"The man is a superstar, whose Pinots are up there with the very best." Tim Atkin, Master of Wine and award-winning wine journalist, broadcaster and commentator
"Ziereisen is a little bit like Bayern Munich. Another dimension of complexity and expression."
Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate German Reviewer 11/6/15 (Facebook)
German Wine Collection of the Year, 2015 Gault Milleau
I'd been hearing of this incredibly talented winemaker in the South of Germany near Baden for several years now. When other winemakers spoke of him, they would look around and then speak his name in hushed tones. There are not a lot of people who follow German Red wine in the US but those who do all say he's among the best if not the best
makers of red wine in Germany. I'd been trying to meet him with no success for years but finally tasted at the Ziereisen estate in Baden on this past trip to Germany.
The Famous 2011 Pinot Noir Blind Tasting
Tim Atkin conducted a famous blind tasting of 400 German Pinot Noirs in 2011 and selected 20 as the representatives of Germany for an international tasting (judges included Jancis Robinson and Stephan Reinhardt).
Three of the 20 wines came from Zieresen, more than any other producer, resulting in the "Superstar" reference. He also had two wines in the top 13 multi-country final (more than any other winery) and one of Atkins' top 3 scoring wines (outpacing Dujac's 07 1er Cru MSD among others).
His wines did not disappoint. I was blown away and had to write about them and offer them. The reason I had to offer them is because by the time they are released in Germany, they will be sold out. He is by far the most respected producer of red wine in Germany and he sells thousands of bottles of wine each year to Howard Ripley, one of the top importers in London.
They are truly stunning technical examples of winemaking. Focused in a way that great Chablis or great Champagne is, which is very rare in red wine. They also happen to be delicious, complex wines that are more classically Burgundian than anything I've had in Germany from a flavor profile standpoint. The wines are among the most expensive German Pinot Noirs but Hanspeter was extremely generous with his pricing because he wants his best wines to be tasted by American Burgundy collectors. The only reason that these are not already famous throughout the US is that the Germans, Swiss and English bid up the prices and through three tier, the top wines would all be close to or over $100.
The first wine is the 2013 Ziereisen Blauer Spatburgunder which can be had for as little as $21.99 on a 4-pack. A great entry level pinot noir, especially at this price point. The nose has gorgeous light plum aromatics. There is really nice juicy almost sweet cherry fruit (the wine is totally dry) on the palate with good acidity. A very nice cherry finish. Aged 18 months in old 3,000 liter barrels. Startling value and you won't come across a value like this in Germany period. I wanted to find a Pinot Noir I could sell for less than Enderle and Moll Liason/Ozzie and did. I got more than I bargained for as this is such an incredible value. It's delicious enough to be Red Wine of Year material if there were enough.
The second wine is the 2013 Ziereisen Rhini Blauer Spatburgunder 2013 which can be had for as little as $39.99 on a 3-pack. An absolutely fantastic bottle of wine. The nose is light plum and almost brooding if that makes sense. You can smell this for hours. It's that complex and good. The palate is just fantastic. More plums with some licorice with the classic Ziereisen balancing acidity and freshness. The bottle I tasted had been open a day so this may need a decant. Premier Cru Burgundy Quality. Like really good Premier Cru Burgundy in quality. And because of the moderate use of new oak, you can drink it now and it will age for a decade or more.
One thing that I wanted to do when I first started Fass Selections was to build a comprehensive and deep Spatburgunder portfolio. Be the Kermit Lynch of Spatburgunder as he was so important to Burgundy. It has been easier said than done. Enderle and Moll, Henrik Mobitz were my first two Spatburgunder producers and I have had both since year one and they are core Fass Selections producers (so popular that most of their wines are only offered to original buyers). I added Rings last year and only recently Christof Walter.
Why haven't I picked up more? Because it takes time for a new country to master a grape. Germany is finally figuring out Pinot Noir... and there are finally a large enough group of excellent producers that it is a category at Fass Selections. I've tasted hundreds of Spatburgunders in the past 3-4 years as well. But the vast majority were not Fass Selections wines. Some were just ok, but most were overoaked, over extracted and sometimes bitter and shrill. Oh and green. Many lacked acidity for balance and ageability. What makes my wines so special is their balance, restraint of new oak usage, amazing pure fruit and precision. Also they are distinctive. There is nothing else like them in Germay or anywhere. Where was I going to find more wines like that? I was in a lull for the first time in my career over a category. I had to find more good German Spatburgunder if it was the last thing I did. Well that day is today. I have found the holy grail as I've been looking and looking!
To be honest, I was a bit nervous going into this tasting. The level of awe that Ziereisen is held in by other German winemakers was rare . That and that fact that he was by the Swiss border made me think that he was extra special precise, like some combination of a Mercedes Benz and a $25,000 mechanical watch. I showed up on time to the second. All of my concerns were dispelled when I met Hanspeter. Bounding is the best word I can think of to describe him. He was bounding all over the place. They did not have a bottle of a particular wine in the tasting room so he bounded onto his bicycle, peddled furiously and a few minutes later showed up with the wine, leapt off the bicycle and bounded back to the table, opening the wine in almost one continuous motion.
Hanspeter is also very, very open and friendly in almost an American-like way. He invited me to a harvest lunch of soup, lemon chicken with olives and feta (very tasty) and several other hearty dishes.
The oldest cellar at the winery was built in 1783 . Hanspeter took over wine production at Ziereisen in 1991 (he was formerly a carpenter and built most of the furniture in the winery). He has expanded over the past decade or so and seems to have little caves of storage all over the city (he is almost finished with a giant modern cellar). '
2013 Ziereisen Blauer Spatburgunder - $23.99 ($87.96 4-pack) (LIMITED)
2013 Ziereisen Rhini Blauer Spatburgunder - $42.99 ($119.97 3-pack) (LIMITED)
No comments:
Post a Comment