An Offer Over a Decade in the Making, Nearest to My Heart of All, The Da Vinci of Germany, Oh and It Got 98 Points (Under $35)

 Stefan Steinmetz
- One of the Smartest and Most Knowledgeable Winemakers in Europe
 - One of the Greatest Tasters I've Ever Met
 - One of My Oldest Friends in Wine
 - He's Been Snatching Up The Top Small Vineyards in the Mosel
 - Style Is Absolutely Clear, Crystalline, Jaw Dropping Masterpieces That Perfectly Express the Vineyards
 - Drinkable Now But Will Age for Decades
 - 1 100 Pointer, 2 99s and a 98 in 2019 from Stuart Piggot

Dhroner Hengelberg
 - 1/2 an Acre in Size
 - 50 Degree Slopes
 - A Crazy Jewel of a Vineyard
 - Yield - Just 10 Hectoliters per Hectare
 - Lower Than Lalou Bize-Leroy Yields
 - Only an Absolute Fanatic Would Make Wines Here

2019 Günther Steinmetz Dhroner Großer Hengelberg Riesling 'Monopollage' 
 - 98 Points Stuart Piggot
 - 100 Cases Made
 - $32.99 after Tariff Rebate
 - One of the Most Fantastic Values of All Time
 - "Enormous depth and originality" Piggot
 - "mind-boggling, intense minerality" Piggot
 - "truly breathtaking" Piggot
 - Truly a Seductive Wine

 - This Wine Should Cost Well Over $100

"Hold on to your hat! Such a unique nose that's somewhere between pomelo and grapefruit. Enormous depth and originality with mind-boggling, intense minerality, this is a no-holds-barred expression of Mosel slate that is truly breathtaking at the huge finish. The yield was just 10 hectoliters per hectare. Will live longer than you or me! Drink or hold."  - 98 Points, Stuart Piggot

Stefan Steinmetz - My Brother from Another Mother

I am seriously emotionally invested in this offer. Let's get that out of the way right off the bat. Today's producer is my brother from another mother and one of my closest friends in the world. We have been through some stuff. But our bond and friendship is stronger than ever now. 

Günther Steinmetz

I wrote the eulogy/blog post about Stefan's father's passing which you can read by clicking on the link below. Stefan asked me write it because he said he couldn't imagine anyone else writing it. It was my honor. Günther Steinmetz was a great man. I was privileged and lucky to meet him, taste with him and enjoy moments with him. He spoke no English but as many know the language of wine is universal. He was a great taster, farmer and winemaker. He also had dozens of German expressions about life and wine that are so funny yet also so searingly accurate. Without Günther Steinmetz we would not have Stefan Steinmetz. His name is on every bottle and likely always will be. He was a not just a winegrower but also a farmer of things like potatoes and the like. Back then in the Mosel you could not make a living as a grape grower winemaker without some other gig like farming wheat, chickens, pigs, and potatoes. But the older wines I've tasted from Günther have been sublime. Classic very old school classic Mosel. 

From Friend to Advisor to Supplier

I've been friends with Stefan for over a decade.  You know when you meet someone and you are just
blown away by them?  Stefan is one of those people.  Brilliant. Incredibly knowledgeable. An incredible, incredible taster. He can tell the gender of a fly that landed on a single vine from a casual sniff from the glass.  He also has a Kobe Bryant like competitive edge and wants to be the best like no other winemaker I've ever met. I was one of the first people to buy his wines back in 2005.

Sammie Steinmetz

Sammie is the engine that runs the entire Steinmetz operation and one of my favorite people in the world. I've known her as long as I've known Stefan. She is from Alabama and fell in love with Stefan when she was in the US Sir Force and visited the estate on a day trip. It was love at first sight. She moved to Germany right after. She is hilarious with her dry and acerbic sense of humor and to describe her role at the estate is a bit difficult. But, she runs the show. She deals with all the administrative duties, emails, and pretty much anything that needs to be done. She's in the vineyards and the cellar. She organized all my zoom sessions with Stefan. She is one my closest friends in the world and just a wonderful person. Her and Stefan are the best couple. Also for me, when I visit Germany it's nice to have an American there which makes me feel very comfortable. She speaks fluent German and when I need a word that Stefan doesn't know she is right there to fill in the gap.  Also we can gossip about American culture. She is an integral to the estate as Stefan and she always called me "Fass." "Hey Fass, what's going on!" When I hear that "Fass" I know I'm home.

He's been through a number of importers and I've advised him along the way, introducing him to one of my great friends in wine. The late, great Ned Benedict at Grand Cru Selections (Roulot, Chave, Lafon, etc.) was one. I always wanted to import Stefan's wines but we were a lot smaller when he last chose a US importer.  

Stefan's wines got huge scores in 2019 and he's now pretty clearly a top 10 winemaker in Germany. He wanted an importer who could tell his story in the US and sell the wines to wine lovers who will appreciate them. A lot of them  are very small production wines and he doesn't want just anyone drinking them. It's understandable given the back breaking work that is involved in growing wines on 50+ degree slopes.

And so, after over a decade, our partnership was born.

