Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser and Julian Huber – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Picture: Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden

The Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) covered 3 German wine areas (Baden, Pfalz and Rheinhessen) and Alsace. 4 of the 5 producers we visited in Baden (Salwey, Franz Keller, Dr. Heger and Bernhard Huber) were in the southern part of Baden, near the town of Freiburg. Colmar in France is at the same latitude and in fact, you could see the vineyards of Alsace.

Pictures: Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden

I already provided an overview about the tour here: Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

This posting focuses on our visit of Weingut Bernhard Huber.

Yquem Viehauser, a Geisenheim University educated winemaker (and daughter of a famous German Chef) was our host.

A tasting of Bernhard Huber wines was at the center of our visit. But we also met up with Julian Huber, who is in charge of Weingut Bernhard Huber, in the cellar.

Not so long ago, Der Feinschmecker, the leading German food and wine journal, carried an article about German red wine. Its message was that Germany had established itself as a serious red wine country during the past 30 years. Der Feinschmecker portraited 10 winemakers behind this wine revolution. One of them was the late Bernhard Huber. It is not for no reason that he was Gault Millau’s wine producer of the year in 2007.

Bernhard Huber, only 53 years old, died in June 2014 after a battle with cancer. His son Julian Huber, assisted by his mother Barbara Huber has taken over.

Pictures: Looking at the Vineyards of Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser

Weingut Huber

The Huber Estate is located in Malterdingen in the Breisgau area. More than 700 years ago, Cistercian monks came to Malterdingen, and found the same terroir as in Burgundy and thus started to plant Pinot Noir grapes. Still today, in many reference books on grape varieties, “Malterdinger” is used as a synonym for Pinot Noir.

Although the vineyard has been in the family for several generations, Bernhard and Barbara first began estate bottling, when they took control in 1987 from his father. Before that, grapes and wine were sold to a local cooperative.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser

In 2004 Bernhard Huber started “Reserve” wines bottled from vineyards individually. Before that, his top wine was a mix of vineyard sites.

The vineyard area totals 26 hectares, with holdings in the Bienenberg (Malterdingen), Schlossberg (Hecklingen) and Sommerhalde (Bombach) sites. 70 % is planted with Pinot Noir, the rest with Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Freisamer, Muskateller, Müller-Thurgau, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden

The red wines always ferment on the skin and lay in the oak barrel for up to 18 months before bottling. Weingut Huber has about 600 barrique barrels and replaces about 150 barrels each year.

A lot of the wines are in the 20, 30 or 40 Euro category. Weingut Huber is clearly interested in super premium wines and not in day-to-day easy drinking wines.

Pictures: In the Cellar of Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden with Yquem Viehauser and Julian Huber

Wine critic Panos Kakaviatos: Although the price tag is (very) steep for people not familiar with quality German Pinot (over 100 euros per bottle), the Wildenstein 2011, coming from just over 2 hectares of vines, exuded vivid perfumed violet and lead pencil – a very elegant yet concentrated wine that beguiles winelovers. It was easily the best German Pinot Noir I have ever tasted and I want to put it into a blind tasting of top Burgundies and see how it does.

The Huber Estate is a member of the VDP and the Deutsches Barrique-Forum association.

Tasting

2007 Weingut Bernhard Huber Rose brut nature

2012 Weingut Bernhard Huber Spätburgunder

Made from yields of about 60 to 65 hectolitres per hectare for this intro wine, from 3- to 12-old vines. The malolactic is done in older 225 litre barrels.

2012 Weingut Bernhard Huber Malterdinger Spätburgunder

Lower yields at 50-55 hectolitres per hectare, made from older vines between 12-25 years old. Unfiltered. A different clone used which explains a noticeably lighter colour – and a rather tart style.

2012 Weingut Bernhard Huber Alte Reben Spätburgunder

A noticeable step above this old vine Pinot Noir, made from 25- to 60-year old vines. It clocks in at about 13% alcohol, with 35 to 38 hectolitres per hectare. It is aged 9 to 10 months in new oak then racked into one-year old barrels. There is a touch of sweetness from the new oak but mostly harmonious.

2012 Weingut Bernhard Huber Bienenberg Spätburgunder GG

Same winemaking as with the Old Vines wine, but slightly lower yields at 30 hectolitres per hectare from 6 prime parcels in the Bienenberg vineyard.

2012 Weingut Bernhard Huber Sommerhalde Spätburgunder GG

Another great growth, also from five parcels but the main one is facing the Black Forest, so a cooler terroir.

2013 Weingut Bernhard Huber Grauer Burgunder trocken
2013 Weingut Bernhard Huber Weisser Burgunder trocken
2012 Weingut Bernhard Huber Chardonnay trocken

Bye-bye

Let me quote Panos Kakaviatos: All in all a magnificent visit to what is indeed a legendary German domain. Any serious and passionate wine lover who is visiting the Baden region in Germany or Alsace, France should contact the domain and schedule a visit and tasting.

