We were arranging the pickup of the rising young star of the Rheinhessen, Julianne Eller's Rieslings and she asked if we wanted to sell small allocations of her Weissburgunder and Spatburgunder. I had wanted to sell these but was not offered them. I guess I made the cut.I can barely explain how terrific these two wines were. Both are utterly brilliant wines.
First, let me start by saying this is one of the greatest debuts for a Spatburgunder I've ever tasted. I'm thrilled to offer the 2014 Juwel Alsheim "Spatburgunder" for as little as $29.99 on a 3-pack (3-pack as it is limited). This wine was shockingly great. It had a unique style that reflects the influence of her mentor, Klaus-Peter Keller, but all her own. It is driven by brambly fruit and spice. And this is such pure, mid-season brambly blackberry/raspberry fruit that just crunches in your mouth with such deliciousness, focus and intensity. But all with a complex array of spices. Cardamon, clove, some cinnamon all come through with the berry explosion. It also has a freshness that cannot be overstated. It also has a woodland berry character that reminds me of top Lagreins. I know, crazy thing to say but that's the first thing that came to mind. The freshness is something that runs throughout all of Julianne's wines. Again, the mentor and influence of Klaus-Peter Keller hovers throughout yet without sacrificing her individual style. It has a medium body feel to it in the mouth but is still nimble and most importantly it had the transparency her beautiful Rieslings have. That is what I look for in German Spatburgunder, is for them to have the transparency of great German Riesling and not be Burgundy. Julianne executes this perfectly in he debut vintage. It is already showing terrific complexity in the mouth as well as the nose. The Keller influence for me is most marked in their dazzling precision. There is also an underlying intensity as well, like a coiled fist. There is ample depth yet I see this getting much more interesting in 3-5 years. It had a structure and depth that suggest a medium term future. I'm so glad she reminded me this as I am thrilled to get to this to my Spatburgunder heads. This small production wine will be the next cult, hard to get, pinot like Mobitz and Enderle & Moll.
I was also blown away by the 2015 Juwel Weissburgunder. I don't make millions off selling Weissburgunder but that's ok, as people will be very, very, very happy with this wine. It is scary how such a small production wine (400 cases) can be so good, so dynamic and so complex. It is 19.99 on a 4-pack and $17.99 on 6 bottles or more. It sees no wood and gets 6 months in stainless steel. It is scintillating wine. It has all the juicy green apple Pinot Blanc flavors one can ask for, while being dazzlingly fresh and so pure. I can taste this wine as I write. The fat texture and mid palate intensity are remarkable here. It finishes with lovely spice and minerals to burn. This is totally bonkers for $17.99 a bottle. It has length, freshness, delicacy, richness and a gobsmack of green apple fruit. This is an absolute steal at this price. Truly remarkable. $17.99 for a Unicorn wine??? The 2015's are selling out in Germany and that is who Fass Selections competes with so I don't want you to lose out!
We tasted the wines outside (always better than tasting inside) when I visited in August of last year and she had no 2014s to sell and barely any to open (her stash was almost at the end!) as the German wine buying public knows what the American wine buying public will soon know, that this is the next big thing in the Rheinhessen and they sell out super quick. Julianne has only a few vintages under her belt, but she is an elite winemaking talent. Based on the tasting of the 2014s and the very young samples of the 15s, I made my reservations on the spot. Waiting has been the hardest part. I had to sell these wines and sell them to you.
2014 Juwel Alsheim Spatburgunder - $32.99 ($119.96 4-pack)
(VERY LIMITED)
2015 Juwel Weissburgunder - $21.99 ($79.96 4-pack, $107.94 6-pack) (VERY LIMITED)
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