Sunday 23d of September was the day for the VdP-versteigerung in Bad Kreuznach. Wines from Nahe, Ahr, Pfalz and also some from
Rheinhessen was on show this day.
Neuenahrer Sonnenberg spätburgunder QbA trocken 2005, Weingut J.J.Adenauer
Light red colour. Nose shows new oak, vanilla, red berries. Medium bodied spätburgunder in the mouth, still a quite intense
mouthfeel. There is a lot of new oak showing here. Vanilla and earth-notes from the fruit. The acidity and structure is fine. Too
oaky for my taste. Price: 53,73 €.
Ahrweiler Silberberg spätburgunder QbA trocken 2005, Weingut H.J.Kreuzberg
Transparent red colour. Quite fruity red berried spätburgunder on the nose with hints of earth and wet forest-floor. Quite light
pinot noir in the mouth with a touch of oak. Some fine hints of wet forest-floor and red berries. But still quite a simple wine.
Fine acidity and some tannins in the back. Good. Price: 44,98 €.
Neuenahrer Kirchtürmchen spätburgunder grosses gewächs 2005, Weingut Deutzerhof
Light red colour. The nose shows a lot of gooseberries, blackcurrant-leafs. Reminds strangely of a sauvignon blanc. Also a little
note of citrus and red berries. Fruity and quite intense spätburgunder in the mouth. Simple fruit. Fine acids and light tannins in
the back. Forgettable. Price: 101,21 €.
Nelles spätburgunder QbA trocken 2005, Weingut Nelles
Light red colour with a touch of brick. Autumn-leafs and perfume in the nose. Hints of flowers. Medium bodied and a more modest
style of spätburgunder here. But this fits the fruit very nicely. It shows more of the grapes lighter more floral side. A touch of
oak. Not depth. Fine structure with good acidity and some tannins in the back. A wine to drink earlier while the fruit is there.
Good. Price: 69,97 €.
Walzporzheimer Kräuterberg spätburgunder grosses gewächs 2005, Weingut Meyer-Näkel
Red colour. More oak on the nose here with darker fruit notes and some hints of wet forest-floor. A little fatness of fruit in the
mouth. More concentration here. But also more oak and a round style. Fruit shows more darker notes, but remains quite simple. Perhaps
aging will do better things to it. Little bitterness in the finish. Some tannins. Good. Price: 124,95 €.
Mayschosser Mönchberg spätburgunder QbA trocken 2005, Weingut Jean Stodden
Red colour. More flora nose here. Lots of high-notes and red berries. Some fat in the mouth and decent concentration. The fruit shows
a flowery and fine side of the spätburgunder. But it fails to create any depth and remains quite simple. The structure here is harder
than in the other spätburgunders. Tannic end and a little bitter. Decent wine. Price: 97,46 €.
Mandelgarten riesling grosses gewächs 2006, Weingut A.Christmann
Sweet and flowery nose. Apricot, botrytis on the nose. Fullbodied and dry riesling in the mouth. Round taste with mild acids. Some
fine minerality in the fruit. Also some botrytis. Slighly bitterness in the finish. A little disappointing. Price: 131,20 €
(magnum)
Idig riesling grosses gewächs 2006, Weingut A.Christmann
Finer and a little more fruity nose here. Flowers, peach, some botrytis. More citric, mineral and intense wine in the mouth. Much
finer fruit. Medium acidity and some bitterness also here in the finish. Good wine. Price: 387,35 € (3 liter)
Kirchspiel riesling grosses gewächs 2006, Weingut Wittmann
Slight touch of minerality with apricot and botrytis on the nose. In the mouth this has a fine balance with a better acidic structure.
