Friday, July 3, 2015

Winetasting with Katharina Wechsler, Weingut K. Wechsler, Westhofen, Rheinhessen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Picture: Winetasting with Katharina Wechser, Weingut K. Wechsler, Westhofen, Rheinhessen – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

In Rheinhessen, we visited 2 world stars – Weingut Wittmann and Weingut Gunderloch – and one up and coming winery: Weingut Katharina Wechsler. While Weingut Gunderloch is well established in the US market and Weingut Wittmann just joined the portfolio of Dr. Loosen Imports, Katharina Wechsler is trying to get a foot into the US market. I hope we will soon see more of her wines in the US.

Weingut K. Wechsler

Katharina Wechsler is a newcomer and rising star in the German wine scene. Katharina grew up at Weingut Wechsler in Westhofen, but after finishing high school she decided to study social science, including for a year in Paris and an internship in Rio de Janeiro, and pursue a career in the media in Berlin. After 10 years or so on this track, she changed her mind and decided to go home and make wine.

Pictures: Arriving at Weingut K. Wechsler

Katharina Wechsler: It took a while for me to return home, but sometimes you have to leave in order to be able to come home. I am happy that after 2 years at the Oppenheim wine school and internships at Weingut Gutzler and Weingut Klaus Peter Keller, I can now pursue my passion for wine at my own winery in Westhofen. Our winery is located in the historic center of Westhofen. My vineyard area totals 17 hectares, including plots in the well known vineyards Steingrube, Kirchspiel and Morstein. Riesling, Silvaner and Scheurebe dominate. In addition, the smallest of all single vineyards in Westhofen is completely owned by my family (monopoly site). With 6.5 hectares, this is a small and very fine vineyard.

The vineyard area totals 17 hectares. The larger part of the grapes is still sold to the co-operative. The current production is about 6000 cases. Half of it is sold directly to consumers, mostly online. The other half go to restaurants and retail stores.

Pictures: Katharina Wechsler Explaining the Vineyard Sites of Weingut K. Wechsler

Stuart Pigott on Katharina Wechsler

Stuart Pigott: Once again I have to put back the story of Riesling and the mystery of aroma for another day, because as they say in America “stuff happens”. At short notice I reorganized my schedule for yesterday evening so that I could meet up with rising star winemaker Katharina Wechsler of the eponymous estate in Westhofen/ Rheinhessen. I make no apologies for dragging you back to the subject of Germany’s largest wine growing region and the Dream Factory of dry white wines that it has recently become. I first tasted Katharina’s wines only a couple of months ago and we met for the first time at the Wine Vibes party in Berlin on Friday, September 14th. So it was a great surprise when my friends Volker Donabaum and Amy Troiano told me that Katharina would be in town and that I could join them for a late night tasting at Terroir E.Vil. (as locals call the East Village).

Pictures: Tasting with Katharina Wechsler

Before I’d even finished saying hi Katharina and asking how she was doing Volker had unpacked samples of her whites of the 2011 vintage and the first wine was being poured. I made quite detailed notes, which might seem a bit obsessive late at night in a place like Terroir, but that’s the sort of person I am and the wines deserved being taken that seriously. The dry Wechsler Rieslings managed to combine the power that’s typical of contemporary dry Rieslings from the New Rheinhessen with a rare vitality for ambitious dry wines from this region. They’re joyful rather than imposing wines, though there’s so much in the best of them (most importantly the Westhofen Riesling and the Benn Riesling with their high-tensile strength and subtle spice) that you can’t take it all in immediately.

That’s what makes me really like them.

However, that’s not all that the talented young lady who gave up a career in TV journalism for wine and claims she’s “still a rookie” winemaker has up her sleeve. Katharina’s 2011 Silvaner ‘Alter Reben’, old vines, taste of quince, butter and smoke, is richly texture, but not the least heavy (sometimes a problem with high-end wines of this grape). No Wechsler wine is more joyful than the dry Scheurebe, or as the staff at Terroir E-Vil. called it last night “Sure-rebe”; one of those dangerously refreshing wines that taste of blackcurrants and fresh herbs, and are so often my undoing. December 6 2012

Katharina Wechsler and Nespresso

Currently, Katharina Wechsler is one of the 3 main protagonists of a major "founder" campaigne of Nespresso in Germany, along with Delia Fischer, founder of an online-shoppingclub and Vijay Sapre, editor of the magazin Effilee. 

