Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Sekt – The Sparkling Joy of Riesling Mosel Perspective: Let’s Talk About Sekt – The Sparkling Joy of Riesling
Sekt has a long tradition in Germany going back to the 18th century. The Germans crave for sparkling wine and drink more of it than any other nation. Riesling, with its acidity, is ideal for crisp and lively wines. So why is Sekt not all the rage internationally? Or is it about to happen?
In this background article, we provide everything you ever wanted to know about Sekt but were too afraid to ask. We show how the specific historic and economic context led to the almost ruin of the German Sekt and how, in modern days, new enterprising and independent Sekt producers have emerged, pushing the boundaries of quality.
We also provide the probably most comprehensive review of (Mosel) Sekt ever undertaken, with over 60 Sekt sampled over the last few weeks. There is quite some good Sekt out there, as you will read, and not only from the Mosel as you will see! Last but least, the vast majority of the Sekt on offer will not break the bank. After the dry wine revolution, we are convinced that a Sekt movement will soon follow suit.
www.moselfinewines.com page 55 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Sekt – A Roller-Coaster History Driven by Huge National Demand
A FUNNY STORY TO START WITH: WHERE DOES THE WORD SEKT COME FROM?
Sekt stands for sparkling wine in German. If you now expect the word Sekt to be derived from some noble Celtic goddess of joy, you are probably wrong, if legend is to be believed. Its origin seems to be … English! The name is said to be derived from Sack, to be precise, the English term to describe the sweet sherry which was the rage in the 17th and 18th centuries in Britain. There is even a precise “invention date” linked to the word Sekt.
How come? The story goes that, around 1825, the then well-known actor Ludwig Devrient was playing Sir John Falstaff in Shakespeare’s Henri IV at the Berlin Theatre. In this piece, Sir John famously asks “Give me a cup of sack, boy” (Part 1, Act 2, Scene 4). For some obscure reason, this had been erroneously translated as “Bring er mir Sect, Schurke” in German.
The actor was said to be a regular at a well-known Berlin tavern of the day and a member of a little circle of intellectuals known to overindulge the latest craze: the fizzy wines of Champagne. Ludwig Devrient is said to have shouted to the Inn owner “Bring er mir Sect, Schurke” one evening (our guess is that this did not happen at the beginning of the evening … but this is purely speculative). Not knowing what he meant, the tavern owner simply brought him his regular, i.e. sparkling Champagne.
The name was born (and if the story is not true, it is so good that it ought to be!).
SEKT HAS A LONG TRADITION … GOING BACK TO THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES!
The history of sparkling wine in Germany goes back earlier than the beginning of the 19th century. There are numerous records of German noble families having tests with wine (re)fermenting in the bottle, as was done in Champagne, already in the 18th century.
This should not come as a surprise. There were close merchant ties between the two countries. In fact, many of the Champagne houses have German or Lorraine origins. We only want to mention Krug, Roederer or Mumm.
However, the process of disgorgement invented in Champagne and which was key to stabilize the production of sparkling wine was a pretty well guarded secret. Much of what was produced in Germany in the 18th century was “hand-made”, artisanal and included numerous stories of injuries as bottles simply exploded.
It is only after France annexed part of today’s Germany after the Napoleonic wars that the production of Sekt started in earnest in Germany. This came at the hand of Germans, who went to Champagne where they learned the trade at the big houses (notably at Veuve Clicquot) before coming back and set up shop in their home regions.
German production of sparkling wines dates back to 1826, when Georg Christian Kessler (1787–1842), a businessman from the Württemberg region who had worked at the Champagne house Veuve Clicquot from 1807 to 1826, founded his own G. C. Kessler & Co. winery in Esslingen am Neckar.
Sekt in the Mosel started about a decade later, in 1836, again at the hands of a former employee of Veuve Clicquot.
GERMAN SEKT | A HIGHLY REGARDED AND HIGHLY PRICED WINE
In a matter of 20 years, from 1830 to 1850, Sekt wineries popped up throughout Germany. These include some of the big names still active today, including Kupferberg, Söhnlein, Henkell, Rotkäppchen, Deinhard, etc.
These Sekt wineries rapidly grew to huge operations as the German public immediately fell in love with Sekt. By 1911, there were 12 million bottles of Sekt produced in Germany (compared to 28 million bottles at the same time in Champagne).
