© 1996 JDM Enterprises
YOU WILL LIKE THESE WINES!by Jerry D. MeadReceived an electronic message from a reader recently (you can reach me at winetrader@AOL.com), who wondered why I didn't write more about German wines. The chap said he liked my California picks, and that he noticed I occasionally wrote about wines from Australia, Chile, France, Italy, even South Africa and New Zealand, but could not recall any recent story on his personal favorites...German wines. I don't know how you say "mea culpa" in German, but he's right...I'm guilty as charged. I can't remember the last time I reviewed a German wine. I love Germany. I love Munich. I love the Black Forest. I love German beer and sausages. I love German hospitality...all jokes about German rigidity aside, they are some of the friendliest people in Europe. And I really like German wines. The reason I don't write about them is that I have never made a serious study of German wines and wine law, and even with considerable modernization and simplification, German wines still have the most confusing labels to understand...and therefore to try to explain to you...and is one of the main reasons, I believe, for German wines being somewhat out of fashion. Believe me when I tell you that I recognize a really good Riesling when I taste one, and I know the difference between a Kabinett and a Trockenbeerenauslese, but it's so difficult explaining what all those terms on the label mean to readers who might not know a thing about any kind of wine. And I am basically a lazy writer. So now you know why I rarely review German wines. The wines I'm about to review won't be available in every shop, but they are available in most major national markets and your retailer should be able to order them. They all happen to be brought in by a single importer which can be contacted for information on local retail outlets: Valckenberg International (918) 622-0424. Heyl 1995 Niersteiner Pettental Riesling Spatlese ($18) Heyl is the family name of the estate, Nierstein is the village near where the grapes are grown and Pettental is the vineyard name. Riesling is the grape variety. Spatlese (spate-lay-suh) indicates a late harvested wine, but not necessarily a sweet one. Here's an instance of a wine with nearly two percent residual sugar having an extremely dry perception, and that's because grapes grown in cool climates like those along the Rhine tend to have very high acidity. Delicate, green apple fruit flavors and a crisp finish make this a dandy food wine. Rating: 86/84 I should mention that all Heyl wines (and there are several more than I'm reviewing here) have been organically grown since 1988, before it was fashionable. Heyl 1995 "Baron Von Heyl" Rheinhessen ($10) "Rheinhessen" simply means the grapes were grown in Germany's largest and most famous grapegrowing region. It is a proprietary brand and is a blend of Riesling and a grape called Muller-Thurgau. Very floral and appealing aroma with loads of fruit underneath and flavors that lean to peach and nectarine. Only 10.5 percent alcohol and the 1 1/2 percent sugar seems sweeter because the acidity is softer. Better for refreshment drinking. Rating: 87/88
BEST BUY WINE OF THE WEEKDr. Burklin-Wolf 1995 Pfalz Forster Riesling ($10) The same family has owned and operated this winery since the 18th century. Pfalz, also known as the Palatinate, is the region, just south of the Rheinhessen and west of the river. Forster is the village; Riesling the grape. This one smells of citrus, mostly grapefruit with a little Mandarin orange thrown in. Grapefruit dominates the flavor. Tasty and pleasantly tart. Rating: 87/87 Schloss Wallhausen 1995 Nahe Riesling Kabinett ($12) Schloss means castle and Wallhausen is the name of the village. Nahe is both a river (a tributary of the Rhine) and a wine region, located between the Rhine and Mosel Rivers. Riesling is the grape and Kabinett is the term that indicates (by government regulation) that this is quality wine, made naturally (no sugar added) from fully ripened fruit. Green apple again, but with a mineral aroma and flavor that is fairly common in German Riesling. Good fruit but delicately presented. Absolutely delicious, tart-sweet (more tart than sweet), with more green apple coming through in the aftertaste. Only 8 percent alcohol (most wines have 12-13 percent) and a very dry perception considering it has 3 1/2 percent residual sugar. High acid again. Rating: 89/85 Grunhauser 1995 Mosel Abtsberg Spatlese ($24) Grunhauser is the village, Mosel is the region and Abtsberg is the vineyard. This is one delicious, "ooh and aah," 8 percent alcohol sipper. Tangerine and grapefruit (tangelo?) citrus aroma and subtle flavor with some crisp Delicious apple for good measure. Just a touch of sweetness. Very long flavors. Very special wine (but a little pricey). Rating: 92/82
ZAPWines are scored using a unique 100 point system. First number rates quality; second number rates value.
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