Picture: Katharina Wechsler on Nespresso Advertisement in Berlin

The Wines Katharina Poured

Picture: The Wines Katharina Poured

Katharina’s first vintage was 2010.

NV Weingut K. Wechsler Fräulein HU

Fräulein Hu is a refreshing “Perlwein made of Huxelrebe, with Weißburgunder, Riesling and Müller-Thurgau. A Perlwein is a sparkling wine with lower pressure than Sekt and Champagne. Katharina wants to take the consumer to Indochina of the 1920s. Fräulein Hu is an exotic and erotic woman, who has many young lovers, according to Katharina.

2013 Weingut K. Wechsler and Weingut Schätzel Silvaner Trocken

A wine jointly made with Kai Schätzel, Weingut Schätzel. Both contributed 50% of the wine.

2013 Weingut K. Wechsler Weisser Burgunder Trocken

2013 Weingut K. Wechsler Riesling Tocken

The Winner of the 2014 Berlin Gutsriesling Cup.

Picture: 2013 Weingut K. Wechsler Riesling Tocken

See also:
Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsweinrieslingCup 2014 - Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers

2013 Weingut K. Wechsler Westhofener Riesling Trocken

2013 Weingut K. Wechsler Kirchspiel Riesling Trocken

2013 Weingut K. Wechsler Benn Riesling Trocken

Lee Markham: ’ve recently tried a few wines from this Westhofener winery in Germany’s Rheinhessen and have been astonished as to how delicate winemaker Katharina Wechsler is able to work with traditional powerful varietals. Typically Rheinhessen Riesling, Grauburgunder and the like is full of sometimes overpowering fruit and a thick chalky note that often feels out of place. Her wines however are all very delicate and incredibly crafted: smooth, easy-drinkability and character and three terms I use to describe nearly all of her wines.

Weingut Wechsler operates the Benn vineyard entirely and this Riesling makes use of what it some of the finest Riesling terroir in all of Rheinhessen. It was probably designed to be opened in a few years time but my handler informed me of its excellent drinkability right now.

Colour - Satin Gold, very shiny.

Nose - Lime cordial, lemon peel and green apple made up the nose but so too did almonds and limestone.

Taste - The attack is of sharp lemon juice but this eventually gets milder giving the drinker some of the finest lemon notes I’ve ever experience in any wine. Grapefruit, orange peel but also a touch of orchard fruit is presented as well: delicate yellow apples and green pears. The finish is crisp and brings chalk but only a touch – enough to complete the wine and remind of the fantastic soil here without risking an off-balance, cloudy affair.

Overall - I probably did open this a little too early – with a few years in the cellar, the sharpness of the lemon would go away and the fruit probably improve through this. The Wechsler touch is there though – delicate elegance although this Riesling offers a tad more power than most of the rest of the range. Once again, the possibilities of producing wines based on Riesling appear endless.
 

Picture: Katharina Wechsler, Weingut Wechsler at Prowein 2015

See also:
Prowein 2015 in Düsseldorf, Germany – Schiller’s Impressions

2012 Weingut K. Wechsler Benn Riesling Trocken

2013 Weingut K. Wechsler Riesling Schweisströpfchen

This is a Homage to the Mosel – a wine with low alcohol and remaining sweetness, made by stopping the fermentation.

2010 Weingut K. Wechsler Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese

Stunning. 200 gr. RS.

Scheurebe

We finished with a Scheurebe, but I did not take any notes.

Bye-bye

Thanks Katharina for a wonderful tasting.

Photo: Thanks

schiller-wine: Related Postings

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014

Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy, 2014

German Wine and Culture Tour by ombiasy, 2013

In the Vineyard and the Wine Cellar (and Lunch) with Robert Schätzle, Owner and Winemaker, Weingut Schloss Neuweier in Baden – Germany-South Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)

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schiller-wine: Related Postings (Weingut K. Wechsler)

Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsweinrieslingCup 2014 - Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers

Prowein 2015 in Düsseldorf, Germany – Schiller’s Impressions

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