- Fewer Than 500 People Have Passed the Master of Wine Exam
- One of the Top Wine Tasting Palates on Earth
- He Intentionally Under Prices His Wines to Make Sales Easy
- To Create A Thing It Is Necessary to Know the Thing
- The Absolute Top Tier of German "Alt Whites"
- With Mobitz Retired, Our Most Burgundian German White Pinots
2018 Jürgen Von Der Mark Weissburgunder, “Hat Der Alte Hexenmeister”
- Simply the Best Weissburgunder I’ve Ever Had from Germany
- If Coche Dury Made Pinot Blanc in Germany
- Nose: Sick
- Complex Perfume and Mega Florals
- Lovely Pit Fruits
- Deep with Endless Nuance
- Amazing Perfume-like Depth
- Palate: So Round Yet so Pure
- Coche-like Luxuriousness
- Brown Sugar, Pitted Fruits
- Brilliant Freshness
2019 Jürgen Von der Mark Grauburgunder “Bedecken Deinen Himmel Zeuss,…..”
- Genius Nose
- Scents of Grape Skins, Herbs, Forest Floor, Rubber and Tree Bark
- Palate: Complex and Juicy
- Tremendous Length and Depth
- Vivid Fruit Skin Details
- Classic Bee Sting
- Honeyed Richness
Wines” which are his reserve bottlings. But what was different about them was that they were whites. I only thought that Jürgen made Song Wines for his Spätburgunder. I was wrong and I’ve never ever been so happy to be wrong ever.
The Alt-White Wine Hierarchy in Germany
These are right at the top of the Alt-White wines in Germany along with Ziereisen’s Jaspis Grauburgunder Alte Reben, Rebholz's 'Im Sonnenschein' Weissburgunder and Laible’s great Grauburgunder Am Buhl GG. By alt, I mean not riesling, sylvaner or chardonnay.
These wines are a completely different style, much more along the lines of white Burgundy.
They hands down have the craziest names yet of Jürgen’s song wines.
“Hat Der Alte Hexenmeister” is the first line of a poem Der Zauberlehrling by Goerthe which translates into "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." Johann Carl Gottfried Loewe appears to have put it to have put it to music in 1832. I can't find a recording. If anyone can find the sheet music and sing in German, please let me know. There are obviously many non German Sorcerer's Apprentice works as well.
“Bedecken Deinen Himmel Zeuss,…..” is the first line of the poem Promethius, also by Goerthe. Schubert wrote a song to this in 1819. Promethius was, of course, the God who took fire from the Gods and gave it to humanity. As punishment, he was chained to a rock and an eagle ate his liver every day (it re-grew overnight). I'm not sure what this has to do with the wine although I think that this grauburgunder would actually be quite good with liver (not human, of course). In any case, the pairing would make for a rather interesting (if macabre and esoteric) Instagram post.
The Wines
Up first I gotta start with the Weissburgunder. This is the greatest German Weissburgunder I’ve ever had and it reminds of a very very famous Burgundian winemaker. Coche Dury. There is a richness and genius use of oak that is only matched by the great Jean-Francois Coche.
The 2018 Jürgen Von Der Mark Weissburgunder, “Hat Der Alte Hexenmeister” for $36.99 a bottle on a 4-pack is simply the best Weissburgunder I’ve ever had from Germany. This is a profound wine of the highest degree and anybody who is into great values and elite “alt” German wines needs to run and get this wine. This is a crazy wine that could easily pass for “If Coche Dury made Pinot Blanc in Germany.” It has the richness plus only the elite use of wood that an MW who drinks Coche Dury can pull off. I adore really well oaked white wines where the wood becomes a frame and almost a ghost-like presence in the wine. You taste these little sweet wood flecks throughout the wine that add so much complexity. And the aromas are so deep and so complex that one cannot believe it. This drinks like $75 wine.
Sick nose. So complex. Hint of sweet wood with such a complex perfume and mega florals. Lovely pit fruits that are just so vivid and detailed. So deep with endless nuance. This is a knockout. The depth of this perfume is amazing. Almost a Tolkien like amalgam of earthen scents. So special.
Palate is like elite 1er cru white burgundy. Awesome sweet wood that is so well integrated that only an MW who drinks Coche could pull this off. Palate is so round yet so pure. The complexity is off the charts. Brown sugar, pitted fruits and an almost Coche-like luxuriousness. This is brilliant! Brilliant freshness and this is straight as an arrow and laser like in its precision and finesse. Perfect balance. Blown away.
Salty now on the finish after 30 minutes. Exceptional wine. Ziereisen Jaspis level. If you miss this you hate wine. What a wine and what a deal. For $37 this is such a silly deal. It’s drinking great now but needs maybe 3-5 years to really get into first gear.
Below is Stephan Reinhardt's review. He tasted this over a year ago and I'm guessing it was recently bottled. I didn't have it then but wither it's improved or I liked it much better than he did (I gave it a 9.5).
"The 2018 Weissburgunder "Hat der alte Hexenmeister" opens with very ripe but fresh and elegant aromas of white and yellow-fleshed fruit intertwined with bright and rather discreet oak notes. The wine is finessed and round on the palate and reminiscent of cognac or Bourbon and cigars. Lush and round, with fine tannins and a well-balanced texture, this is a unique style of Pinot with rich extract-sweetness but delicate freshness as well. It's a very interesting wine to have with food, stewed fish or white meat for example. Tasted in June 2020." - 91 Points, Stephan Reinhardt, WA
Next up is the 2019 Jürgen Von der Mark Grauburgunder “Bedecken Deinen Himmel Zeuss,…..” for $36.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. This could not be more different than the Weissburgunder. There is no discernible oak and it’s a much more cerebral wine that needs maybe 3-5 years of age. But it is stunning wine, make no mistake but more of a wine that needs to be celllared and aired out heavily.
Another genius nose from the Baden Master of Wine. So stoney with oodles of pit fruits. Clean and expansive nose with huge minerals and an airy cloud like ephemerality. Gorgeous elite grapiness as well but this is a young nose that is a bit unformed at first but one can see the genius here. This will take a bit to unfurl. Some herbals and sugar snap peas develop as well. The nose is coming alive now with scents of grape skins, herbs, forest floor, rubber and tree bark. So complex. What an unfurling.
Complex and juicy palate but so reserved right now. The length and depth lets one know this has a lot to say even if it is quiet right now. Very very persistent finish with vivid fruit skin details. Palate has classic bee sting. A honeyed richness followed by acid that collects on the tip of the tongue. This so fruit skin focused and pure. So so unique and delicious but it needs more time. This has it all but really needs 3-5 years for it to come together and be more expressive.
2018 Jürgen Von Der Mark Weissburgunder, “Hat Der Alte Hexenmeister” - $38.99 ($147.96 4-Pack)
2019 Jürgen Von der Mark Grauburgunder “Bedecken Deinen Himmel Zeuss,….. - $38.99 ($147.96 4-Pack)
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