The fruit shows some minerality and botrytis. Lacking a little depth. Good length. Good. Price: 106,21 € (magnum)
Morstein riesling grosses gewächs 2006, Weingut Wittmann
A little sweeter nose here with more botrytis, but also a fine minerality. Rounder and fuller wine in the mouth. Fine minerality,
but also lots of botrytis-notes. Better depth. Medium acids. Very good wine. Price: 324,87 € (3 liter)
Riesling trocken "aus dem Rothenberg" Fass GU#5 2006, Weingut Gunderloch
Fine nose here. Citrus, minerality, also some fruit and botrytis. Cleaner and more elegant style in the mouth. More citrus-notes and
more minerality. Fine botrytis. Good structure and length. This was a very good 2006 riesling trocken from Pfalz.
Price: 26,24 €.
Nackenheimer Rothenberg riesling trockenbeerenauslese 2003
Nose shows dried fruits; raisins, apricot, botrytis. Slightly rustic style. Sweet and fat wine in the mouth. Rich with more obvious
raisiny fruit and loads of botrytis. A heavy TBA on the rustic side with soft acids. Good, but nothing special.
Price: 374,85 € (half-bottle)
Brunnenhäuschen "Absterde" riesling grosses gewächs 2006, Weingut Keller
Honeyed nose with some apricot. Also shows minerality. Fullbodied and soft dry riesling in the mouth. Still remain some elegance.
Round style with a finer fruit than first suspected from the nose. This is very fine indeed. Price: 437,33 € (magnum),
687,23 € (3 liter).
Monsheimer Silberberg rieslaner beerenauslese goldkapsel 2006, Weingut Keller
Fruity nose with hints of apricot. Thick and sweet BA in the mouth, yet remains refreshing balance. Cleansing and high acidity. Fruit
shows a lot of botrytis, but it is quite fine. Young and a great BA. Price: 118,70 € (half-bottle)
Rothenberg riesling grosses gewächs 2006, Weingut Tesch
Earthier nose here. Some hints of slate and blackcurrant. Fullbodied and dry riesling in the mouth. The fruit is again a little earthy
and on the rustic side. Structure is a little soft with some bitter-notes on the finish. A little disappointing.
Price: 23,74 €
Wallhäuser Felseneck riesling eiswein 2002, Schloss Wallhausen/Prinz zu Salm-Dalberg'sches weingut
The fruit here shows smoke, flint and an almost underripe leafy character. Some botrytis. It is not a very sweet eiswein with medium
concentration. Fien acidity and length. Good, but not a great eiswein. Price: 112,46 € (half-bottle)
Münsterer Pittersberg riesling auslese goldkapsel 2006, Weingut Kruger-Rumpf
Nose shows hints of slate, some white fruits and also some apricot-notes. In the mouth this wine is concentated, but manages a
certain elegance. More minerals showing than the nose. Hints of slate and fruit-notes. Decent acidic balance. Slight bitterness
in the finish. Good. Price: 52,48 € (half-bottle).
Bockenauer Felseneck riesling auslese goldkapsel 2006, Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich
A mineral auslese with some sulphure on the nose. This is sweet and quite elegant style for this vintage. A slimmer more mineral
effort. Good concentration. Some botrytis and just a trace of apricot. Fine acidity and length. Great wine. Price: 124,95 €
half-bottle)
Bockenauer Felseneck riesling beerenauslese goldkapsel 2006, Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich
The nose shows some more botrytis-notes and some more apricot. Still it also shows nice hints of slate and even minerality. It is
a thick wine in the mouth and heavier and rounder than the auslese. A little fatter, more botrytised fruit with hints of apricot,
also fine notes of slate and a minerality showing. The acids is a little lower in the balance. Great wine, but not more interesting
than the auslese. Price: 199,92 € (half-bottle)
Dorsheimer Goldloch riesling auslese goldkapsel 2005, Schlossgut Diel
The nose shows a mineral side with hints of petrol and flowers. It is a thick and sweet riesling in the mouth with a fine structure
and good acidic backbone. The fruit shows some development. Hints of minerals, flowers and peach. Very good. Price: 124,95/68,72 €
(half-bottle)
Dorsheimer Goldloch riesling auslese 1993, Schlossgut Diel
Evolved and intense nose of minerals, petrol and fine underripe leafy notes. This is a sweet wine in the mouth, slimmer and finely
evolved fruit. Mineral and underripe notes. Complex. Good acidic structure and length. Great wine. Price: 424,83 € (magnum)
Norheimer Kirschheck riesling beerenauslese 2006, Weingut Dr.Crusius
A little shy nose that shows some hints of raisins, flowers and botrytis. Not the most concentrated BA in the mouth with a slight
fatness upfront and raisiny, botrytised fruit. The acidity is good for this vintage making the finish quite refreshing and the
wine good length. A good BA at a very reasonable price. Price: 37,49 € (half-bottle)
Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg riesling beerenauslese goldkapsel 2006, Weingut Dr.Crusius
More intense nose here. Also raisiny and lots of botrytis. Also more depth. Sweeter and a lot thicker and more concentrated than
the "normal" beerenauslese. Again there is a superb balance with fine acidity for this vintage. Young botrytised fruit. Needs time.
