I'm very serious about German Pinot Noir as it is by far the most complex, delicious and interesting growing category in Europe today. Also for the quality, you cannot find Pinot like this in Burgundy at these price points. It's just not happening. I'm one that likes to find things early in the curve when the values are incredible. I've said before that finding new wines in new regions is like kicking the game winning field goal in the Super Bowl or hitting a walk off home run to win the World Series. It takes hard work, persistence and one has to know how to communicate the value of these wines. But once they catch on, like in this case with German Pinot Noir, it is joyous work spreading the gospel of something new and delicious. Being that messenger bears responsibility as history goes forward it also needs to be preserved and I hope by selling wines like today's there needs to be a bit of history as I am about to WRECK YOUR MINDS. Are you ready?
What is the #1 grape planted in the Mosel today in Germany? Not a difficult question. It is Riesling. What was the #1 grape planted in the Mosel up until 1933? Pinot Noir. Yes, from Roman times to Pinot Noir the Mosel had a robust tradition of Pinot Noir. I kid you not. I only learned this within the past 3-4 years. It blew my mind as the normal consumer's exposure to the Mosel is through pradikat Riesling. But that was a fad that is in the rear view mirror now that dry and off dry Riesling rule the roost in the Mosel. Things change in the wine world and bias occur but we can never forget history. So what happened in 1933?The red grape varieties in the Mosel were banned until 1987. Yes, banned. So Pinot Noir vines are still generally somehat young in the Mosel. Today's winery, Spater-Veit was recommended by my dear friend Stefan Steinmetz of the estate Gunther Steinmetz, who also happens to make delicious and very serious Pinot Noir. Stefan is a man of extraordinary knowledge of the Mosel. I'm lucky to have him as a friend but also as someone who gives me tips. He is responsible for bringing me to the attention of Enderle & Moll and now I have to thank him for the rest of my life for him for introducing me to the stunning Pinot Noirs of Spater Veit in Piesport. Yes, that Piesport, home of some of the best and most sacred Riesling terroir in the world.
Niklas, the son, is in charge of the Pinot Noir and he has the touch. That magic touch. Stefan told me they are by far the best Pinot Noirs in the Mosel, even better than his. That's why I love Stefan, he can put great wine ahead of ego. He's right. These are stunning wines. Just stunning. Spater Veit only planted Pinot Noir in 1991. Niklas father planted it and the first wine in bottle was 1997.
First up is the 2009 Spaeter-Veit Spatburgunder # 1 ($32.99 on 4) which is their top bottling, their Grand Cru per se. It is from the great Piesporter Falkenberg which up until this point I only had Riesling from this site from Steinmetz. It is a terrific site with absolutely rocking top notch terroir. It is a very high south facing vineyard with blue slate. This wine, and all the others I will offer are only offered to me and private (read the best, wealthy German) clients. Most of their production is dry, off dry and sweet Riesling. This is almost a side project. Most of the Cru wines are released, minimum, 5 years after harvest. I tasted some younger vintages and I have to agree that is a wise decision and luxury that they can afford to do it. It is also a huge boon for the consumer. How do I describe this wine? I'm trying to communicate in my German Pinot Noir e-mails what the style is and I asked Niklas if it ok to compare the wines to Burgundy as it is just easier for American wine consumers. It's what they know and it's easier for them to wrap their heads around German Pinot Noir with a Burgundy parallel. Niklas said it is fine and he has a German wine store that does the same with their German Pinot Noir selections. So if Josef Walter is more Cote de Beaune (Volnay, Corton, Maranages) and Enderle & Moll and Zieriesen are more of a Vosne-Romanee style then I have to say Spater-Veit is more of a Nuits-Saint-Georges style. But it's those Nuits vineyards that are next to Vosne-Romanee like Bousselots and Chaignots. The wines still have that NSG grit, grip and structure but they also have the elegance, finesse and head spinning aromas of Vosne-Romanee. The nose is damn near ridiculous and in my wine career it's still very memorable when I stuck my enormous schnozz in that glass. Complex with loads of spice and so layered and really jumps out of the glass. Just profound. 2009 is a great vintage for Pinot Noir in the Mosel. The warmer vintages are very good for Pinot Noir in the Mosel (it's cold). Sick nose. Just sick. Floral like crazy with a melange of fruits - ripe cherry fruits. So mineral, so pretty. A true drop everything and run and get this wine nose so you can smell It for days. The palate is elegant, oh so elegant, and so pretty with terrific ripeness and so juicy. Serious concentration and wonderfully intense. Stunning. Ripe beautiful tannins with a long and mineral finish. Very juicy, amazing fruit. Stunning. For $33 just get this wine. You know I would not risk it all to sell a German wine I don't think is the among the best.
You can always judge a winery by their glou glou wine. The first Pinot I tasted was just to rinse my glass as the more serious Pinot Noirs is what I "thought" I was only interested in. Sometimes being wrong is the best thing ever. This wine was terrific and I can't think of an inexpensive Pinot for $19.99 that I would want more than this currently. It is the 2014 Spaeter-Veit Pi Not for $19.99 a bottle on the 4-pack. By the way this is a ONE LITER bottle. The value gets better. Liters of Mosel Pinot Noir. ONLY at Fass Selections. This is so delicious that a bottle between 2 people will be gone in 30 minutes. It's one of those wines but with uncommon depth and loads of sweet fruit. It has a bit of older barrique aging that give it such nice depth and structure as well as deeply penetrating and earthy sweet fruit. Terrific acidity keeps this super fresh. Gorgeous and mineral. Elegant and nimble. Terrific value. Very pure and fresh. I loved this wine, which was the palate cleanser and I have to sell it.
I have to admit I got to Piesport, which way my last visit on my last day (my 4th appointment of the day) on my recent August trip before the drive to Frankfurt. I was beat. It was also the hottest day I have ever been involved in in all my visits to Germany. It was 100 degrees in the Mosel. It was absurd and brutal. I was anxious to leave and kind of wanted to taste quickly and go to Frankfurt. I was tired, hot and had already tasted 30+ 2015's and they really bring the acid which really brings the sleepy. But as soon as he poured the first wine, that magic moment happened when you know you have discovered something unique and special. It's what us wine importers absolutely live for. Lighting in a bottle as they say.
2014 Spaeter-Veit Pi Not - $21.99 ($79.96 4-pack) (LIMITED)
2014 Spaeter-Veit Spatburgunder #1 - $34.99 ($131.96 4-pack)
(VERY LIMITED)
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