This love of Sekt continues to this day, as the average German consumes a massive 4 bottles of Sekt per year (elderly and infants included!). The DWI, the German Wine Institute, reckons that every fifth bottle of sparkling wine opened in the world is done so in Germany!
www.moselfinewines.com page 56 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Despite its popularity, Sekt was far from being a lowly product. Price lists from around 1900 shows that Sekt was highly appreciated throughout the world. It was priced as much as that of the leading brands of Champagne of the day in the US and still about half the price of Champagne in Germany (where Champagne faced the additional costs of import and duties). The German public loved their Sekt and were ready to pay for it.
Inland demand was so robust that Sekt even got the ultimate accolade: Its very own special tax, introduced in 1902 … to finance the imperial war fleet. Ironically (or was it to be expected?), this tax still exists today and is not unsubstantial: Every bottle of sparkling wine sold in Germany is taxed with €1.02 per bottle (however, we can reassure our readers here: the proceeds are no longer purpose bound).
THE MOSEL (IN PARTICULAR THE SAAR) WAS A MAJOR PROVIDER OF BASE WINE FOR SEKT
The cooler Mosel, with its higher acidity and often unripe vintages, was predestined for the production of Sekt. Planting expanded hugely, in particular in the cooler Saar, after the 1880s as major houses set up shop and started the production of Sekt.
One of the most iconic developments was that of Johann Heinrich Wagner, the great-grandfather of Christiane Wagner of Weingut Dr. Wagner in Saarburg. He cleared a massive 12 ha area for winemaking (Schloss Saarfels) and built a huge cellar with its dedicated railway station (much as in Champagne) to provide the country with Wagner Saar wines.
But other grandees of the period were doing the same thing. The highly regarded von Schorlemer Estate built a new winemaking Estate in Serrig (today Weingut Dr. Siemens), with over 15 ha of vineyards to supply Sekt houses, in particular the Kupferberg winery.
Sekt was hip and consumers were ready to pay for it: Investments followed as if there was no tomorrow.
UNFORTUNATELY, SEKT BECAME A LOW END SWEET SPARKLER IN THE 1950S-1960S
After World War II, the Sekt industry took unfortunately a turn for the worse. The insatiable demand for sparkling wine paired with the love of anything sweet led to the development of cheaper methods for producing Sekt. In addition, next to Deutscher Sekt (which can only be made from German wine), a category simply called Sekt was introduced, which could be produced from any imported wine.
Innovation in the production of sparkling wine, in particular the production in large tanks (called transfer method) transformed Sekt from an aspirational quality product at the turn of the 20th century into a synonym for cheap bubbling plonk by the 1970s. The big names of around the century expanded their production and drastically lowered their prices in a battle to win the price-point war at the national supermarkets.
Just to give you an idea of the abysmal hole in which Sekt has fallen: During the Holidays season 2015, there were special offers for these mass- marketed Sekt for €2.49 per bottle in some German supermarkets … and remember, this price includes €1.02 Sekt tax, the price of bottle and cork and logistics!
A RENOUVEAU AS WINZERSEKT AS OF THE 1970S
This drift towards “cheap and not so cheerful” was also aided by the fact that the production of Sekt was tightly regulated by the State. Over the years, an almost monopoly situation had been created around a few large mass-market Sekt wineries. It is only after a court rule put an end to this monopoly in 1976 that Germany saw a quality-minded Sekt industry being reborn under the banner of Winzersekt, which would be the equivalent of the Grower Champagne.
Throughout Germany, different small-scale wineries were set up with the objective of producing quality Sekt made from German grapes and wines. This is the time at which for instance the Solter winery was set up in the Rheingau, which handles the Sekt for many of the leading Estates of the region. www.moselfinewines.com page 57 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Also in the Mosel, many of the today leading Sekt wineries were set up at the time. This includes Nalbach, who set up a winery in Reil together with Melsheimer (Weingut Melsheimer) and Heiner Immich (Weingut Immich-Anker). It also includes Klaus Herres / St. Laurentius in Leiwen and, soon thereafter, Bernhard Kirsten in Klüsserath.
Ironically, the development of these wineries and Sekt in general was facilitated by the demand decrease for (sweet) German wines by the late 1970s and the huge harvests of 1982 and 1983. This gave many growers the impulse to develop new sales opportunities and gave the burgeoning Sekt wineries the necessary access to good raw materials for producing Sekt.
One of the largest developments of the period in the Mosel was the Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt winery in Trier set up under the leadership of Adolf Schmitt, who is still firmly overseeing things here today. In 1983, together with a series of winemakers, among whom Peter Lauer and Dirk Richter, he took over the bankrupt facilities of the former Joh. Förster Estate to set up an independent Sekt winery, which would produce its own Sekt but also handle the Sekt production (so the second fermentation, remuage and disgorgement) for others, including its associates.