The 2019 Vintage

Stefan Steinmetz has arrived as the next winemaker you need to care about in Germany in a very significant way.  In 2019 he had "the Leap", as we call it at Fass Selections. He made wines better than in any other vintage before but not only that - he has leveled up. He is now a top 10 German wine producer for Riesling. Dry and sweet.  Stuart Piggot, who has been tasting German wines longer than almost any critic working and has written enormously respected books about the topic has now anointed him. Stuart dropped absolutely bananas scores for Stefan in 2019 which Stefan says is the best vintage since 2001. Piggot dropped a 100 for the 2019 Neumagener Rosengartchen Von Den Terrassen Riesling. To get 100 points from any critic is a massive massive accomplishment. Relax! We don't have that wine today. We only have a 98 Point GG for $37.99 today. More on that soon. 

What Stefan has done is unlike anyone I've ever seen in the wine trade. This dude is really in the WINE TRADE for how he acquires and trades vineyards. The guy is like a rare vineyard hunter. He gets these small plots no one has ever heard of that have crazy old vines, works his vineyard magic, works his cellar magic and then makes absolutely clear, crystalline, jaw dropping masterpieces of Rieslings that get 100/99/98 points from one of the best Riesling critics in the world. Stefan has arrived and I'm again, so humbled to finally be able to work with him again.  Carried two or three at another store I worked at back in 2007-2008. To come full circle and be able to be the avenue for his coming out party as a superstar Riesling winemaker is really a terrific privilege. 

The Style

So he gets these crazy vineyards and makes stunning Riesling. What are they are like? What's the style here? 

 - They are as refined as Markus Molitor. 

 - But they have maybe even greater acid spines. 

 - They are as delicate and fine as Riesling can be. 

 - They have structure to last decades 

 - The biggest takeaway I have is that they are unbelievable young. In 20-25 minutes they just are drinking so well. 

 - They will age also 30 years. Or you can drink them tomorrow. And they will drink well young. It's the key. Sometimes the GG Mosel dry wines need a few years to come together. Not at Steinmetz. Pop, pour, and drink elite level dry Riesling while the rest of your case rests in the cellar. 

The Wine

Today I've got a gem. A beauty. A why we drink Riesling type of Riesling. The 2019

Günther Steinmetz Dhroner Großer Hengelberg Riesling "Monopollage" for $37.99 a 4-pack and $35.99 on a 12 bottle case. After the tariff rebate that is $34.15 on a 4-pack a $32.15 on the 12-Pack. This got 98 points by Stuart Piggot. It is not only an unbelievable wine it is one of the most fantastic values of all time. This is from a small micro parcel and Stefan only made 1,200 bottles. 

The Vineyard

The Hengelberg is the best parcel in Dhron and better than any part of the famous Hofberg. These sites are treacherous and very hard to work. They are extremely steep and to be honest, dread inducing for me to be on the side of one of these crazy steep almost Mosel cliff sides.

The Nose

The nose is gorgeous. So clear and delicate with stunningly detailed stone fruits. Loads of yellow peach. It's juuuust ripe. White peach as well. Mirabelle plum. There is this stunning crystalline and smoky quality that is just insane. It's next level. It takes maybe 10-15 minutes to get going. In the background is this massive intense and just huge minerality. The nose became more meaty as it opened. Like freshly butchered Wagyu. Not general "meaty." This is a very specific aroma. The specificity of greatness in affect here. We get fresh tree, bark, leaves, wheat and flowers. It gains a massive floral lift after maybe 20 minutes. The wine smells like Gunther, the animals and the classical farming of yesteryear. Gets crazy herbal as well. It's distinct and profound. You only get wines like this in top top vintages. 

The Palate

The palate is exemplary of the new Steinmetz style. Stefan says it's the most elegant wine he has ever
made. He has made a lot of elegant wines. That's a significant statement. It's powerful, dense and concentrated with just absurd clarity and finesse. The yields on this were 10 hectoliters per hectare.  That is insane. Just like, what? This is just another level of finesse. It's so fine and has just an unreal lightness to it. The delicacy here will crush you. It's amazing. The combo of the level of concentration and power it has that is allied with its extreme lightness is remarkable. There is huge energy here and it is so silky.  There is a gorgeous bitterness that is so appealing and adds the the complexity. Stefan said the most striking thing about this wine. It's like a first flush high quality green tea. There is an umami element on the palate that adds another element of distinctiveness. 

The Finish

The finish is like a steady timpani in an orchestra. Huge, steady and delicate. The finish is endless. It has delineation like nothing else. The precision here is truly entrancing and enhancing. This is as delicate as it gets as it extends and extends. This is truly a seductive wine. What it does from the quiet start as it is opened to being this fully expressive profound wine is a stunning journey. It takes 10 minutes but I recommend having a quick few sips. Throw it in a decanter. Set a timer for 10 minutes and pour another glass and prepare for takeoff. I've got a decent amount of this but not that sure. We will see.

Below is the 98 Point Stuart Piggot Review 

"Hold on to your hat! Such a unique nose that's somewhere between pomelo and grapefruit. Enormous depth and originality with mind-boggling, intense minerality, this is a no-holds-barred expression of Mosel slate that is truly breathtaking at the huge finish. The yield was just 10 hectoliters per hectare. Will live longer than you or me! Drink or hold." - 98 Points, Stuart Piggot

2019 Günther Steinmetz Dhroner Großer Hengelberg "Monopollage" Riesling - $39.99 ($151.96 4-pack, $431.88 12 bottle Case) (*Including tariff of $3.84)