steffen Christmann, Philipp Wittmann and Hansjörg Rebholz 

Idig, Weingut A.
Christmann (Pfalz)

Idig
was first mentioned as a site in the 14th century in the records of
the Prince Electors of the Palatinate, and it stayed in their possession until
Napoleon evicted the nobility living on the western shores of the Rhine in the
early 19th century. To this day it remains unusual in still being in
the hands of only a single owner, since 1998 those of Steffen Christmann, who
is currently the president of the VDP. Planted on chalky loam and clay over a
bed of tertiary limestone, the barely four hectares of vineyard are considered
steep by local standards, with slopes exposed to the south and southeast. One
of the warmer sites in the Pfalz, it can produce a majestic wine in sunny
vintages, with the six from 2007 to 2012 being almost over the top. The
challenge is to keep that potential on leash in order to confer the resulting
Riesling a restrained elegance. Harvesting a touch earlier and drastically
shortening the time of the cold soaks were two of the tools that Steffen
Christmann employed in 2013 to reach that goal. Along with the 2005, the ’13
stood out as one of the finest Rieslings in this first flight. &nbsp;In an average year, 8,000 to 12.000 bottles
are produced.<a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=Christmann&amp;wine_filter%5Barticle_id%5D=1023&amp;commit=Search&amp;wine_filter%5Bproducer_id%5D=18118&amp;wine_filter%5Bvintage_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bvintage_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bscore_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bscore_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bprice_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bprice_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Breview_date_year_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Breview_date_year_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bcolor%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bcountry%5D=">See all the wines</a><img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1418242855828-Morstein_Ausblick_V0E0672_2048x1024+-+Copy.jpg"> Wittmann's&nbsp;Morstein Vineyard (Photo credit: Wittmann) Morstein, Wittmann
(Rheinhessen)



First
mentioned in written records in 1282, Morstein is the oldest site in Westhofen.
Although legislation in 1971 expanded its official size to almost 100 hectares,
allowing neighboring vineyards to sport the name as well, less than 20 comprise
the original core and it is basically only these that have been classified as
Grosses Gewächs. Philipp Wittmann’s family has owned four hectares in the heart
of this exceptional vineyard for over three generations now. Facing due south, these
parcels rise above the floor of what once was the bed of the Rhine valley
before its trajectory veered one village further to the east. The soil
structure is very similar to that of Idig, but Morstein is further north and
cooler. Not surprisingly, the Rieslings tend to be a touch more austere in
their youth, but age extremely well. Both the 2002 and 2001 were at the top of
their class in the respective “ten years after” tastings that I have done
annually for the past 13 years. Two thousand four is on the same trajectory. Annual
production ranges between 5,000 and 9.000 bottles.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=Wittmann&amp;wine_filter%5Barticle_id%5D=1023&amp;commit=Search&amp;wine_filter%5Bproducer_id%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bvintage_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bvintage_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bscore_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bscore_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bprice_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bprice_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Breview_date_year_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Breview_date_year_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bcolor%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bcountry%5D=">See all the wines</a><div>Kastanienbusch,
Rebholz (Pfalz)

The
Kastanienbusch is certainly the most esteemed site in the southern Pfalz, that
part of the winegrowing region near the Alsatian border that is also known as
the Palatinate. &nbsp;It is also, at an
altitude of 320 meters, one of the highest. A southeast-facing amphitheater,
woods at the crest of the hill protect it from westerly winds. Today a full 80
hectares of vineyards are officially allowed to use the name Kastanienbusch,
but less than a quarter of those are truly Grosses Gewächs.

Although
parts of the entire site have more chalk or colored sandstone, Hansjörg
Rebholz’ family has owned a prime cut of about two hectares high up the slopes
for over a hundred years. These were replanted in 1950 during the vineyard’s
reconstruction. His parcel is composed of weathered slate of a reddish hue from
iron deposits that run through it in veins. Wild herbs and bracing minerality
are only two of the descriptors often used to describe these Rieslings, 6,000
to 9,000 bottles of which are produced in an average year. As he generally
crushes quite late, Hansjörg Rebholz was faced with a rapid spread of botrytis
during the 2013 harvest and thus made only a sumptuous Auslese (93) from that
vintage, no Grosses Gewächs.<a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=Rebholz+&amp;wine_filter%5Barticle_id%5D=1023&amp;commit=Search&amp;wine_filter%5Bproducer_id%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bvintage_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bvintage_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bscore_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bscore_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bprice_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bprice_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Breview_date_year_range_min%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Breview_date_year_range_max%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bcolor%5D=&amp;wine_filter%5Bcountry%5D=">See all the wines</a> --&nbsp;Joel B. Payne&nbsp;</div>

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