Learning the art of making sparkling wine was not always a smooth affair, as Klaus Herres from the St. Laurentius winery in Leiwen remembers vividly: “When I started in 1982, I was a bit apprehensive at first that the second fermentation would not start swiftly enough. So I was quite generous with the yeasts in the liqueur de tirage. Two days later, when I came home from a local feast, my mother was already standing at the door, frantically waving her arms. That night, at regular intervals, there was a little blast as, one by one, the bottles exploded under the pressure. As this went on for hours, we started to pray and it seems that our prayers were heard because we managed to save one third of the bottles. This led us to rename our Estate after the local patron, St. Laurentius.”
These pioneers eventually got their game together and developed the notion of Quality Sekt. Besides producing Sekt which they would commercialize themselves, most of these wineries also started to offer the “Versektung” (an untranslatable German word meaning the process of transforming base wine into sparkling wine) as a service to makers who wanted to offer Sekt in their portfolio but did not want or could not afford to invest into the necessary equipment and space.
Today, most leading producers in Germany – not only in the Mosel, Saar and Ruwer – have one or several Sekt in its portfolio. However, the Versektung is often outsourced to one of the Sekt specialists, often from one of the names we mention in this article. In principle, these Sekt specialists may carry out all or part of the Versektung activities, i.e. bottling for second fermentation with some liqueur de tirage, the remuage, the disgorgement and bottling with or without a dosage with a liqueur d’expédition. Some makers, among which Dr. Wagner or Dr. Stephan Reuter in the Saar carry out most of the Sekt production activities themselves, except for the last one, the disgorgement.
Another major milestone in the development of Sekt was taken by the Raumland winery. It too found has its origins in the 1980s, when Volker Raumland started a business of “Versektung” for others after having completed his winemaking studies. His talents were soon noted by many national and internationally well-known makers and quickly counted over 100 Estates among his clients. A decisive step was taken after he was able to set up his own Estate in 1990. He focused his Sekt production mainly on Pinot Noir, as well as some Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, i.e. on grape varieties usually used in Champagne. He was a pioneer in perfecting the grape quality for Sekt: “I only rely on the best juice from clean grapes harvested early. I take great care not to smash or break up the grapes so I harvest them manually in small buckets and keep them whole with the stems. As we often harvest early in September I also introduced a system to cool them down overnight before pressing them early the next morning.” Widely regarded as one if the not the finest producer of Sekt in Germany, his Sekt have already received what must be the ultimate accolade: being served at the table of the French government at the Elysée Palace!
A further step on the quest for quality Sekt was taken recently when the Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl hired Mathieu Kauffmann, the former winemaker of Bollinger, among others to improve its Sekt portfolio. You may ask what brings a French winemaker, from one of the most prestigious houses in Champagne, to relocate to “the German province. “The love of Riesling” was his answer. This is still early days but we can be sure that this will help German Sekt reach new heights and increased recognition.
www.moselfinewines.com page 58 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
The great thing about this Sekt Renouveau movement is that it was firmly done under the banner of quality winemaking. These are not made on industrial scale to meet price-point hungry Supermarket shelves. These are “Grower Champagne” like sparkling wines, made with selected grapes, which undergo their secondary fermentation using the traditional method invented in Champagne. These wines are often left on their lees for months if not years before being disgorged.
So, although a lot has already been achieved since the explosive experiments of the 1980s, we cannot help thinking that there is more to be expected from German Sekt in the future! Sekt Today – Quality Sparkling Wine … For Whoever Can be Patient !
MUCH SEKT UNDER THE GERMAN SUN
As always in Germany, labelling is on the one side often painfully precise yet at the same time prone to create confusion. Here a little guide to help you navigate through the different names you may encounter on labels.
The Sekt we are dealing with in this article are all labelled at least Deutscher Sekt, which means that it is made from German grapes only and often carry the name of a single region (Mosel, Rheingau, etc.). Some of these Sekt can also carry the name Winzersekt, which then means that it needs to have been produced from own grapes using the Méthode Traditionnelle (you could see parallels with the Grower Champagne / Récoltant- Manipulateur in the Champagne region). Finally, you may see some of the sparkling wines called Crémant, which refer to Sekt made using the Méthode Traditionnelle but aged for at least 12 months on its lees (the Méthode Traditionelle only requires a minimum of 9 months).
Some of the Sekt will also carry the denomination Traditionnelle Flaschengärung, this is nothing but the German translation of Méthode Traditionnelle as used in Champagne. Some Sekt may also carry the additional wording Handgerüttelt, which means that the remuage before disgorgement was done by hand and not on Gyropalette.
