What the Gods Drink
By Tim Gaiser, MS
May 2002;
Everyone has their own "desert island" list, with favorite
books, recordings, movies, foods and the like. I have a good deal of
my own list assembled and under the wine heading I've narrowed it down
to just one producer: Franz Künstler. Yes, without hesitation I
could laze away in a hammock between coconut trees for the rest of my
earthly existence and sip nothing but Künstler wines. How so, you
ask? Simple. To me, the Künstler wines embody everything noble,
complex, and hedonistically delicious in wine. Need proof? Consider
the tasting I recently did at the Künstler estate in the village
of Hochheim on a cold, drizzly May morning not long ago. I was joined
by three friends and fellow Master Sommeliers, Peter Granoff, Nunzio
Alioto, and Bob Bath--three of the most potentially jaded wine palates
one could imagine. Yet when all was said and done, after thirty-plus
wines were opened and tasted, we were asking winemaker Gunter Künstler
to autograph our tasting lists. He was embarrassed. We were stunned.
In the countless tastings I have taken part in as professional, nothing--that
is nothing--has ever approached the group of wines we tasted that day.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before a single bottle was opened,
before a single vintage tasted, Gunter insisted that we take a tour
of his vineyards. After all, Gunter is a maniac. Not the bug-eyed dangerous
type, but a maniac for detail in every possible phase of the vineyard/winery
process that can yield great wine. Underneath his quiet, low-key demeanor,
Künstler hums like a public service transformer about to arc. But
through all the international acclaim and accolades Gunter has garnered,
he remains one of the most humble, self-effacing individuals I have
ever met. So much for the glamorous side of the wine business.
We piled into a black Audi stationwagon and took off down a narrow
cobblestone street. Within moments we were surrounded by an ocean of
Riesling vines as we headed toward the Rhine river less than a mile
away. The Künstler estate has holdings in all of Hochheim's most
important vineyards: Stielweg, Hölle, Kirchenstück, and
Reichestal.
As we drive Gunter stops here and there pointing out different soil
types, trellising, and crop cover between the rows of vines. Certain
parcels of vines always develop botrytis and are used for noble sweet
wines; other parcels are susceptible to frost making them likely candidates
for Eiswein. Some sections of the vineyards have vines 30-50 years old
(and older) that lend tremendous depth and complexity to the finished
wines; other sections have been completely ripped out and lay fallow
with a bare covering of clover that replenishes nitrogen and other vital
nutrients in the soil.
Finally it's back to the winery to taste. I'd visited the estate twice
previously, tasting some dozen or so wines each time. But today Gunter
had something else in mind, something special. Mapped out on the tasting
sheets before us were five flights of five wines each, three of which
were mini-verticals of dry wines from the Hölle vineyard. The fourth
flight consisted of five vintages of Spätlese from the
Kirchenstück
vineyard, and the grand finale was a flight of six noble sweet wines
also from the Hölle vineyard. Eager expressions at the table all
around. To get things going Gunter opens a bottle of his 1997 vintage
sparkling wine made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The color
and nose are a bit evolved but the palate is toasty crisp and complex.
Then it was down to business with the first flight of dry wines.
Allow me a few words about German dry wines before continuing. Mention
the phrase "trocken Riesling" to the average American wine
drinker and you'll most likely be confronted with an expression of utter
confusion, something along the lines of stunned livestock. To begin,
most Americans have strong pre-conceived notions about German wines
as being cheap, sweet plonk--something to be avoided at all costs. For
that we can thank the Blue Nuns, Liebfraumilchen, and Zeller Schwartzekatzen
of the world, as well as the German Wine Commission who promoted these
marginal brands so heavily during the 1970's and 1980's. Oddly enough,
fruity wines are currently out of vogue in Germany, especially in the
top restaurants where only the driest of dry wines will do. But these
trocken wines are definitely not all created equal. Unless the fruit
achieves enough ripeness and the wine enough alcohol, the results can
be thin, austere, incredibly reductive, and bone dry with punishing
acidity. Not exactly user friendly even with the richest of foods. But
the Germans do so love them, and we love the Germans for being the masochists
that they are.
