Rudi Wiest is the Grand Seigneur of German wine in the United States and his import company Rudi Wiest Selections a leading importer of fine German wines in the United States market.
The new Northeast Sales Manager of Rudi Wiest Selections, Nancy Peach (since September 2014), came to Washington DC and introduced us at MacArthur Beverages to 7 new arrivals from Germany. The wines Nancy Peach poured were selected by MacArthur Beverages’ Phil Bernstein, one of the greatest German wine experts in the region and perhaps in the whole country. Reflecting the taste of Phil and most of his clients at MacArthur Beverages, the white wines were all Kabinett and Spätlese wines, i.e. wines with a noticeable level of residual sweetness, although the Rudi Wiest Selections portfolio is particularly known for being strong in terms of dry wines.
Rudi Wiest Selections
Rudi Wiest can look back to almost 50 years of bringing fine German wine to the United States market. Based on the West Coast, Rudi Wiest Selections boasts an impressive portfolio of about 20 German world class winemakers, all of them members of the VDP, the association of about 200 German elite winemakers. Thomas Haag of Weingut Schloss Lieser, for instance, is the Winemaker of the Year (Gault Millau).
Becker: Pfalz
Dr. F. Weins-Prüm: Mosel
Fürst: Franken
Gunderloch: Rheinhessen
Joh Jos Prüm: Mosel
Meyer-Näkel: Ahr
Mönchhof: Mosel
Pfeffingen: Pfalz
Raumland (Sekt): Rheinhessen
Rebholz: Pfalz
Reinhold Haart: Mosel
Schäfer-Fröhlich: Nahe
Schloss Lieser: Mosel
Schnaitmann: Württemberg
Schloss Schönborn: Rheingau
Schloss Hallburg: Franken
von Buhl: Pfalz
von Hövel: Mosel
Wagner Stempel: Rheinhessen
Wirsching: Franken
Zilliken: Mosel
Nancy Peach has been selling wines for many years, including for 5 years as National Director of Valkenberg International. She is a former MW student. At the tasting, Nancy displayed strong knowledge of German wine. Coupled with her charm, we enjoyed a very entertaining tasting, which was well attended.
Tasting Notes by Phil Bernstein and Annette Schiller
We started with a Rose, moved on to a few white Kabinett and Spätlese wines, and finished with a red wine.
The tasting notes below were prepared by MacArthur Beverages’ Phil Bernstein and by Annette Schiller, ombiasyPR and WineTours.
Annette visited both Weingut Rebholz and Weingut Becker on her Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014) and Weingut Mönchhof on her German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy (2013). For information on the wine tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015, which include several of the German winemakers in the Rudi Wiest Selections portfolio, go to ombiasyPR or the German section of the MacArthur Beverages website.
See also:
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux
Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013
See:
The Annual “New German Vintage” Tasting of the German Wine Society (Washington DC Chapter) led by Phil Bernstein - 2012 Vintage, Germany/USA
WINE # 1: 2013 Rebholz, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), dry, Rosé, Pfalz $26.99
Phil Bernstein: A very unique wine for sure. From the Pfalz region, this is 100% organic Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) from limestone soils. Bone-dry with excellent acidity (and a beautiful salmon color to boot) this is a Rose that could actually benefit from short to mid-term cellaring. Rebholz is by far one of the best producers in the Pfalz (and in all of Germany in my opinion).
Annette Schiller: Hansjörg and Birgit Rebholz produce highly individualistic wines by working as close as possible with nature. The Rebholz wines do not undergo any chaptalization, fining, or deacidifying nor will sweet reserve be added. The Rebholz wines are crystal clear, razor sharp, clean, simply beautiful in their transparency and underscore the individuality of the terroir, the climate, and the grape. This 100% organic entry level Spätburgunder from limestone soils is a fine example of the Rebholz style. It is bone-dry with pronounced acidity; it is crystal clean on the palate; and shows a lot of backbone. It is still very young and will certainly benefit from a bit of aging. Hansjörg Rebholz was nominated as winemaker of the year 2013 by the Austrian lifestyle magazine Falstaff.
