The BerlinKabinettCup 2014 took place in Berlin, Germany, a few weeks ago, orchestrated by Martin Zwick. 30 German Riesling Kabinett 2013 wines were included and ranked in the tasting. Most of the wines came from the Mosel Saar Ruwer area.
The wines were blind-tasted by a group of sommeliers, wine writers and wine retailers, including Julia Klüber/Winevibes, Matthias Knebel/Winzer, Till Ehrlich/FINE, Felix Bodmann/Schnutentunker+Webweinschule, Frank Ebbinghaus/WEINHIER by Stuart Pigott, Jan Buhrmann/Schmidt Z & KO, Paul Truszkowski/Wine in Black, Jochen Blass/Wine in Black, Frank Krüger/Wein&Glas, Charlie Gierling/weinlagen.info, Nikolai Lassmann/Riesling Liebhaber, David Strecker/Riesling Liebhaber.
Sommelier Christoph Geyler/RUTZ put together the tasting.
Riesling
There are about 47000 hectares planted with Riesling worldwide. Germany – with 22500 hectares – accounts for about half of the total. The second and third largest Riesling producer are the US (mainly Washington State and Finger Lakes Region) with 4800 hectares and Australia with 4100 hectares. But this is only about 1/10 of the total. Alsace follows with 3500 hectares. Alsace, Ukraine and Austria follow with 3500 hectares, 2700 hectares and 1900 hectares, respectively.
Overall, Riesling is really a niche wine, accounting for less than 1 percent of total wine production in the world - but a very special niche wine. In terms of quality wines, Riesling is usually included in the top three white wine varieties, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Riesling is highly terroir-expressive, meaning that the character of Riesling wines is clearly influenced by the wine’s place of origin.
Martin Zwick and his Berlin Cups
Martin Zwick was initially known for organizing the BerlinRieslingCup every year. The BerlinRieslingCup is about Germany’s ultra-premium dry grand cru (Grosses Gewaechs) Rieslings from Grosse Lage vineyards. It typically takes place in the second half of September, following the release of the Grosses Gewaechs wines of the previous year. He then added the BerlinGutsrieslingCup, which reviews and rates entry-level Rieslings of VDP Estates. Last year, Martin Zwick also organized for the first time (in June) a BerlinKabinettCup: A ranking of off-dry, light Rieslings that carry the Kabinett predicate. Finally, last year, he organized a BerlinSpätburgunderCup, a ranking of German Pinot Noirs.
Thus, there are now 4 BerlinCups: BerlinRieslingCup, BerlinGutsRieslingCup, BerlinKabinettCup and BerlinSpätburgunderCup. See more below.
What is a Kabinett?
What is a Kabinett? That depends. In the framework of the standard classification of German wine (the Law of 1971), Kabinett has a different meaning than in the framework of the new classification adopted by the VDP.
In the standard classification, a Kabinett is defined by the sugar content of the grapes at harvest. It is a wine made from grapes harvested with a sugar content of 67 to 87 degrees Oechsle that was not chaptalized. Such a wine can be fully fermented and become dry. These are the Kabinett Trocken wines.
Alternatively, the winemaker could stop the fermentation so that natural sugar remains in the finished wine (and perhaps add a bit of sterilized juice – Suessreserve) to produce a wine that is fruity-sweet. That could be indicated on the label as Kabinett Feinherb, or Kabinett Halbtrocken.
For more, see:
The Karthäuserhof in the Mosel Valley: An Eventful History – From Grenoble in France to New York City in the US
In sum: In the framework of the standard classification of German wine, a Kabinett could be a dry or a fruity-sweet wine, with the terms Trocken, Feinherb and Halbtrocken indicating the sweetness level in the wine. In both cases, it is a rather light wine, made with grapes that were picked early in the harvest.