Pictures: At Weingut Bernhard Huber in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser and Julian Huber

Postings on the Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Posted and Forthcoming)

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Tour and Tasting at Weingut Bernhard Huber (VDP) in Baden, with Yquem Viehauser

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At Weingut Matthias Müller, Mittelrhein, with Traubenhaus, their US-Importer, Germany

Picture: The Traubenhaus Team Paul Steinbach and Justin Bryan and the ombiasy Team Annette and Christian Schiller Visiting Weingut Matthias Müller, with Matthias and Johannes Müller

Traubenhaus is a relatively new, Texas-based importer of German wine. The two key-persons in the company are Germany-based Paul Steinbach and Texas-based Justin Bryan. They met a few years ago in Germany, when Justin was working in Germany, and decided to create a German wine import company in Texas. The company has an interesting and expanding portfolio. Ultimately, they want to become the leading importer of German wine in the US, with winemakers from all 13 German wine regions in their portfolio, said Paul.

Pictures: Bopparder Hamm

Recently, the 2 of them visited their German producers and invited me to join them. I was able to come along on their visit of Weingut Matthias Müller in Spay in the Mittelrhein.

Annette Schiller also came along, as she plans to include a tasting at Weingut Matthias Müller in her forthcoming Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2016). We were also joined by our daughter Cornelia Treman-Schiller and her husband Chris and daughter Viatrix, who are based in China and were visiting Germany for Christmas.

Johannes Müller was our host. We met Matthias Müller in the wine cellar.

Pictures: Weingut Matthias Müller in Spay, with Viatrix Tremann

Traubenhaus

Traubenhaus: Our selection of German wine, most of which was previously unavailable in the United States, represents a wide range of grape varietals and styles from top producers. Each wine is specially curated by our resident German wine expert, Paul Steinbach, to provide a characteristic German wine experience. Handmade, natural, exceptional—these are all qualities you can expect from the German wine presented by Traubenhaus.

Pictures: The New Entertainment Areas at Weingut Matthias Müller in Spay

Weingut Matthias Müller (Traubenhaus)

Traubenhaus: The family of the winery (“weingut”) Matthias Müller has worked the Bopparder Hamm vineyards of the Mittelrhein region for over 300 years. The Bopparder Hamm vineyards are steep slate tracts in the Mittelrhein classified with the highest possible rank of “grand.” Weingut Matthias Müller cultivates its vineyards according to stringent guidelines which require intensive hand work and selective harvesting to produce their Riesling which comprises 92% of Matthias Müller’s total plantings. Weingut Matthias Müller is a member of the exclusive VDP and has earned international recognition through the years including recently when awarded Gault & Millau’s highest honor, “Winery of the Year 2012.”

Pictures: Matthias Müller, Winemaker of the Year (Gault Millau WeinGuide 2012) and Christian Schiller, see: 2012: Best German Wines (Awards) – Gault Millau WeinGuide Deutschland 2012

Weingut Matthias Müller sits amidst beautiful and romantic stretches that are some of the most magnificent in the world. The entire region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site characterized by hills and the wide Rhein River where castles spring from behind every bend of the winding Rhein. Weingut Matthias Müller is an icon in the Mittelrhein region and considered by many, including Gault & Millau, to be the very finest in the Mittelrhein, (best producer in Mittelrhein, Gault & Millau 2013).

Pictures: In the Cellar with Johannes Müller

Weingut Matthias Müller

Weingut Matthias Müller is in Spay in the Mittelrhein Region. The Müller family has been farming, including making wine, for 300 years. The concentration on wine happened under Heinrich Müller, the grandfather of Johannes Müller. Today, Weingut Matthias Müller is managed by Matthias Müller and his wife Marianne Müller, with Johannes Müller, who just graduated from Geisenheim University.

Pictures: The Traubenhaus Team Paul Steinbach and Justin Bryan and the ombiasy Team Annette and Christian Schiller Visiting Weingut Matthias Müller, with Matthias and Johannes Müller

The vineyard area totals 18.5 hectares, all in the Bopparder Hamm, with the single vineyards Engelstein, Feuerlay, Mandelstein and Ohlenberg. This compares to 2 hectares when his grandfather took over and 4 hectares, when his father took over.

The Müllers mostly grow Riesling, with a bit of Grauburgunder and Spätburgunder (which however is fermented white). Two thirds of the production of around 150.000 per year is sold at the winery to private customers.

Since 2007, Weingut Matthias Müller has been a member of the VDP, the association of about 200 German elite winemakers.

Pictures: Tasting with Johannes Müller

Tasting

2014 Weingut Matthias Müller Rheinschiefer Riesling trocken

2014 Weingut Matthias Müller Bopparder Hamm Riesling Alte Reben trocken
2014 Weingut Matthias Müller Bopparder Hamm Feuerlay trocken
2014 Weingut Matthias Müller Bopparder Hamm Mandelstein Riesling –S- trocken

2014 Weingut Matthias Müller Bopparder Hamm Riesling Alte Reben feinherb
2013 Weingut Matthias Müller Bopparder Hamm Feuerlay Riesling Auslese

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