Nahe 2010 - Jakob Schneider

I love my visit to Jakob Schneider as Jakob is one of the nicest, laid-back, easy-going and best winemakers in the Nahe. He has a major baby face and will charm you almost instantly. This is my 3rd time visiting him and it is firmly locked into the schedule from now on as this year was particularly fun. Getting to Niederhausen from Siefersheim (Wagner-Stempel) proved to be a bit of a chore as there were the famous 34 German road construction projects that were happening seemingly on every road to Niederhausen. Julie and I almost killed each other on this particular car ride, and we flying from such a great visit to Wagner-Stempel. Well, through much yelling and screaming and trying to trick the GPS we eventually got to Niederhausen. I have never been this happy to be in Niederhausen. Ever.

The 2010's from Jakob are wonderful wines and yes he did de-acidify a little. And he had a legitimate reason, even for my purist self. For example, Jaokb makes two basic trocken wines that don't come to the USA but are a large part of his overall production. The Graucschiefer and Melaphyr Trocken. Killer values and lovely little wines but nothing more and usually there is a consistent style that he goes for every year because he has clients that have been buying these wines for 10-15 and even 20 vintages. Cases upon cases. So now comes 2010 and wines that finished are maybe 7-8 grams of acid are now coming in at 15 in 2010, something had to be done. Also these wines have 4 or less grams of sugar. So 15 grams of acid and 4 grams of sugar + super crazy shock to regular clients. So in order to ensure sales continuity he de-acidifed these basic wines. The higher up the pradikat the less the de-acidification, And Jakob, next to Schloss Schonborn did one of the best jobs of de-acidifying.

Onto the wines . . . (the water pictured below is by far the best I have ever had in Germany.)

2010 Grauschiefer Riesling Trocken - Herbal nose with nice acids and good grip. Lovely and quaffable.

2010 Melaphyr Riesling Trocken - Minerals abound on this ripe nose. Excellent purity. Nice concentration. Impressive.

2010 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Trocken - Airy and mineral nose. Also some chalkiness. Ripe and juicy with a huge mineral component. Very nice.

2010 Niederhauser Felsensteyer Riesling Trocken - Loads of melons and minerals on the nose with really high acids on the palate. I like. Nice fruit, good length and grip.

2010 Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Trocken - I did not like this. It happens. Powdered sugar on the nose with very low acid.

2010 Niederhauser Hermannshohle "Magnus" - Jakob's GG wine as he is not in the VDP so can't make an official GG wine. A great Magnus. Mineral, ripe and juicy with greta poise and class. Loads of extract and very pure. Tons of dried berry fruit. Very ripe.

2010 Niederhauser Kertz Riesling feinherb - Kiss of RS on the nose. Lowish-type of acids with lovely purity and cleanliness but did not move me.

2010 Niederhauser Rosenberg Gewurztraminer Spatlese feinherb - A great wine. Hugely floral nose with roses and kinky aspects. Lowish acid and just loads of fun. Great minerality.

2010 Niederhauser Klamm Riesling Kabinett - Very ripe and juicy with vivid minerality and great acids. Lovely purity.

2010 Kabinett 1L - This is the wine Terry Thiese has made for the US market. Mineral, fructic, fun, ripe and juicy with very good freshness.

2010 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Spatlese - Ethereal nose. Really wowed me. Donnhoff-like. Elegant and very lacey with phenomenal ripeness. So pure. White pepper throughout along with heavenly and very pure fruit. Just a great Hermannshohle Spatlese.

2010 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Eiswein - Killer acids in this wine. Maybe no de-acidification here? Ripe and mineral with huge saffron nose and outrageous richness. Stunning Eiswein. Maybe 16-17 Grams of acid here.

2010 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Auslese Jr. - This was 12.7 grams of acid and 190 grams of sugar. Ripe. Ripe. Ripe. Elegant and with some of the saffron in the Eiswein. Gotta be a botrytis aroma. Stunning. Like a cloud on the palate.

2010 Niederhauser Hermannshole BA - My favorite wine of tje day and usually I'm a spatlese/feinherb guy. Saffron city on the nose. Very complex nose with loads of clean and very pure botrytis. Silky and ripe.

After the tasting we drove back to Bockeneau before we headed to dinner in a town I forget, but near Niederhausen. Great food and the best Dourade I ever had. The restaurant made their own Schnapps and I had a little but not nearly enough. At dinner we drank an '10 Schonleber Trocken. A wonderful visit as usual and already planning next years trip. Thanks Jakob!

The pictures are of the food from dinner, the bottle we drank and the strange dolls in the kitchen at the pension we stayed at. Remember I only had my phone and not my Canon G 12.