Künstler's wines, however, are another story altogether. Hochheim
is the warmest part of the Rheingau, so warm in fact that a parcel of
old Pinot Noir vines in one of Gunter's vineyards ripens to Spätlese
and Auslese levels year in and year out. It is precisely this warm micro-climate
combined with old vines and low yields that gives the wines their depth,
richness and wonderful texture. Oh yes, and the marvelous winemaking
skills of Gunter Künstler. Now back to the tasting:
First up, five vintages of Hölle Kabinett Trocken. Kabinett Trocken
doesn't exactly sound exciting but remember this is Künstler and
everything is more than it appears. The first sip was a snapshot of
the Künstler style: considerable depth, seamless texture and
very pure fruit. The wines are easily Spätlese level in ripeness
and complexity, yet declassified as a "simple" Kabinetts.
Then five vintages of Hölle Spätlese Trocken. Without exception,
the wines are at least Auslese level in ripeness and several notches
up in quality from practically anyone else's dry wines in Germany. Somewhere
between premier and grand cru level Chablis in intensity and depth but
with the innate charm of Riesling.
Next up, five vintages of Hölle Auslese Trocken. Any of the wines
can more than hold its own against the best Rieslings from Alsace and
Austria. Combine fabulous concentration of fruit, tart acidity, intense
minerality, and the shimmering Künstler texture and you have something
very special indeed. Grand Cru Chablis depth and complexity but oh so
seductive.
On a whim, Gunter opened three vintages of Kirchenstück Auslese
Trocken. We didn't argue. The Kirchenstück wines played Lafite
next to the Hölle's Latour. Sleek, graceful and elegant, but so
powerful indeed.
After a break it was time to continue with the fruity wines. First
up a flight of five vintages of Kirchenstück Spätlese. Again,
the ripeness of the wines is at least Auslese level in quality. Wonderful
richness and the residual sugar is perfectly balanced by crisp acidity.
Succulent, delicious, and beguiling. I dare anyone not to like these
wines.
Finally, the flight of six noble sweet wines. Here we entered the outer
limits of the senses. Each of the six was a Dostoyevskian world unto
itself. All in varying degrees had a quality that Mark Huebner of Cellars
International (a premier importer of fine German wines in the U.S.)
describes as "weightless honey anvil," with an astonishing
concentration of ultra-ripe fruit balanced by bracing acidity. Never
was there a trace of heaviness or cloying quality even though several
of the wines surpassed 200 grams per liter residual sugar, and through
it all the terroir of the vineyard was never obscured. These wines must
be tasted to be experienced, to be believed.
In the end we were exhausted, shaking Gunter's hand and asking him
to sign our tasting lists. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Tough
job, yadda yadda. But seriously, what do we have here? A collection
of the most profoundly glorious Rieslings in the widest range of styles
imaginable--all from a single producer. This is wine and winemaking
at its very best.
Gunter Künstler & his vineyards 2.5MB
video (faster connections)
Gunter Künstler & his vineyards 900K
video (slower connections)
Tasting Notes:
Here are my notes for each wine. In place of ludicrous (and useless)
numerical scores, I have used a tasting chart created by Peter Granoff.
The chart is based on a one-through-seven scale (one being the lowest
and seven the highest) that covers, in order, the following criteria:
intensity of flavor, dryness/sweetness, body, acidity, tannin, oak,
and complexity. Thus a light bodied wine will be listed as 2 or 3 in
the third slot, while a rich, full-bodied wine will weigh in at 6 or
7. Likewise, a bone-dry wine will be listed as 1 in the second slot
while an intensely sweet wine (such as a BA or TBA) will rate a 6 or
7. And so on and so forth. I've also subdivided the notes into sight
(S), nose (N), and palate (P) with the numbers of the tasting chart
listed afterwards.
Hölle Kabinett Trocken
2001
S: Medium straw green.
N: Pear, lime zest, mineral, floral.
P: Polished, weighty for Kabinett. Long and persistent. Wonderful focus
and acidity.
