The 5th edition of the “New Talents” wine tasting featuring German quality wines recently took place. The event was organized by Melman Communications and had around twenty producers and importers in attendance. Prior to the tasting, there was a “Treasury Tasting” of rare wines from great years, led by DWI Riesling Fellow, Albert de Jong. Thank you for the invitation, Ghislaine.
Treasure Room Tasting
Ten very special wines were tasted, brought by the winemakers themselves from their cellars. The goal was to allow people to experience how beautiful it can be to store wines for longer periods and enjoy them in a different way. My two favorites were the Silvaner 2014 from Fürstlich Castell’sches Domäne Trautberg, which had beautiful floral notes, green ripe apple, and soft acidity, and the Lemberger 2014 from Weingut Klopfer Greiner, which had a raw freshness with sharp acidity that exploded in your mouth, followed by a lot of fresh fruit with an earthy undertone. Overall, it was a beautiful experience. Thank you, Albert, for making this happen!
Zieher Glassware
During the wine tasting, we were presented with Zieher glassware, specifically the Zieher Vision Intense glass. This hand-blown, lead-free crystal glass made the wine’s aromas and flavors stand out even more, elevating its overall experience. It eliminates the need for decanting and allows the wine’s best qualities to shine through. Zieher glassware is a groundbreaking innovation of recent decades. I was lucky enough to purchase two of these glasses so I can use them at home as well.
My Favorite Wines from the Tasting
Attending a wine tasting with over 20 participants, each bringing multiple wines, provides an array of different options to try. Here, I will highlight a few of my personal favorites.
Weingut Siegloch
All wines have the same DNA, namely that of the winemakers. This gives them a similar character but with beautiful differences. The winemakers follow organic practices and believe in low intervention, guiding the wine rather than making it. You can smell and taste this approach in their wines. By the way, Lemberger is another name for Blaufränkisch.
- Lemberger trocken 2021 has a beautiful wild style, yet remains elegant. It is full of ripe red fruit and nicely juicy.
- Lemberger Reserve trocken 2018 is the bigger brother of the previous wine, and you can definitely taste it. This wine is darker in color and has a fresh nose. The delicious earthy tones and maturity of this wine are more intense and well-balanced. The palate has lots of ripe red fruit with fresh medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.
- DNA Rot is a special blend of different grapes that varies every year. The grapes can even come from different years. This wine showcases the ultimate DNA of the winemakers. You can smell and taste a raw bite, soft fruit, lots of natural elements, earthy tones, and a beautiful balance.
Weingut Hahnmühle
These very beautiful Rieslings showcase a natural character and are made organically without too much fuss added.
- Pet Nat Blauer Silvaner + Riesling, 2021 – A particularly handy bottle that allows you to open and close it without spilling. It has a very fine mousse with beautiful notes of strawberry, cherry, and the freshness of gooseberries.
- Alisencia, Riesling 2021 – This is a very fresh and pure style Riesling with aromas of green apple and lime. On the palate, you’ll taste green apple and lime zest, with a light minerality in the finish.
- Alsenzer Elkersberg, Riesling 2021 – A fuller style Riesling where you’ll taste minerality combined with red apple alongside green apple.
Weingut Schlör
They make the best Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) in the world! This grape is used in Champagne production, and is known for its fruity and earthy character.
- Schwarzriesling 2021 has a beautiful, juicy red color, with a spicy aroma and notes of strawberry. On the palate, there are flavors of strawberry, fresh herbs, spicy tannins, and medium acidity. The wine is aged only on old wood.
- Schwarzriesling R 2020 also has a beautiful, juicy red color. It has a rounder aroma due to the combination of new (20%) and old wood during aging. Scents of strawberry and raspberry are interspersed with dried herbs and vanilla. The palate has flavors of spicy stewed strawberries, dried herbs, and vanilla, with medium tannins and medium (++) acidity. The finish is pleasant.
- Fyerst 1476 Schwarzriesling Reserve 2019 is only made when the grapes are at their best. According to the winemaker, this is the best wine, but he only considers it so if he finds the grapes good enough. Everything has to be right, from the grapes to the moment of harvesting and how the whole process goes. Otherwise, the grapes go into the “lower” rated wine that was described earlier. This wine is super elegant and mega balanced, with beautiful spicy notes and soft tannins and acidity that are very nicely balanced. The wine ages on 100% new wood.
Weingut Klopfer
- Grosseheppach Lemberger Ortswein 2020 has a beautiful light color and aromas of stable, strawberry, and a very fresh style. The palate consists of raspberry and strawberry, with medium tannins and acids and a medium finish.
- Greiner Lemberger 2019 comes from a special single vineyard and has aromatic raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. The palate contains fresh raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries with a hint of white pepper. The wine has medium(+) tannins and medium(+) acidity.
- Greiner Lemberger 2014 it’s great to taste the development between these two years. This older wine has a beautiful color with a small brown edge. The smell is less aromatic, but ripe, with beautiful ripe fruit. The palate consists of ripe strawberries and raspberries that have developed in a softer way, making the tannins and acidity milder to medium and the finish longer.
Dokter Maler
- Weingut Scheu’s 2021 Grauburgunder is a German wine made from French vines, as indicated by the coordinates on the label. This special oak-aged Grauburgunder boasts aromas of peach and red apple, a palate of ripe peach, red apple, melon, and gooseberry with a hint of vanilla undertone from the wood, medium acidity, and a pleasant finish.
Which participants were there?
Participants included: Doctor Maler, Weingut Castell, Erasmus Wines, Joost & Joost, Poot Agencies, Weingut Dr. Hinkel, Weingut Eckehart Gröhl, Weingut Franz, Weingut Hahnmühle, Weingut Holub, Weingut Dr. Wagner, Weingut K-J Thul, Weingut Klopfer, Weingut Laquai, Weingut Otto und Martin Frey, Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt, Weingut Albert Kallfelz, Weingut Schales, Weingut Schlör, Weingut Siegloch, Weingut Stigler, Well of Wine.
Conclusion
Overall, the “New Talents” tasting event was a great success. The Treasury Tasting of rare wines from great years was a particularly unique experience, and the Zieher glassware presented during the event was a groundbreaking innovation. The event featured a diverse range of wines from various producers and importers, and the participants included many well-respected names in the industry. Thank you, Ghislaine Melman from Melman Communications, for organizing and inviting me to this wonderful event!
