RUDI WIEST SELECTIONS legendary german wine estates winter 2013 HOOKED!: Nahe (a signature label by Rudi Wiest) Grown in the Nahe region of Germany, Hooked! Riesling shows a classic Nahe profile, it is very racy and sleek. Hooked! 2010 Riesling - 12/750ml Net $108 6,000 cases produced DR. F. WEINS-PRÜM: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer After the division of the original Prüm estate, Anna Prüm, the youngest of the Mathias Prüm children and her husband Dr. F. Weins, used this inheritance to establish the Dr. F. Weins-Prüm estate. Worth seeing is the cross-vaulted cellar which forms the foundation of today’s manor house built in 1924. The estate totals 12.5 acres, most on steeply sloping terrain, and is planted 100% to Riesling. Holdings include Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Wehlener Klosterberg, Graacher Himmelreich, Graacher Domprobst, Waldracher Sonnenberg, Erdener Prälat and some holdings in Ürzig. The estate is a founding member of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer V.D.P. Today under Bert Selbach’s (pictured) direction, the wines offer great value and quality. Dr. F. Weins-Prüm 2011 Riesling Halbtrocken QbA - 12/750ml Net $150 700 cases produced FRITZ HAAG: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer The Haag estate is perhaps one of the, if not the, most respected names in German fine wine. Quality is always the focus at this estate, and quantity is extremely limited. Today Oliver Haag (pictured with Wilhelm Haag) of Fritz Haag estate, whose family has been engaged in viticulture at Brauneberg since 1605, is the town’s most important proprietor. One of his ancestors was a co-founder of the Brauneberger-Juffer-Sonnenuhr vineyard site. At present, the estate owns the largest and best portion of this vineyard. In addition, the estate also owns the best parts of the Brauneberger Juffer. All sites are 100% Riesling. The very steep vineyards with grades up to 73%, are planted on slate rock, and are among the most difficult vineyard sites in the world to cultivate. Like “solar collectors,” they too are extremely efficient in absorbing every available ray of sunshine. Hence, even in off-vintages the Brauneberger wines from the hillside vineyards are usually successful. The Fritz Haag Estate is a member of Der Grosse Ring - VDP Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. Fritz Haag 2010 Riesling Medium-dry QbA, Brauneberg - 12/750ml Net $180 1,200 cases produced ZILLIKEN: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer The Zilliken Estate traces its roots back to 1742 making wine from top sites such as the Saarburger Rausch and the Ockfener Bockstein vineyards. Today, Hanno Zilliken, owner and winemaker, is internationally recognized for his beautifully detailed and ethereal Rieslings. Maintenance of traditions and the high standards of the estate’s bottled wines have had a strong influence on the work of Hanno Zilliken. Mr. Zilliken has been the cellar master since 1976 and proprietor since 1981. The estate has the deepest cellar on the Saar, with three levels below ground, and the wines are fermented and matured in German oak under optimum aging conditions. The cellar stays naturally moist due to ground water entering through the walls. The estate owns 11 ha of great Saar vineyards, planted 100% to Riesling and produces about 7,000 cases a year. The following vineyards are instrumental for the greatness of the estate: Saarburger Rausch - 19 acres, Saarburger Antoniusbrunnen - 1 acre, Saarburger Bergschlösschen - 4 acres, Ockfener Bockstein - 2.5 acres. The Zilliken Estate was a founding member of the Mosel VDP. Zilliken 2009 Riesling QbA, Saar - 12/750 Net $160 1,500 cases produced Zilliken 2011 ‘Butterfly’ Riesling Medium-dry QbA, Saar- 12/750 Net $150 2,500 cases produced Cream Wine Company 1035 W. Lake St., 3rd Floor Chicago, 60607 312.421.1900 [email protected] www.creamwine.com RUDI WIEST SELECTIONS legendary german wine estates winter 2013 REINHOLD HAART: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer The Haart family has the longest winemaking tradition in the village of Piesport. As far back as 1337, documents show a certain Johannes Haart owning vineyard property in Piesport and with over 600 years of history behind them, the Haart’s have shown a rare dedication and love for wine. During this time they’ve acquired outstanding vineyard property especially in the famous Goldtröpfchen vineyard. The Haart estate is located at the foot of the Goldtröpfchen vineyard and right along the banks of the Mosel river. It is five hectares (12.5 acres) in size and is planted 100% to Riesling. By far the largest holdings are in the Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, 1.95 hectares or almost 5 acres. Today the Goldtröpfchen vineyard consists of 67.5 hectares. The soil consists of deep, weathered