4-1-4-5-1-1-4/5
1999
S: Pale yellow green.
N: Very tropical - passion fruit, mango with sweet spice and mineral.
Very forward.
P: Rich, weighty, full. Spätlese level ripeness and depth. Earthy
finish.
5-1-4/5-5-1-1-5
1998
S: Pale yellow green.
N: Pear, quince, sweet spice, earth and touch of pine resin.
P: Tightly wound, vinous, Burgundian texture. Built for the long haul.
5-1-4-5-1-1-5
1997
S: Medium yellow green.
N: Rich, spicy, almost botrytised nose. Candied pear, rancio, butter,
earth.
P: Rich, intense, viscous. Amazing quality for Kabinett level. Very
complex, long.
5-1-4-5-1-1-5/6
1994
S: Pale yellow green.
N: Smells like mature white Burgundy. Lemon curd, rancio, spun sugar,
dark earth.
P: The most intense acidity of the flight. Narrowly defined, focused
and powerful. Long haul.
5-1-4-7-1-1-5/6
Hölle Spätlese Trocken
2001
S: Very pale straw green.
N: White peach, tropical, floral. Filligree of sweet baking spices with
earthiness underneath.
P: Sleek, focused and very long. Superb.
5-2-4/5-6-1-1-5
1999
S: Pale yellow green
N: Ripe pear, mango, butter, earth.
P: Big, ripe, round, almost buttery in texture. Fruit developing beautifully,
much earthier than 2001. Powerful finish.
5-2-4-6-1-1-5/6
1998
S: Pale yellow green.
N: Red apple skin, pear, lemon curd, earth.
P: Not as big as the nose but focused and vibrant. Lemon curd, banana
and lots of earth. Mouthwatering acidity. Ten years ahead minimum.
5-2-4-6-1-1-5/6
1997
S: Medium yellow green.
N: Ripe pear/apple, cinamon spice, butter, earth.
P: Racy, classy, Burgundian. Like afternoon sunlight filtering through
Autumn leaves.
5-1-4-6-1-1-6
1994
S: Medium yellow green.
N: Burnished gold. Pine, roasted grain, earth and fenel.
P: Burgundian, seamless texture. Lots of earth and lemon zest on the
finish. Racy, intense, long.
5-1-4-7-1-1-6
1990
S: Medium yellow green.
N: The most Burgundian yet with dried apple, rancio, baking spices,
damp earth. Very complex.
P: Glorious. Very layered and complex with racy acidity. Still time
to evolve.
5-1-4-6-1-1-6
Hölle Auslese Trocken
2001
S: Pale straw green.
N: Floral, pear/passion fruit, lemon, mineral.
P: Fullish and very rich texture with mouthwatering, juicy acidity.
Sleek but muscular. Long, powerful. Great potential.
5-1-5-6/7-1-1-5+
1999
S: Medium yellow green.
N: Intense tropical notes (P.G. called it a "guava rush"),
butter, resin, dark earth.
P: Utterly delicious. Very ripe and round with perfect balancing acidity.
Seductive.
6-1-5-6-1-1-6
1998
S: Pale yellow
N: Exotic spices, butter, dried savory herbs, lemon peel.
P: More powerful and narrowly focused than 1999. Built for the long
haul.
5-1-5-6-1-1-6
1997
S: Pale yellow green.
N: Rancio, spun sugar, resin, dried apple, earth.
P: Superb. Kaleidoscopic in its complexity. Always changing in the glass.
Long, powerful and yet very elegant. An incredible balancing act.
5/6-1-5-6-1-1-6/7
1993
S: Pale yellow green.
N: Savory, dried mango, butter, earth.
P: Lots of pine/resiny qualities with dried fruit and layers of earthy
complexity. Seamless. Still at least a decade to go.
5-1-5-6-1-1-6/7
Kirchenstück Auslese Trocken
2001
S: Pale straw green.
N: Pear, kiwi, strawberry, mineral, floral.
P: Elegant. Like a rose window in a Gothic Cathedral. Shimmering quality.
Lovely.
