2015 Gelber Muskateller

Hansjörg Rebholz picked from mid-September through mid-October 2015, having in consequence been able to take advantage of the Southern Pfalz’s generally later ripening compared with the Mittelhaardt by permitting his Riesling grapes to hang into the cool autumn. “The grapes were in super-good condition, so that was no problem,” he reported, noting, however, that after the September rain the steady winds drove must weights rapidly upward via desiccation, and especially with Pinot Blanc it was critical not to wait too long to pick. (For further, extended remarks on Rebholz’s 2015 vintage, see the general introduction to this report on Rhine Rieslings.) “The first two weeks of harvest were solely Vorlese [pre-harvest],” explained Rebholz, “and the second two weeks for the top wines,” with Pinot Blanc this year having been picked largely right in the middle. Most wines got bottled in March and the rest in May, “because I was concerned,” said Rebholz, “that from raw material this ripe, I could lose freshness and precision if I kept the wines longer on their lees. One mustn’t forget,” he added, “that the relatively early harvest meant that those wines spent nearly a month longer on their lees than would have been considered normal not long ago.” The 2015 collection here perpetuates Rebholz’s ideal of “achieving full ripeness at lower levels of [grape] sugar, so that even the Grosse Gewächse needn’t be picked at anything more than 95 Oechsle” (which translates into an upper bound of 12.5 percent alcohol). “Ten years ago, though,” he continued, “I can tell you that [Riesling grapes at] 90 or 95 Oechsle didn’t taste as they do today” after a decade of determined experimentation and biodynamic discipline. “It’s incredibly difficult to make really good light dry wines,” said Rebholz by way of summary, adding that “with Pinot Blanc, unlike Riesling, I don’t think it’s possible to have properly ripe flavors at just 11 percent or 11.5 percent alcohol except perhaps in a very unusual year like 2014. But at the same time, I don’t want to go over 13 percent.” As readers of my previous report know based on reviews of 2012 and 2010 vintage Rebholz Pinot Noirs, I have trouble mustering enthusiasm for his approach with that grape, and I did not taste his subsequent batch of red wine releases during my most recent visit. (For much more about this estate and its vineyards, consult the introduction to my coverage of their 2014s.)