2010 Franconia - Rudolf Furst

Centgrafenberg

Every year my visit to the estate of Paul and Sebastian Furst gets better. This year was the best visit so far, even if it had some minor problems as I was still reeling from my bag getting stolen at the airport. I had arranged to get my new pair of glasses in Kuess (across the Mosel directly from Bernkastel) and then we would drive to Wirsching and then Furst. Get to the glasses place when it opens and they tell me they have filled my prescription but it is not the exact one, but 99% similar to my previous prescription. I tried them on and was thrilled, but the woman insisted that I return the following morning to get the real lenses. I was in a rush and said OK, not knowing what the exact distance was. So, next we are in the car and driving towards Franconia on the Autobahn and I realize there is no way in hell I am making it to Kuess and back to Franconia for an appt with Furst the next day at 3:30. Mind you, I have not even paid for these glasses yet. So I call Sebastian Furst and I explain to him the situation, mind you, he thought it was contact lenses I was talking about and was a little puzzled why I was making such a big deal over the contact lenses. He figured it out when I talked to him and it was funny to inject humor into an other wise somewhat frantic situation. Anyway, he convinced the woman to let me have the glasses, and when I finally got to Burgstadt, where the Furst winery is, he got out his laptop, and we e-mailed my CC# to the glasses lady in Kuess and finally I had real glasses and could stop walking around Germany like I was Bono or something.

Also a word about the pictures. The picture below was taken by Julie Besancon

Sebastain Furst and me under blue netting to protect from wild boar.

2009 Spatburgunder Tradition - The entry level, or as I like to call it, the village level wine from Furst. Lovely nose of minerals earth and a slight bitter tone that is right at home in Franconian Spatburgunder. Juicy, pure and ripe but a bit closed on this day.

2009 Centgrafenberg Spatburgunder - Now we have the village level wines in the Furst Spatburgunder quality hierarchy. Meaty and mineral nose with notes of cinnamon and other spices. Really wafting aromas. Wonderful tannic structure and lovely lift on the backend but a tad closed. The 2009's, in general, are riper than the 2008's (which were gorgeous terroir driven wines) but they don't sacrifice their massive structures for ripeness. Not even close. This was profound but needs 5 years.

Stairs down the Klingenberger.

2009 Klingenberger Spatburgunder - Before I get into this wine, Sebastian took us to lunch, way up high in the terraced Klingenberger vineyard and it was a fantastic experience. This vineyard is Mosel steep, but very terraced too, so easier to walk up and down. Many old sandstone stairs and bees galore are some highlights of this vineyard. But what made it interesting was Sebastian brought a bottle of the '06 Klingenberger Spatburgunder to lunch in the Klingenberg vineyard. So we were eating grapes off the vine, then sipping on the wine and if you don't think terroir exists, think again. One of my favorite experiences by far in Germany. The '09 Klingenberger was my favorite version so far. It is a vineyard that has only been in the Furst family since 2004 but it has amazing potential. 2009 reaches that potential. Sebastian told me that there are about 60 growers in the Klingenberger and he said, very humbly, after much needling by me, that he was the best. By far the best. The wine had a very fine nose of mineral, violets and a touch of spice. Very aromatic. Juicy, complex and very serious wine. Big, grippy tannic structure. Wonderful mouthfeel, balance and exceptional length.

A wall of Zalto glasses in the new Furst tasting room. 

2009 Fruhburgunder - One of my favorite German speciality grapes. It is an early ripening version of Pinot Noir and no one does it better than at Herr Furst. Super nose of minerals, violets, cinnamon and spice. Amazing aromas. Stunningly pure on the palate with vivid inner mouth aromas. Wow, really tannic for Fruhburgunder. Very ripe and concentrated with huge spreading fruit on the palate. Sensational.

2009 Fruhburgunder Centrgrafenberg "R" - Wowsers. The Grand Cru Fruhburgunder . Always one of my favorite wines to taste at Furst. Very mineral and ripe with intense, juicy fruit. Hints of very fine tobacco on the nose too. Killer nose. Really stunning, actually. Wafting aromas. Palate has great depth, big tannins (again, surprised) and wonderful inner mouth aromas. Awesome as usual.

2009 Centgrafenberg GG - Now onto the absolutely stunning GG Spatburgunders. What a collection. Complex, ripe and very pure nose. Dense, mineral and lively on the palate due to the fresh acids. Major structure on this wine. Meaty, full-boded and intense. 20 years? No problem.

Vines in the Klingenberg.

2009 Schlossberg GG - Mineral, spice, leather and smoke on the aromatic nose. More elegant and refined than Centgrafenberg but just as wonderful. A touch closed but did open up and get much more complex with just 10 minutes of air. Wonderful wine and very big, tannic and structured. Needs years. These were the most age-worthy and structured Spatburgunders I have ever tasted.

2009 Hunsruck GG - And here it is. The finest Spatburgunder I have ever tasted. bar none. Huge, deep, fragrant and very vivid nose. Like a serious GC Burg. The nose is beautifully layered and has kaleidoscopic detail. The palate is enormous but suave and elegant at the same time. The freshness is incredible despite the wines fruit and structure. The concentration is off the charts. Lovely tones of woodspice gracefully fall in between the shockingly concentrated, but never heavy, fruit. Toothsome and very long. A profound wine.

The new Furst tasting room.

2010 Muller-Thurgau "pur mineral" - One of my favorite wines from the Furst portfolio but in 2010 it seemed lacking, possibly due to de-acidification. Distinct nose of anise and mineral. Elegant and ripe with good purity.

2010 Silvaner "pur mineral" - Mineral and very ripe nose. Lovely concentration on the palate with dense vegetable flavors. Clean as a whistle and great acids.

2010 Riesling "pur mineral' - Petrol, honey and mineral on the lovely nose. No mistaking this for the Mosel. Super dry. Dense palate with loads of dry extract and wonderful inner mouth aromas.

2010 Riesling Centgrafenberg - Mineral nose with ripe Riesling fruit. Mucho finesse on the palate with huge body, which is typical for 2010, along with elegance and freshness. Lovely saline finish.

2010 Riesling Centgrafenberg GG - What an intense Riesling! Hugely mineral with such a massive structure this seems like a 25-30 year dry Riesling. Herbal, mineral and ripe, yet with huge acids and amazing length. A stunner to bury deep in the cellar.

The Kingenberger. 

2009 Chardonnay Karthauser - In the oaky Burgundian style but gets better every year as the oak seems to be getting dialed back. Very mineral and sleek with intense fruit. Oak is there but integrated., Bright, lively with great freshness.

An amazing collection and my best visit yet to the Furst estate.

Next up a visit to the historic Schloss Schonborn Estate.