Tuesday, September 12, 2017

VDP 2016 GG Tasting -- Pfalz Riesling Part I (Dirmstein, Kallstadt, Laumersheim, Zell): Knipser, Kuhn, Rings


As I stated in a previous post, the Rheinhessen remains the most exciting area in German wine. This is in part because for most of our knowledge of German wine, most of the Rheinhessen, including the areas that are now making some of the greatest wines in Germany, were not producing quality wines. For much of the Pfalz, adjacent to the Rheinhessen, this situation is different — the wines have a long history of celebrated wines (although there are other areas at the extremes of the Pfalz that have only relatively recently begun to produce top quality wine).

Interestingly, the Pfalz in many ways resembles Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. Among other things, both arebacked by a range of mountains with the slopes generally facing southeast, and the hearts of both are in the center of the region, although the extremes at both ends have recently been contributing very fine wines. In Burgundy, the wines grow higher on the slopes, possibly a reflection of the more southerly latitude.

We’re starting here with wines from the northern limits of the Pfalz, and which are not on the slopes of the mountains. They actually are a continuation of the Rheinhessen nearby (e.g., Hohen-Sülzen) more than they are related to the Pfalz further south; but the political boundaries determine the region here. (Continue reading here.)