See:
Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
WINE # 2: 2013 Dr. F. Weins Prüm, Graacher Domprobst, Kabinett, sweet, Mosel $19.99
Phil Bernstein: Another favorite producer of mine, F Weins Prum continues to produce classic Mosel wines at obscene (in a good way for us) prices. A wine for under $20 from a “grand cru” site-you bet!
Annette Schiller: This small estate (7 acres) owns parcels in the famous Grand Cru sites in Erden, Wehlen and Graach, planted 100% with mature Riesling vines. The Grand Cru Graacher Domprobst vineyard is located on a dizzying steep slope behind the village of Graach. The soil is grey-blue Devonian slate over a thick layer of loam, which gives this wine the classic Mosel style. On the palate the wine is youthful with aromas of peach and other yellow fruit. It has a perfect acidity / sweetness balance with the acidity contributing to the refreshing mouthfeel, and the good finish. This wine is a perfect example of owner and winemaker Bert Selbach’s philosophy of producing high quality Mosel wines in the traditional style. This estate was also a founding member of the VDP (Association of Elite German Wine Estates) in the Mosel.
WINE # 3: 2013 Reinhold Haart, Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, Kabinett, sweet, Mosel $26.99
Phil Bernstein: Similar thoughts to above. Reinhold Haart is by far the best producer in Piesport and owns what are thought to be some of the best parcels in the famed Goldtropfchen. This is a great Kabinett that is drinking very well at the moment, and showing the nice verve and “cut” that is a hallmark of 2013.
Annette Schiller: The Haart family’s viticulture tradition goes back to the year 1337. This estate is one of the oldest of the Mosel appellation - probably the oldest in the town of Piesport- and never owned by the church or aristocracy, which was the norm in the old days. Like # 2 this is also a 100% Riesling estate. The Piesporter Goldtröpfchen (exact translation: little drop of gold) is also a Grand Cru vineyard site. It is a large vineyard and the Haart estate owns some of the best parcels, where the soil is soft shale, clay minerals and quarz compacted by pressure. This wine is very flavorful with rich peach and mango aromas, and a more spicy minerality. The youth of the wine comes through with a still spritzy mouthfeel. The acidity / sweetness balance swings more to the sweetness as opposed to the acidity, but that could change with some aging.
WINE # 4: 2013 Schäfer-Fröhlich, Bockenauer Felseneck, Spätlese, sweet, Nahe $36.99
Phil Bernstein: If you’ve ever chatted German Riesling with me in the shop, I’ve no doubt suggested a wine from this producer. A longtime favorite, these are always Nahe masterpieces from Tim Frohlich, who was recently acclaimed as “winemaker of the year” by the German wine guide Gault Millau. Love these wines! I just enjoyed the 2004 version of this wine over the holidays and it’s still going (quite) strong. The bright yellow, greenish shimmering 2013 Felseneck Riesling Spätlese opens as a serious wine with cool, fresh, spicy/smoky slate, quartzite and herbal aromas on the nose that indicate a deep and mineral as well as full-bodied and complex Riesling. The palate is impressively juicy and pure at the same time and the finish piquant and salty. Still young this Spätlese just suggests its true class and complexity which shines through in a long, piquant and grippy finish. 93+ pts. Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate
Annette Schiller This wine is completely different from the two Mosel wines. It shows the Nahe character with pronounced minerality, saltiness, backbone, and acidity. To describe this wine I can second Phil Bernstein from MacArthur Beverages: ”The bright yellow, greenish shimmering 2013 Felseneck Riesling Spätlese opens as a serious wine with cool, fresh, spicy/smoky slate, quartzite, and herbal aromas on the nose that indicate a deep, and mineral as well as full-bodied and complex Riesling. The palate is impressively juicy and pure at the same time, and the finish piquant and salty. Still young this Spätlese just suggests its true class and complexity which shines through in a long, piquant, and gripping finish.” Owner and winemaker Tim Fröhlich was nominated by Gault Millau, the German top wine guide, as winemaker of the year in 2010. He consistently produces wines of top quality with complexity and individual character. This Nahe estate cultivates 37 acres of vines planted with Riesling (80%) and Pinots (20%) on outstanding steep sites of varied stony soils, which are the basis for their unmistakable, authentic wines.
