Gernot Kollmann - The King of the Mosel?

Genius at work

It is difficult to understand most geniuses at the start of their careers. Their work is different and hard to grasp - that's why it is genius. Many have been skeptical that great dry wines can be made in the Mosel.  Gernot has proven them wrong and has created a wine that is uniquely Mosel and uniquely his own.  He will be imitated just as all great winemakers are imitated. I always saw the seeds of brilliance...
These are wines that should be collected and aged with the purpose of doing vertical tastings years in the future.  He will be recognized as one of Germany's most important winemakers within a decade.

The profound 2011 Batterierberg

Gernot made a big first splash being the winemaker at the great Saar estate of Van Volxem and made the 2001, 2002 and 2003 vintages there. I fell in love with the Van Volxem estate and more specifically Gernot's winemaking style with the 2001 Scharzhofberger "Pergentsknopp." Precise, lean, explosive and complex and done in a feinherb style. I knew this was a special wine and that a genius made it. Then Gernot moved on to being the consulting oenologist at Knebel and made a rash of great wines there and still consults there a few weeks a year and by telephone.

But in 2009 Gernot has started the work that would have me label him a genius. Gernot with a group of investors, bought the old Immich-Batterieberg estate in lovely and picturesque Enkirch. Enkirch is an area of the Mosel not many people are familiar with. Massive and steep slopes with many of them uncultivated. Steffensberg. Ellegrub, Zepwingert and Batterieberg are the rock stars of this great slice of Enkirch. All these vineyards, in my opinion are just as great as the Middle Mosel rock stars. It just took a genius to bring out that quality. Below is quote from Lars Carlberg's brilliant and informative pay Mosel site about the so called Starkenburg Slope these vineyards lie on. 

Part of the Starkenberg Slope

Batterieberg, Zeppwingert, and Ellergrub are part of the Starkenburger Hang (Starkenburg Slope), a long steep slope between Enkirch and Traben-Trarbach with the tiny village of Starkenburg, hence the name, perched on the top of its very narrow ridge close to Trarbach. This quarzite-rich slate escarpment, also known as Hinterberg in old texts, is more west than south facing, hence cooler. Except for a section nearer Enkirch, called Herrenberg, which was remodeled (Flurbereinigung) and is closest to the damn, the rugged hillside has many ungrafted old vines growing on terraces among patches gone fallow and grown over by scrub. - Lars Carlberg

With his 2009's Gernot shocked the wine world with absolutely one of the greatest wine debuts I have ever encountered. I covered them early on Rockss and Fruit here. Then I tasted the brilliant 2010's but did not write about them. They were great, I just did not write about them. You could not have two more completely opposite vintages. With the 2009's being giving, forward and oh so drinkable, and the 2010's being acids bombs and in need of much time in the cellar. Gernot proved he lets the vintage do the talking. Gernot was one of the brave few that did not de-acidify in 2010 and it paid off and his collection was pure genius.

Now we enter 2011 and this is Gernot's 3rd triumph in a row. 2011 as I have said before is a juicy vintage. The acid is not notable but it is perfectly placed like a high moving fastball just off the corner of the plate. The fruit quality is beautiful in these wines, and the sites that Gernot is working with are some of the greatest site in the Mosel. Many people don't know this yet, but they will as Ellegrub, Batterieberg, Steffensberg and Zepwingert are the stars of the future. That is one of the great things about the Mosel. There is so much undiscovered terroir because it is a lot of work to tend steep slopes. Even more work to plant a vineyard and remove all the trees and brush. But, back to what is in the bottle.

We start off with the always brilliant C.A.I. This is Gernot's entry level wine and has to be considered as one of the best in all of the Mosel. In 2011 some grapes come from an old vine parcel in the Dhroner Hofberg and even sites in the Saar. The Oberemeller Altenberg and the Wintricher Klosterberg being the two.  Even some Kinheimer Rosenberg is in there in 2011. Gernot takes careful steps to ensure only the best grapes go into the C.A.I. It shows. It is light, filigreed and showing the ripeness of 2011 with intense lemon flavors on the finish. Grippy and full yet light. In the old school Kabinett style.

Then the best value in the whole lineup is next. The 2011 Escheburg is a blend of 3 vineyards. Steffensberg, Ellegrub and Zepwingert. I might be mixing one up. Maybe Lars or Gernot can chime in when they read this. The wine was not made in 2010 but I am happy it is being made again. The 2009 was stunning and I drank a ton of it. It is 70% stainless and 30% old wood in 2011. Great acids, lemony, ripe with lovely peach skin on the finish. There is a great harmony and this is the essence of what Gernot is going for. Dry-tasting wines. A wonderful value in 2011.

The great sites of Batterieberg, Zeppwingert and Ellegrub are the stars of the show in 2011 and really every year. Batterieberg has a funky, very sponti nose and is concentrated, ripe and elegant with tons of extract. With coaxing the aromatics are just ridiculous. Perrieres like in its filigree. Always the star. Not shy in 2011 but will need 5-8 years to truly show itself. Try and catch one young. It's a thrill ride. The Ellegrub is a feinherb in 2011 and just so seductive. I love this site. I always get a cooling blue fruit aroma and flavor profile on the palate. Amazing purity and density in the 2011. Silky, so juicy and just profound elegance. This will be fun young, but so much better in 10 years. Zepwingert, which is a name that nobody really knows what it means was showing sponti aromas and had the classic 2011 juicy profile. Elegant, long wine with lovely concentration and roundness from the old wood. Wonderful.

I cannot forget the Steffensberg which had such a fine mineral nose and a ripe palate profile. Lots of dry extract in this wine and gets a big JUICY rating.

Gernot, has crafted an unbelievable collection in 2011. Just as remarkable, if not more remarkable than 2009 and 2010 as he is just a better winemaker than he was for the previous two vintages. Gernot adds to his streak on unreal vintages. in 2020 it will be lots of fun to do a vertical of these wines. Keep on keeping on, Gernot.