THE RIESLING CORNER:
DEC. 2009

The Great 2007 Vintage

Add me to the pundits who are now waxing ecstatically over the purity and beauty of Germany’s 2007 vintage. Comparisons to the great 1971 vintage abound, and enthusiasm worldwide has Germany poised to reclaim its historical greatness in the world of wine.

What makes the 2007 German vintage so compelling is that it flies in the face of modern German vintages. Instead of creating opulent, extra-ripe and botrytis-inflected wines, vintage 2007 favored wines at the classical Kabinett and Spätlese levels. Pure, transparent and free of botrytis’s blunting effect, vintage 2007 is for riesling fans who relish Germany’s inimitable ability to fashion wines of razor sharpness, conveyance of terroir, and unique ability to grace the table from start to finish with an unequalled versatility.

Since the late-1970s, Germany’s Rheingau region has, with few exceptions, been the wine world’s model of complacency and indolence. The region’s historical and rightful place as the king of German wines faded to a mere memory as the world palate, heavily influenced by Robert Parker’s reviews, shifted from classically off-dry rieslings to unclassically off-dry chardonnays. The region’s general unwillingness to step up its quest for quality did little to help its cause, nor did Robert Parker’s explicit ignorance of the region and his reluctance to review its wines.

Thankfully, the region is rebounding, and its incredible vineyard sites again being recognized and cherished for their brilliance and importance. With 2007, I believe the Rheingau is ready to reclaim its glory, or, at the very least, produce brilliant wines that convey the essence of what makes the region so compelling, as witnessed through the lens of a very special vintage.

2007 Domdechant Werner
Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau, Germany ... 22.99/245.50
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The Domdechant Werner estate – domdechant means “dean” in English – is one of the Rheingau’s most important estates. Located on the river Main in the Rheingau’s far eastern sector, the estate boasts treasures in its grand cru vineyards, Hochheimer Domdechaney, Hochheimer Kirchenstück and Hochheimer Hölle. All three are blessed with warm microclimates and especially deep limestone and clay soils. Of the three, Hochheimer Hölle is the warmest and the one with the most assertive goût de terroir. (For you trivia geeks, the English derived their word for German wines, “hock,” from the village of Hochheim where this wine hails.)

In 2007, Werner’s Hochheimer Hölle is nothing short of brilliant. At 9% alcohol, it conveys the warmth and richness of its vineyard alongside an unusual purity, delicacy and filigree imparted by the great 2007 vintage. Pale green straw in the glass the wine presents palpably the calcium minerality of its soils. In the mouth, the Hölle alternates waves of apricot and citrus fruit with lashings of smoky minerality, brisk acidity, and a level of palate sumptuousness that one should expect from a Rheingau riesling. The calcium-rich minerality returns on the Hölle’s long finish, accompanied by notes of fresh apricots, lemon curd, jasmine and smoke.

For those of you, like I, who have placed your favor in the wines of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, it’s time to revisit and reevaluate the Rheingau. You’ll find few if any finer examples of what makes the Rheingau so important than this very affordable bottle of classical Kabinett from Domdechant Werner.