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Gut Hermannsberg

The historic home of the Nahe State (originally “Royal Prussian”) Domain in the Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube confronts a visitor with abundant evidence – of which its striking label is just one instance – of Gut Hermannsberg’s desire to assume the mantle of its groundbreaking and qualitatively exemplary predecessor. And the wines being rendered at this address today fully warrant proprietors Christine Dinse and Jens Reidel, “Winzer-Director” Karsten Peter and their team basking in the glow of history, since there is plenty of luminous young Riesling in which to bask now as well. It has taken barely more than half a dozen years for the revival here to lift quality close to that of the Nahe’s notoriously overachieving leading estates, in which connection there is a reputational landmark that should be noted: at auction the 25 liters of 2015 vintage Kupfergrube T.B.A. about which I raved in last year’s report brought an unprecedented 1,500 euros per half-bottle (of which six were offered) and the sole magnum an eye-watering 10,600 euros. It’s safe to say that the history of this estate’s late-20th-century decline and challenged first decade in private hands will soon be a dim memory. The important Lower Nahe vineyards that were shed in an unsuccessful attempt to regain financial footing largely ended up in the hands of Krüger-Rumpf. And perhaps with time the Domain’s former vineyards in Ebernburg might still enjoy a similarly felicitous fate. Gut Hermannsberg’s current holdings largely fit its illustrious predecessor’s official title, “Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Niederhausen-Schlossböckelheim,” and its only vineyards beyond the boundaries of those two communes are those beneath the Traiser Bastei and on the similarly towering Altenbamberger Rotenberg, which rises along the Alsenz just before it flows into the Nahe. Today’s total holdings, at nearly 70 acres, represent some 80% of the former Domain’s mid-1990s surface area and roughly two-thirds of what it constituted through the early ‘90s.

Harvest began here in early October with Pinot Blanc and a bit of Riesling, but then a substantial pause was called before resuming picking, which lasted into November. “Quantity was okay, as well as quality,” observed Karsten Peter with typical succinctness. Escaping the worst of frost was largely locational luck, but having kept peronospora at bay points to this estate’s rigorous viticultural regimen and its ability to muster a crew large enough to meet emergencies, which also means a crew large and skillful enough to truly manicure its vines’ foliage and thereby promote optimum aromatics, phenolics and overall balance. In keeping with current fashion, the Grosse Gewächse once again finished with very low residual sugar, but alcohol never reached 13%. Gut Hermannsberg quickly leapt to the forefront of German Riesling estates that are choosing to accord selected top wines a second winter and spring in cask. The timing of bottling, my visits and publication of my notes enabled me to report on the 2015 installments of Hermannsberg, Bastei and Kupfergrube Grosse Gewächse. Assessment of the corresponding 2016s, however, must wait until my next report, which will be concerned primarily with vintage 2017. (For more on this estate, including details of its current team and methodology, consult the introductions to my reports focused on its wines from vintages 2014 and 2015. My tasting notes in those reports offer details on the microclimates and geological underpinnings of this estate’s vineyards that I have generally not repeated on this occasion.)

From Advantage Nahe: 2016 Riesling Excellence (Apr 2018) by David Schildknecht

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2016 Weisser Burgunder trocken

Color: White

2016 Weisser Burgunder trocken

2016 Weisser Burgunder trocken Halbstück

2016 Riesling trocken

2016 Riesling Vom Schiefer

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2016 Riesling Altenbamberger Rotenberg Grosses Gewächs

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2016 Riesling Niederhäuser Steinberg Spätlese

2016 Riesling Altenbamberger Rotenberg Spätlese

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