devon slate and the vineyard always has ample supply of water, all preconditions for producing Rieslings that have good structure with potential for a long life. Theo Haart (pictured) is the man in charge today. In the cellar he works reductively and believes in handling his wines as little as possible. Theo’s winemaking philosophy has nothing to do with trends or fashion. He uses mostly indigenous yeast to ferment his Rieslings. He limits yields to less than 50 hl/ha, below the norm of most Mosel estates and usually harvests 14 days later than his colleagues. He was chosen as Winemaker of the year 2007 by Gaullt Millau Wineguide and ranks among the top 5 in Mosel today also by Gaullt Millau. On July 17, 1991 the estate became a member of the Mosel V.D.P. Reinhold Haart 2009 Riesling QbA, Piesport - 12/750ml Net $160 400 cases produced FRANZ KÜNSTLER: Rheingau It was back in 1648 when the Künstlers started their wine-growing tradition in UnterTannowitz, South Moravia (today the Czech Republic). In 1965 Franz Künstler started anew in Hochheim am Main, after all German-speaking families were expelled at the end of WWII, from what had been their homeland for 800 years. After a long stint with one of the top vineyards owners in Hochheim, the Domedechant Werner estate, Franz accumulated experience with and understanding of the terroirs and microclimates in his new home. Gunter, (pictured) his son, after completing his studies at Geisenheim (1987) and practicum of one year at the State Domaine in Assmannshausen, joined his father in 1988. Gunter took charge of the estate in 1992. Both he and his father shared the belief that proper vineyard care is the precursor to great wine. From the start (3.5 ha) Franz started to expand his holdings in small ways, however, in 1996 they took a big leap and purchased the Aschrott estate which had important vineyard holdings in Hochheim. In 2006 they were fortunate to have the Burgeff estate fall into their hands. The goal is to craft wines that can show the richness of the soils in combination with the elegance of the Riesling grape. When the harvest approaches, the grapes are monitored frequently and diligently and then picked at just the right point in time. Often the Künstler’s will sacrifice a few Öchsle (Brix) for a gram of acidity. It is clearly understood that what the grapes lack at the harvesting point can never be made up in the cellar. Weingut Künstler is a member of the Rheingau Charta group and a member of the Rheingau V.D.P. Franz Künstler 2011 Riesling Trocken QbA, Hockenheim - 12/750 Net $170 150 cases produced Cream Wine Company 1035 W. Lake St., 3rd Floor Chicago, 60607 312.421.1900 [email protected] www.creamwine.com RUDI WIEST SELECTIONS legendary german wine estates winter 2013 PFEFFINGEN: Pfalz The few homes that make up Pfeffingen were a starting point for settling the surrounding area circa 6th century. In 1622 Emperor Ferdinand II bestowed the family crest to the Snell family, ancestors of the Fuhrmanns and Eymaels (owners of the estate). The unicorn taken from the family crest is today prominently featured on the estate’s label. Today, Doris Eymael and her son Jan (pictured) run the Weingut Pfeffingen with continuity and innovation. In 2002 Jan Eymael took charge and through his efforts Pfeffingen is again one of the top 10 estates in the Pfalz. The vineyards stretch westward from the estate up the slope or lie directly around the house in relatively flat, warm sites with alluvial soil that always provides Kabinett-quality wines. During the second half of the 1980s, all of the vineyards were replanted as part of land reallocation measures. They now stretch over a total of 15 hectares (total annual production of 9,000 cases). The best sites are Herrenberg and Weilberg, which in places have Terra Rossa (red clay), and in others, limestone covered by a top layer of loess.A Member of the VDP since 1985, the estate received 20 State Honor Prizes and therefore is one of the most highly rated estates in all of Germany. Pfeffingen 2011 Riesling Trocken QbA - 12/750 Net $160 1,200 cases produced WAGNER-STEMPEL: Rheinhessen Daniel Wagner (pictured), owner and winemaker, is making weighty, sensational ‘Nahe-ike’ wines, which are already among the best in the Rheinhessen. The Estate is 12.5 hectares, in the western most district of the Rheinhessen, near Bernhard. Soils vary, but there is a significant vein of porphyry, similar to the great soils of the Nahe (which is just over the hill from this estate). Some think the worlds greatest Rieslings grow on volcanic soil in general and porphyry in particular. The land here is steeper in this region and 95% of the Wagner-Stempel estate is picked by hand, managed by Oliver Muller, Estate Manager. Musts are clarified by gravity. The estate quality wines are made in stainless steel and many of his top wines see old oak.