The VDP producers have introduced a new classification, very much based on the Burgundian approach. In their new classification, Kabinett no longer stands for a certain ripeness of the grapes at harvest, but stands for a certain sweetness level of the wine in the bottle. If a winemaker harvests grapes at the Kabinett level (in terms of sugar content at harvest), but wants to make a dry wine out of it, the winemaker has to market the wine as Qualitaetswein (QbA).
Only wines that have a certain sweetness in the finished wine can be sold as Kabinett. Kabinett Trocken does not exist for VDP producers (although some VDP members still produce Kabinett trocken during a transition period). All the wines sold as Kabinett are in a certain Kabinett sweetness range.
Pictures: In the Vineyards with Caroline Diel, Schlossgut Diel, and AnoukSee also:
New Vintage Tasting at Schlossgut Diel, with Armin and Caroline Diel, Germany, 2014
Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany
Visiting Armin and Caroline Diel and their Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in Germany
President Obama Serves a “German” Riesling at State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao
Visiting Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington State - Where Armin Diel’s Poet’s Leap Riesling is Made, USA
Terry Theise: German 2013 Vintage Wines - Highlights and Superlatives, Germany
For the VDP winemakers, Kabinett is an indication of a certain sweetness profile. And Auslese is sweeter than Spaetlese and Spaetlese sweeter than Kabinett. The terms “Halbtrocken” and “Feinherb” have become redundant in the VDP classification system.
The wines in the BerlinKabinettCup 2014 were all wines where the fermentation was interrupted to generate a wine “that dances” as Stephen Rheinhardt has put it in the Sueddeutschen Zeitung: A low alcohol wine with some remaining sweetness – Feinherb and Halbtrocken Kabinetts, no Trocken Kabinetts.
Martin Zwick: I made this "BerlinKabinettCup" not because of another Cup, not because of ranking, not because of scores. The true star is the KABINETT. Here in Germany Kabinett was heavily overlooked in the last years, as most people drank trocken, trocken, trocken. My "BerlinKabinettCup" created awareness in Germany for Kabinett and now the people buy more Kabinett. That´s all about.
BerlinKabinettCup 2014 Ranking
Martin Zwick: In general, the Kabinetts 2013 are marked by a heavy acidity and most with lemon&citrus&herb flavors. Fair to say that several Kabinett tasted more like Spätlese. BUT the Top 3 are true Kabinett-style Rieslings.
Martin Zwick: The 2013 Karthäuserhofberg Kabinett was the clear winner for every taster and impressed everyone by its complexity, fineness, class, spiciness, lightness, drinking pleasure, food-versatility and moderate alcohol (around 8%). A must-buy.
1 Karthäuserhof Karthäuserhofberg 91 Punkte
2 Diel Goldloch 90 Punkte
3 Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr 90 Punkte
4 AJ Adam Hofberg
5 M. Grünhaus Abtsberg
6 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Herrenberg
7 Dr. Loosen W. Sonnenuhr
8 Von Hövel Hütte
9 Julian Haart Schubertslay
10 A. Clüsserath Apotheke
11 Willi Schäfer Domprobst
12 Julian Haart Ohligsberg
13 J. H. Mumm Johannisberger Hölle
14 Dr. Hermann Ürziger Würzgarten
15 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer
16 Dr. Hermann Erdener Treppchen
17 Willi Schäfer Himmelreich
18 JJ Prüm (o.W.)
19 Ziliken Rausch
20 St. Urbanshof Goldtröpfchen
21 Reinhold Haart Goldtröpfchen
22 St. Urbanshof Bockstein
23 Egon Müller Scharzhofberg
24 Dr. Fischer Bockstein
25 von Othegraven Bockstein
26 KJ Christoffel Erdener Treppchen
27 M. Molitor Himmelreich
2012 Böcking Trabacher Burgberg (o.W.) 85 Punkte
28 Fritz Haag Brauneberger
29 I. Batterieberg CAI
30. Schloss Johannisberg Rotlack
Von Hövel Scharzhofberg Kork
Charlie Gierling’s Comments
Here are Charlie Giering's impressions (in German); he participated in the tasting.