WINE # 5: 2003 Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken, Saarburger Rausch, Spätlese, sweet, Mosel $31.99
Phil Bernstein: This wine is a recent library release. I actually ordered it by accident as it was listed amongst 2013’s and I didn’t notice the vintage. I’ll call it a “good mistake” as it’s tough to source older Riesling these days with great provenance. Zilliken is a longtime favorite producer from the Saar, and I’m sure many of you have enjoyed their wines. This wine is just starting to pick up some of the secondary characteristics of well-aged Riesling (even a hint of petrol!), but still has plenty of life ahead of it. A bargain from one of Germany’s masters.
Annette Schiller: This wine comes from the spectacular Grand Cru vineyard site “Saarburger Rausch”, which is in the valley of the Saar river, a tributary of the Mosel river. For generations the Geltz-Zilliken family owns parcels in this vineyard and the father and daughter winemaker team, Hanno and Dorothee Zilliken, are committed to taking great care of the ecosystem to conserve the unique combination of climate factors, soils, fauna, and flora. All wines are fermented in wooden casks in cool, century old, damp cellars and the bottles are stored three stories below ground - sometimes for decades - to reach their peak. This more than 10 year old wine had an unbelievably young feel. It only had a hint of the characteristics of a well-aged Riesling. The nose shows lots of fruit, the palate is rich and juicy with a strong backbone, the acidity / sweetness balance is elegant, with the balance leaning more towards the acidity than the sweetness, the finish long and lingering. What a gem of a wine!
See also:
Dorothee Zilliken, Weingut Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken Presents her Noble Rieslings at Frankfurt/Wein in Frankfurt, Germany
WINE # 6: 2011 Mönchhof, Riesling, Spätlese, sweet, Mosel
Annette Schiller: The Mönchhof is one of the oldest estates in the Mosel region. The name already suggests that once it was part of property belonging to the clergy. Documents from Pope Alexander III show that the Cistercian Abbey at Himmerod owned the estate and vineyards with excellent terroir around the village of Ürzig as early as 1177. In 1804, secularization during the Napoleonic era allowed the Eymael family to buy the Mönchhof estate including outstanding vineyard sites. An ancestor, Jean Eymael, was one of the founding fathers of the VDP (Association of Elite German Wine Estates) in 1910. This wine was not produced from a specific vineyard site. The grapes come from various sites around the village of Ürzig. The pronounced sweetness is nicely counterbalanced by acidity, and mineral flavors. On the nose there are intense apricot, mango, pineapple and lime notes. This wine will go nicely with Asian and some spicy foods.
WINE # 7: 2011 Friedrich Becker, Pinot Noir, dry, Pfalz
Annette Schiller: This winery is unique. The vineyards are in two countries - 30% in Germany and 70% in France- due to the winery’s situation right on the German/French border and the history of changing the borders back and forth throughout the last two centuries. In this area the Rhine rift created many different soil types which presented favorable conditions for planting a wide variety of grapes, including chalky limestone for excellent Pinot Noir. In 1973 Friedrich Becker was the first of his family to distance himself from delivering the grapes to the local co-operative and decided to make his own wine. Right from the start he has been one of the best Pinot Noir producers in Germany. The Gault and Millau 2010 “Best Red Wine of the Year” is a Friedrich Becker Pinot Noir from a Grand Cru vineyard. This entry level 2011 Pinot Noir shows grandiose flavors of black cherries and blueberries. There is a pleasant velvety mouthfeel with a good tannin structure and acidity, which lingered on. This is an elegant wine good to drink now.
See:
Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014
MacArthur Beverages
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