First was a visit to Weinhof Herrenberg in Schoden (Not to be confused with Bert Simon's Herrenberg in Serrig). Weinhof Herrenberg is a small winery run by Claudia and Manfred Loch who owns parcels in the three einzellagen Schodener Herrenberg, Ockfener Bockstein and Wiltinger Schlangengraben, a total of ca. 5 Ha. Their wines are made fully ecologically (EcoVin-controlled). The wines all were good examples of the Saar-rieslings. But the wines from the Schodener Herrenberg all lacked a depth in minerality. Showing that this is a site that can not compete with the best in the area. The one Ockfener Bockstein I tried showed more class and interesting minerality. It was however already sold out. But the Lochs manage to pull out very clean, fruity wines with very high must-weighths and great acids from the Herrenberg site. So if you want power more than minerality Herrenberg is a winery to recommend. So to the notes, all wines are rieslings:
Landwein der Saar trocken 2001
A quite powerful trocken with 13% alcohol. Flowery, off-dry, cleanly made. Very simple profile.
Herrenberg kabinett feinherb ConteSaar 1998
A bit more evolved. Slate, petrol and flowers in the nose. A "sweet" feinherb but with great acidity. Balance is good. A bit evolved palate. Some petrol. Decent.
Herrenberg spätlese ConteSaar 1998
Lightly greenish colour. Cleaner nose, slate, minerals, flowers, only light petrol. Good body, more sweetness. Nicely tuned balance. Appley finish. Good.
Schodener Herrenberg spätlese 2001
Light colour. Intence flowery nose. Fruity style. Slight hints of honey. Powerful spätlese in the mouth. Again great balance. Long taste. Flowery palate, light honeyness. I was told this wine was harvested at 96 Oechsle and it shows.
Ockfener Bockstein spätlese 2001
Same colour. A much more mineral effort in both nose and taste. Definitely better terroir. Slatey, exotic fruits. Less honey. More subdued and closed in the mouth. Great balance. Better potensial.
Schodener Herrenberg auslese Fass #1 1999
Straw colour. Shows more botrytis in the nose. Honey, flowers and light mint. Another full-bodied effort in the mouth. But this has a bit lower acidity. Balance was better in the spätlese. Did not care to much for this one.
Schodener Herrenberg Auslese Fass #6 1999
Straw colour. More closed than the Aus #1. Some of the same nose and quite honeyed character. Sweet and powerful in the mouth, but with much better acidity and balance in the mouth. Really well-balanced for a 99. This shows class and much more depth than the previous.
Riesling "Alte reben kleines fass" 2001
Yep a medium dry riesling aged 5 months in barrique. Grapes are from 70 yr. old vines in Schlangengraben and Herrenberg. Only one barrique made (225 L.) upon request from a customer. The Lochs themselves don't care too much for this wine and I have to agree. It's like eating chocolate with the paper on. Golden colour. Nose is oak, animal fur and some flowers. And more oak. Toasty in the mouth. Sweetness from rs and oak. Decent acidity and length. Young. Lacks depth and shows no mineral character now. Will it in the future? I don't care.
Arnt Egil Nordlien
Sep-02