Charlie Gierling: Als erstes aber Lob für und Dank an den Gastgeber Martin. Das macht er zwar immer perfekt, diesmal aber war es desto wichtiger. Die Weine selbst waren nämlich alles andere als zuvorkommend.
Ich schreib mal lakonisch paar Beobachtungen hin:
- Schwefel ohne Ende. Und ich meine SO2. Klar, bisschen Sponti-Böckser gabs auch, aber fast alle Weine haben deutlich nach "freiem Schwefel" gerochen und zum Teil auch geschmeckt (hintern raus gekratzt). Wir hatten danach aus den angebrochenen, deutlich wärmeren Flaschen nachprobiert. Der Schwefel war weniger und die Weine dadurch zugänglicher. Deshalb fällt es mir diesmal noch schwerer als in anderen Jahren einzelne Weine zu beurteile oder gar Kaufempfehlungen abzugeben.
- die Säuren waren zT kaum zu ertragen, einige Grün, einige kratzig, manche beides. Verstärkt wurde der Effekt noch vom freien Schwefel, d. h. Ich wusste manchmal nicht, was hier beißt und kratzt, Säure oder Schwefel.
- Ich weiß nicht, woran es technisch lag, aber einige Weine kamen im Antrunk gut, wurden dann aber weiter hinten lasch, schwammig, wie zusammengesackt.
- Süße und Alkohol durchwegs moderat
- ja, es gab kabinettige Weine, im Sinn von schlank, frisch. Aber kaum im Sinn von zischundweg. Die Kabinettigkeit war wir jedes Jahr eigenartig verteilt. Die beiden Ruweraner ja, deutlich. Die Mittelmosel durchmischt, die Saar auch durchmischt.
- aromatisch hat neben dem Schwefel die Zitrone dominiert. Dazu hin und wieder Kräuter (Zilliken Rausch, Egon Müller, Grünhaus, Molitor Sonnenuhr, Batterieberg) aber auch sehr reife, bis überreife Frucht (Othegraven Bockstein, J Haart Ohligsberg, Urbanshof Goldtröpfchen, Schloss Lieser, Willi Schäfer Domprobst, Dr. Herrmann Treppchen)
- meine Besten absolut gesehen: Molitor Sonnenuhr, Diel Goldloch, Adam Hofberg
- die guten Kabinettigen: Grünhaus Abtsberg, Karthäuserhof.
schiller-wine: Related Postings (Berlin Cups)
Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2013, Germany
Germany’s Ultra Premium Dry Riesling Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2012
Germany’s Top Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2011 Ranking
Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsweinrieslingCup 2014 - Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2013 – Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany
Berlin Gutsriesling Cup 2012, Germany
Martin Zwick's BerlinKabinettCup 2014, Germany
BerlinKabinettCup 2013 - Kabinett 2012, Germany
BerlinSpaetburgunderCup 2011/2013, Germany
Schiller-wine - Related Postings
The Karthäuserhof in the Mosel Valley: An Eventful History – From Grenoble in France to New York City in the US
New Vintage Tasting at Schlossgut Diel, with Armin and Caroline Diel, Germany, 2014
Caroline and Armin Diel, Schlossgut Diel (Nahe Valley), Presented their New Wines (Vintage 2012), Germany
Visiting Armin and Caroline Diel and their Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in Germany
President Obama Serves a “German” Riesling at State Dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao
Visiting Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington State - Where Armin Diel’s Poet’s Leap Riesling is Made, USA
Terry Theise: German 2013 Vintage Wines - Highlights and Superlatives, Germany
When Americans Drink German Wine - What They Choose
Visiting Armin and Caroline Diel and their Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen in Germany
German Spaetlese Wines Can Come in Different Versions. I Have Counted Five.
Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany
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