WTN: 2011 vom Boden (Lauer, Stein, Weiser-Künstler) Tasting
Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2012 10:06 pmOctober 26, 2012 – 2011 vom Boden Portfolio Tasting (Lauer, Stein, Weiser-Künstler), Vintages, Belmont, MA
A big thanks to the staff at Vintages for arranging this event.
With the end of the late, great Mosel Wine Merchant, Vom Boden has thankfully stepped into the void to bring in some of their former star producers, namely Florian (Peter) Lauer, Ulli Stein; and Konstantin Weiser and Alexandra Künstler (along with Julian Haart, whose wines I have yet to try). This was a great chance to taste through a selection of 2011 Rieslings from some "hot" producers on the Mosel and the Saar. All three of these producers are doing an excellent job in showcasing forgotten or lessen-known terroirs - whether they are highlighting the differences between formerly delineated parcels of Ayler Kupp, or giving forgotten sites in villages like Traben-Trarbach, Enkirch, and St. Aldegund their due.
The fact that these Rieslings tend toward the drier side of the spectrum is further evidence to me that the Mosel and the Saar are more than capable of excellent Trocken and Feinherb Rieslings, whether or not a given producer bothers with these designations. (I'll leave that issue to another discussion) On the other hand, as fruity Spätlesen led me to first discover the greatness of Mosel Riesling, I am excited to find a highly compelling example of such a wine from Weiser-Künstler. It would truly be a horrible shame if these wines disappeared forever due to the current insistence on dry Rieslings in Germany.
2011 Stein Riesling Trocken “Blauschiefer”
Medium-bodied, dry, very slaty, lightly salty, well balanced, with moderate acidity; shows apple, lime, and apricot notes. Quite pleasant; very good.
2011 Stein St. Aldegunder Palmberg-Terrassen Riesling Spätlese Feinherb
Moderately full, off-dry, elegant, slaty, spicy, with pear, grapefruit, and strawberry notes. Should be excellent once it rounds into form over the next few years.
2011 Weiser-Künstler Trabener Gaispfad Riesling Kabinett Trocken
Bone dry, ery elegant, highly mineral, lighter in weight, herbal/leafy, peachy, and spicy; impressively balanced. I opened one of these a couple of weeks ago and it was great. This is another excellent showing by this wine.
2011 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Spätlese
Ripe, lightly sweet, yet well balanced, with good underlying acidity. Earthy/mineral, with apple, citrus, and pineapple notes. This also has an unexpected feral/slightly gamy edge that adds to the overall complexity of the wine. Excellent; very unusual.
2011 Peter Lauer Saar Riesling “Barrel X”
A different style than last year, this year’s version is definitely off-dry, and a bit rounder than the 2010. Displays a nice blend of citrus, peachy, mineral, floral, and spice aromas/flavors. Very nice.
2011 Peter Lauer Ayler Kupp Riesling Fass 6 “Senior”
Fruitier tangerine/citrus nose. Moderately full-bodied, barely off-dry, nicely balanced, with good underlying acidity. Nicely mineral, with peachy, green plum, citrus, and saline notes. Excellent.
2011 Peter Lauer Riesling Fass 11 Schonfels
Intense, chalky/earthy nose. Full, dry, nicely structured and balanced, quite mineral, with plum, mixed berry, apple, and spicy notes. Excellent.
2011 Peter Lauer Ayler Kupp Riesling Fass 15 Stirn
Full-bodied, quite elegant, off-dry, very mineral, nicely focused and structured, with peach, blueberry, citrus, and spice notes. Excellent.
2011 Peter Lauer Ayler Kupp Riesling Fass 9 Kern
Full-bodied, off-dry, rounder and slightly denser than the Stirn, with floral, mineral, lime, kiwi, and dragonfruit notes. Excellent.
A big thanks to the staff at Vintages for arranging this event.
With the end of the late, great Mosel Wine Merchant, Vom Boden has thankfully stepped into the void to bring in some of their former star producers, namely Florian (Peter) Lauer, Ulli Stein; and Konstantin Weiser and Alexandra Künstler (along with Julian Haart, whose wines I have yet to try). This was a great chance to taste through a selection of 2011 Rieslings from some "hot" producers on the Mosel and the Saar. All three of these producers are doing an excellent job in showcasing forgotten or lessen-known terroirs - whether they are highlighting the differences between formerly delineated parcels of Ayler Kupp, or giving forgotten sites in villages like Traben-Trarbach, Enkirch, and St. Aldegund their due.
The fact that these Rieslings tend toward the drier side of the spectrum is further evidence to me that the Mosel and the Saar are more than capable of excellent Trocken and Feinherb Rieslings, whether or not a given producer bothers with these designations. (I'll leave that issue to another discussion) On the other hand, as fruity Spätlesen led me to first discover the greatness of Mosel Riesling, I am excited to find a highly compelling example of such a wine from Weiser-Künstler. It would truly be a horrible shame if these wines disappeared forever due to the current insistence on dry Rieslings in Germany.
2011 Stein Riesling Trocken “Blauschiefer”
Medium-bodied, dry, very slaty, lightly salty, well balanced, with moderate acidity; shows apple, lime, and apricot notes. Quite pleasant; very good.
2011 Stein St. Aldegunder Palmberg-Terrassen Riesling Spätlese Feinherb
Moderately full, off-dry, elegant, slaty, spicy, with pear, grapefruit, and strawberry notes. Should be excellent once it rounds into form over the next few years.
2011 Weiser-Künstler Trabener Gaispfad Riesling Kabinett Trocken
Bone dry, ery elegant, highly mineral, lighter in weight, herbal/leafy, peachy, and spicy; impressively balanced. I opened one of these a couple of weeks ago and it was great. This is another excellent showing by this wine.
2011 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Spätlese
Ripe, lightly sweet, yet well balanced, with good underlying acidity. Earthy/mineral, with apple, citrus, and pineapple notes. This also has an unexpected feral/slightly gamy edge that adds to the overall complexity of the wine. Excellent; very unusual.
2011 Peter Lauer Saar Riesling “Barrel X”
A different style than last year, this year’s version is definitely off-dry, and a bit rounder than the 2010. Displays a nice blend of citrus, peachy, mineral, floral, and spice aromas/flavors. Very nice.
2011 Peter Lauer Ayler Kupp Riesling Fass 6 “Senior”
Fruitier tangerine/citrus nose. Moderately full-bodied, barely off-dry, nicely balanced, with good underlying acidity. Nicely mineral, with peachy, green plum, citrus, and saline notes. Excellent.
2011 Peter Lauer Riesling Fass 11 Schonfels
Intense, chalky/earthy nose. Full, dry, nicely structured and balanced, quite mineral, with plum, mixed berry, apple, and spicy notes. Excellent.
2011 Peter Lauer Ayler Kupp Riesling Fass 15 Stirn
Full-bodied, quite elegant, off-dry, very mineral, nicely focused and structured, with peach, blueberry, citrus, and spice notes. Excellent.
2011 Peter Lauer Ayler Kupp Riesling Fass 9 Kern
Full-bodied, off-dry, rounder and slightly denser than the Stirn, with floral, mineral, lime, kiwi, and dragonfruit notes. Excellent.