Weingut Nelles Spatburgunder “B52” 2016
A recent short trip to Germany involved a lot of trains (Bordeaux to the Palatinate and back can be done without resort to airplanes, if you are suitably motivated) and a lot of psychological support for 2nd Year MW students desperately preparing for their final exams. This did not leave much time for vineyard visits, but the evenings allowed our group to abuse the warm hospitality of three different wineries. Most intimate was the small and delightful WEINGUT ISEGRIM outside Bad Durkheim. Most stylish was WEINGUT RINGS, where the wines are as impressive as the installations (check out the espresso machine !). And most crazy was WEINGUT KARL SCHAEFER, where we moved from traditional wood-panelled dining rooms to a strobe-lit underground cellar, pulsing with some sort of full-volume Thrash-Rap that I would associate with Berlin clubs I have never been to, all the while sipping great wines. Since we were there to dine and socialize, I was not taking notes, but a common theme firmly lodged in my memories : all three wineries make really good Pinot Noir. I obviously don’t get to Germany enough, because this came as a major surprise to me.
Did you know that Germany is the world’s 3rd largest producer of Pinot Noir ? I didn’t (although I’m meant to know that sort of thing). I also didn’t know that Pinot Noir – called locally SPATBURGUNDER – has been grown in Germany since at least the 14th century, making it a sufficiently “traditional” grape variety to be eligible for the VDP “Grosses Gewachs” classification of outstanding German (dry) wines. Over discussions at dinner with representatives of the VDP organization, I attempted to understand what this “GG” on the bottle actually meant. One could translate it as the German equivalent of Grand Cru, except that there is a different term “Grosse Lage” which also translates as Grand Cru, as well as “Erste Lage” which could equate to Premier Cru. The Grosse Lage and Erste Lage are vineyard designations, denoting the quality potential of the land, regardless of grower, just as in Burgundy. The GG designation is attached specifically to a wine of sufficient quality coming from a “GL” vineyard, providing it is from a traditional grape variety and made dry (Germany already has well-known classifications for the sweeter wines). All three designations are self-appointed and self-policed by the VDP organization, which is in turn a self-selecting elite ‘private club’ of German producers. In most other countries, this would be a recipe for graft, but the Germans are so scrupulously honest that the system actually works.
All this finally brings me to Weingut Nelles, and their cuvée B52. Since I had not taken notes at the dinners, I resolved to pursue my investigation of Spatburgunder on my return. Fortunately, a generous German friend had sent me a mixed case some time before, and I found this bottle sleeping quietly at the back of my wine cabinet. Bonus : it carries “GG” designation, from the “Grosse Lage” vineyard of Burggarten in Heimersheim (Ahr). I did not get to the Ahr, so the information that follows comes from the producer website. The Burggarten vineyard is planted on steep (over 30% gradient in parts) south-east to south-west facing slopes, at altitudes of 80-200m, on a complex mix of Greywacke, slate, loess and basalt. Vines are 40 years old, and farmed according to an environmental – and social – sustainability charter called “Fair n’Green”. The Pinot grapes are 100% destemmed, aged 15 months in barrel, and bottled with no fining and minimum filtration. There are various numbers on the label. 1479 refers to the date of first written record of a high value vineyard on the site. (nb This record was a tax ledger, adding credibility to the VDP designation of the vineyard as objectively superior. Interestingly, the producer BURKLIN-WOLF in Pfalz also based their self-pronounced Burgundian-style vineyard classification on ancient government tax ledgers). Whether B52 refers to an antiquated rock group or not is unclear. 13.5% alcohol points to the ripeness that can be achieved at such northern latitudes, given superior site selection and controlled yields. And 2016 denotes a vintage that might be tiring, but is in fact fresh as Spring.
WEINGUT NELLES, HEIMERSHEIMER BURGGARTEN SPATBURGUNDER “B52” 2016
(tasted March 24). “Coup de Coeur” ❤️
Pale to mid-garnet colour. Nose opens with cherries, then wild strawberry and raspberry coulis too. Very fresh and minty. Hints of roast meat underneath. Excellent precision and intensity. As it opens, the strawberries come through more, now with cream, plus a touch of caramel.
Palate is super fresh, crisp and crunchy. The acid has an invigorating sharpness, giving the wine its spinal cord, but there is flesh on the bones, with a smooth white chocolate richness. The wine has a gentle grip to its texture, although neither tannins nor wood are obvious. Pure, with some depth too. Finish is juicy and bittersweet, herbal, spicy, but creamy too, all at the same time !
Overall, a sort of ideal cross between the crisp precise fruit of New Zealand, the silky textural richness of a Volnay, and the gentle chew of Aloxe-Corton.
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