German wine labels are often notoriously difficult to deciper. There are village names, then either Einzellages (vineyard names) or Grosslages (a name to represent a group of similar vineyards). Occasionally there are independant vineyard names (Ortsteil, see the last entry) too. Here is however a name more like those from Italy - basically a brand name. OK, Gunderloch is as good as a brand name, but they have a this Riesling Kabinett which is sourced from their vineyard holding crossing the boundary of two neighbouring villages, so they cannot use a village name. They have more land from Nackenheimer Rothenberg, as they bottle higher Pradikats from that vineyard. The fruit for this Jean-Baptiste Kabinett also comes from the equally famous neighbouring vineyard, Niersteiner Pettenthal, so Herr Fritz Hasselbach told me.
2003 was the SARS year for us in Hong Kong, but in Europe they remembered it for one of the hottest heat waves in memory. The vines withered and the growers lobbied for the law to be changed to allow irrigation. Despite it being changed, some growers insisted on Nature's way, but Hasselbach decided his vines needed water. They remained green whilst their neighbours went varying shades of yellow in the pictures he showed me. The heat also meant that those vines with irrigation got very ripe indeed and although the wine is classed a Kabinett, the Oeschle level at harvest were well beyond the Auslese mark.
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