This might be excellent with time. Good to see Crusius back at such a level. Price: 106,21 € (half-bottle)
Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube riesling spätlese 2006, Gutsverwaltung Niederhausen-Schlossböckelheim
Sweet and honeyed spätlese on the nose with hints of apricot and botrytis on the nose. Fullbodied, sweet and a heavy spätlese in
the mouth. Round style with medium to low acids. Disappointing. Price: 31,24 € / 15,62 € (half-bottle) / 68,72 € (magnum)
Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube riesling beerenauslese 2006, Gutsverwaltung Niederhausen-Schlossböckelheim
This was a very closed wine. Shy on the nose. Some hints of raisins. It is sweet and a thick BA in the mouth. A little sugary
right now and does not show the fruit. Needs time. Not rated. Price: 156,19 € / 78,09 (half-bottle)
Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen riesling beerenauslese goldkapsel 2006, Weingut Emrich-Schönleber
This was a fine beerenauslese. Sweet nose with lots of botrytis, but quite fine botrytis for this vintage. It is sweet and thick
in the mouth with young fruit. Does not show much. There is a lot of botrytis. The structure is fine with refreshing qualities.
Good acidity. Great wine for the future. Price: 312,38 € / 156,19 € (half-bottle) / 1224,51 € (magnum)
Norheimer Dellchen riesling spätlese 2006, Weingut H.Dönnhoff
Fine nose with hints of flowers, peach, minerality and some botrytis. Quite fat and sweet spätlese in the mouth. Thick style. The
fruit is fine, showing flowery and some minerality. The structure is a little lacking in the balance right now. Perhaps this just
needs to loose some fat. Very good wine. Price: 53,73 € / 162,44 € (magnum)
Oberhäuser Brücke riesling trockenbeerenauslese goldkapsel 2005, Weingut H.Dönnhoff
Fruity and tropical TBA on the nose. This shows intense and fruity notes with lots of fine botrytis-notes. It is sweet and a thick
TBA in the mouth. Fruit is a bit tropical and sweet in it's rich style. The botrytis is very clean and well-integrated. This gives
this TBA a certain elegance despite the powerful style. The acidity is very fine, but a little low in the balance today. This baby
needs to loose some of the fat. Will be an excellent wine with time. Price: 1811,78 € / 905,89 € (half-bottles)
As with the tasting at Trier there were several disappointments at this auction. The wine sfrom Pfalz shows that 2006 is not a good
vintage for this region. The reds from Ahr, whichall were from the 2005-vintage, clearly shows that Germany has a long way to go
before making interesting reds. The only interesting thing about them were the prizes they fetched. From Nahe there was a more mixed
bag. As with Mosel there are some good wines and somw shows the same touch of too much fat and a botrytis-character that is
worrying. Schäfer-Fröhlich was a fine exception. Also I am happy to see Dr.Crusius back in such a good form. And yes, Dönnhoff's TBA
is a masterpiece.
Arnt Egil Nordlien
notes: Sep-07