5-1-4/5-6-1-1-5/6
1999
S: Medium yellow green.
N: Banana/tropical with lemon curd, sweet spices and mineral.
P: Ripe, juicy, succulent. Just starting to evolve. Racy acidity.
5-1-4-6-1-1-5/6
1998
S: Pale yellow green.
N: Very complex and Burgundian. Guava, passion fruit, and floral with
Gewurz-like spice.
P: Simply gorgeous. Perfect fruit/acid balance. So elegant but with
great length and intensity on the finish.
5-1-4/5-6-1-1-6/7
Kirchenstück Spätlese
2001
S: Pale straw green.
N: Ripe apricot/pear, spearmint, floral and earth.
P: Auslese weight. Honey, stonefruits (esp. white peach). Peppery mineral
finish. A baby.
5-4-4-6-1-1-5
1999
S: Pale yellow green.
N: Complex: apricot, mint, roasted malt, banana, lemon peel, earth.
P: Ripe, juicy, seductive. Declassed Auslese for sure. Complete, harmonious.
5-4-4-6-1-1-5+
1998
S: Pale yellow green.
N: Pineapple/kiwi, honey, lemon curd and damp earth. Touch SO2.
P: Succulent. Wonderful fruit/acid balance. Long, persistent.
5-4-4-6-1-1-5
1997
S: Medium yellow green.
N: Very tropical with banana/mango, honey, mint and earth.
P: Juicy, succulent fruits. Incredibly focused with perfect fruit/acid
balance.
5-4-4/5-6-1-1-6
1996
S: Medium yellow green.
N: Petrol, honey-mint, dried apricot, savory, lemon peel.
P: Lip smacking and delicious but at the same time so complex and "serious."
5-4-4-6-1-1-6
Hölle Noble Sweet Wines
1998 Auslese Goldkapsul
S: Medium yellow
N: Screams botrytis. Honey-butter, dried apricot/nectarine, mineral,
tangerine top note.
P: Unctuous. Apricot jam leads the way with lemon-mineral and very intense
acidity finishing. Weighty but not heavy. 20 years plus ahead.
6-5/6-4-7-1-1-6
1999 Beerenauslese
S: Medium yellow gold.
N: A botrytis monster. Essence of honey and apricot jam with black tea,
soltana raisin, butter, roasted malt, lime zest and earth.
P: Ambrosia. So powerful but beautifully balanced with incredible length
and persistence.
6/7-7-5-7-1-1-7
1998 Beerenauslese
S: Medium yellow gold with green.
N: Deeper, more burnished than 1999. Rancio butter, mineral, exotic
spices, honey, orange peel.
P: Not as flamboyant as the 1999 but absolutely glorious. So complex
and deep it's astounding.
7-7-5-7-1-1-7
2001 Eiswein
S: Pale yellow green.
N: Totally different flavor profile than the previous three wines. Lemon
curd, pippin apple, savory, mint, celery seed, mineral.
P: BA-TBA weight yet extraordinarily light on its feet. Young, tightly
wound. Like an explosion of light waiting to happen. Decades of time
ahead in the cellar.
7-7-5-7-1-1-6
1996 Eiswein
S: Deep yellow gold.
N: Dried apricots, petrol, savory herb, eucalyptus, mineral.
P: Nectar. A heavenly oil slick with a jet blast of acidity on the finish.
Thirty years-plus in the cellar.
7-6/7-5-7-1-1-7
1997 Trockenbeerenauslese
S: Medium yellow gold.
N: Sadly the bottle was a bit corked--but that didn't stop any of us
from savoring the wine. Lemon honey, super-ripe apricot/stonefruit,
savory herb, tangerine, butter, mineral.
P: Steroid-level intensity. Honey, bright lemon notes. Lighter in texture
than I imagined, but so tightly wound it needs ten years to begin to
show its stuff. It will outlive us all.
7-7-5-6-1-1-6/7
Copyright © May 2002
Rudi Wiest Selections
by Cellars International, Inc.
phone 760.566.0499 - info@germanwine.net - fax 760.566.0533
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