Sweetness styles of Sekt follows the EU-wide guidelines and denominations and range from Brut Nature (less than 3 g/l of dosage) to Doux (over 50 g/l of dosage). Some Sekt can have a much higher acidity than say Champagne. The feeling of dryness is therefore often higher in German Sekt, in particular if made from Riesling and coming from the Mosel!
In addition to these legal denominations, winemakers regularly use the denomination Zéro Dosage to indicate that the Sekt was bottled without any liqueur d’expédition after disgorgement. While this denomination does give in principle no indication on the total residual sugar in the Sekt (this depends on the base wine and the sugar added for the second fermentation), it is usually used in practice in combination with Brut or Extra-Brut, and often has the same delicious backwardness than Brut Nature (certainly in the context of the naturally higher acidity in Mosel wines).
Here is a summary table:
Denomination Method Style
Sekt: Any grape (usually from imported Flaschengärung: made using the transfer Brut Nature: 0-3 g/l ones) method (second fermentation in bottle but disgorgement in tank using pressure Extra-Brut: 0-6 g/l Deutscher Sekt: Only German grapes filters). Brut: 0-12 g/l Deutscher Sekt b.A.: Sekt from a single Traditionnelle Flaschengärung: made region (e.g. Mosel, Rheingau, …) using the traditional method (second Extra-Dry: 12-17 g/l fermentation in the bottle and Winzersekt: Sekt own grapes using the disgorgement in the bottle). Sec / Dry: 17-32 g/l traditional method Handgeruttelt: Remuage done by hand Demi-Sec / Medium-Dry: 32-50 g/l Crémant: Sekt from a single region made using the traditional method and aged Doux: >50 g/l for a minimum of 12 months on its lees
www.moselfinewines.com page 59 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
However, we need to draw the attention of our readers to two probably intended confusing particularities of German Sekt labelling:
. If the bottle only says Sekt on the label (and is dead cheap!), you will typically have a sparkling wine made from imported grapes using the cheaper tank-fermentation method. This is unfortunately the bulk (90% or more) of the German market, explains some of the ridiculously low selling prices.
. If a bottle carries the denomination Flaschengärung only, you need to be careful as this usually does not refer to a Sekt made using the Méthode Traditionnelle. A Sekt with only the word Flaschengärung on the label underwent its second fermentation in bottle, as in the Méthode Traditionelle. But its disgorgement was done using the cheaper method of filtering the Sekt using pressure (i.e. CO2) in tanks. It may come to a surprise, but this method, known as Transfer Method, is allowed the confusing labelling “Bottle-Fermented” / “Flaschengärung” according to EU law as long as the pressure remains unchanged in the process.
One needs to be alert to the above confusing particularities of the German Sekt. However, the good news is that, now that we know them, we can forget about them because none needs to be of any concern to us and the top makers in Germany.
One last word of caution before plunging into the Sekt today and the result of our tastings: There is no link between the AP Number / Lot Number and the disgorgement date. The German law gives an AP (or Lot Number) to a wine but considers disgorgement as a “recorking.” So typically, a wine will get an AP / lot Number at the first disgorgement. Any later disgorgement, even if years later, will still carry the same AP / Lot Number. For instance the 1999er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Weissburgunder Dichtertraum received an AP as soon as in 2000 (here 07 00) and we tasted a bottle disgorged in 2011, and this had the original AP number.
TASTING RESULTS | HIGH QUALITY RACY WINES … OFTEN IN NEED OF BOTTLE AGING
As part of this background article, we sampled over 60 Sekt from essentially all major producers in the Mosel and Germany as a whole over the last few weeks, making this the probably biggest such review to date. Here are the key takeaways from this extensive tasting:
Indulge your Sekt! The tasting underlined the overall high quality of Sekt on offer today. There is a huge amount of very good Sekt out there and a significant number of the Sekt tasted proved outright outstanding.
Sekt Highlights
2004er Raumland Sekt Brut MonRose 94 2008er Raumland Sekt Brut VIII. Triumvirat Grande Cuvée 94 2004er Wegeler Rheingau Riesling Sekt Brut Geheimrat “J” 01 14 93+ 2004er Raumland Sekt Brut Chardonnay 93 1990er Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Sekt Brut 01 07 92 2008er Markus Molitor Riesling Sekt Zéro Dosage Prestige 99 15 91+ 2013er von Buhl Riesling Sekt Brut 30 14 91 2011er Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Sonnenberg Riesling Sekt Brut 09 13 91 N.V. Heymann-Löwenstein Spätburgunder Sekt Blanc de Noirs 91 2007er Heymann-Löwenstein Spätburgunder Sekt Blanc de Noirs 91 2011er Kirsten Riesling Sekt Brut Heldensekt 91 2011er Melsheimer Reiler Mullay-Hofberg Riesling Sekt Extra-Brut 08 13 91 2010er Melsheimer Sekt Brut Nature Cuvée Prestige 01 16 91 2008er Markus Molitor Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Sekt Brut Prestige 45 13 91 1990er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Mosel Weissburgunder Sekt Trocken Dichtertraum 07 00 91 2005er Solter Rheingau Riesling Sekt Brut Réserve 12 07 91 2013er Selbach-Oster Mosel Riesling Sekt Brut 02 15 90+ 2009er Van Volxem Riesling Sekt Brut 1900 14 12 90+ N.V. von Buhl Sekt Brut Réserve 54 15 90 2013er Hofgut Falkenstein Saar Riesling Sekt Brut 12 15 90 2011er Geltz-Zilliken Saar Riesling Sekt Brut Réserve 17 15 90 N.V. Balthasar Ress Riesling Sekt Extra-Dry 90 N.V. Dr. Stephan Reuter Saar Riesling Sekt Brut 01 14 90 N.V. Solter Sekt Brut Cuvée Henri 90 www.moselfinewines.com page 60 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Many of these outstanding Sekt come from wines which have been aged extensively on their lees. The remarkable aging abilities of Riesling come clearly to play here. Also to be noted is the performance of Pinot-based Sekt, which feature very well here. However, the raciness of Riesling brings a fun side which differentiates it from any other grape makes Sekt completely different to, say, Champagne. In addition, many of these Sekt do not break the bank!
Read the label for style … or have a copy of the list of recommended Sekt at hand. There are essentially two types of Sekt which you will encounter: Most are essentially racy, with fresh scents of grapefruit, wet stones and herbs. The racy Sekt are made from grapes often harvested a bit earlier for freshness and usually do not have more than 11-12% of alcohol. Besides this, a series of makers also produce Sekt from fully ripe grapes, which yield wines which have more often a riper and more vinous character on top of some vivid acidity. Some may even produce Sekt without any chaptalization (Naturrein). For this, they take an off-dry Auslese as base wine and let it undergo its second fermentation with its natural sugars. These Sekt made from riper fruit often easily reach 13-13.5% of alcohol. As it is not always easy to see which Sekt is made along which style (although the alcohol level is a good indicator), we added a short introduction to the different Sekt makers, explaining their philosophy and style of Sekt, next to the tasting notes in the next section.
Do not shy away from “Dry” or “Extra-Dry” Riesling Sekt, which can be delicious and hugely versatile. Riesling Sekt Dry or Extra-Dry can prove stunningly well balanced and enjoyable in a delicately off-dry style which suits all sorts of occasions, including aperitif or picnics, much more so than what Champagne Sec may have accustomed one to. The raciness of Riesling simply gives these Sekt a balance similar to that of some Champagne Brut.
Let your (Mosel) Sekt bottles age! We typically sampled Sekt which is on offer now, which means that they were disgorged recently. One aspect we noted about Sekt, in particular from the Mosel region, is that they can be almost too much early after disgorgement. The combination of the naturally high acidity in Riesling, the slender body from slate, the tartness-bordering-austerity of any young dry Mosel Riesling combined with an exuberant mousse can make for a hugely backward cocktail which, at times, reminded us wildly of a wine equivalent of craft beer: More than Champagne, Riesling Sekt, in particular from the Mosel, hugely benefits from a few years of bottle age in order for the tartness to recede, the mousse to refine and the zesty acidity to integrate. The Sekt will still be lively, thanks to Riesling, but much more harmonious, as a few examples of Sekt disgorged for years have shown us during our tasting.
A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD FOR SEKT
Sekt and Riesling are a marriage made in heaven as both underline the fun, lively and zesty side of life. It is clear that quality Sekt is on the up, as Germans continue to re-appropriate their national treasures which they left sometime in the 1970s or 1980s in favor of France, Italy and Spain. The historic German thirst for Sekt will carry over onto the more high quality Sekt.
Also internationally, all growers told us that there is a growing demand for Deutscher Sekt as an increasing number of lovers of racy Champagne without dosage broaden their horizon and open up the fascinating new aromatics and terroir expressions offered by Riesling.
Last but not least, Sekt remains a bargain in the great house of sparkling wine. The vast majority of the Sekt which we sampled in the course of this article, including many of our favorite ones, do not break the bank. This is also true for late disgorged bottles, which sometimes have spent more than 10 if not 20 years on their lees, as is the case for instance at the Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt winery, which still offers sparkling wines from vintages such as 1992, 1991 and even 1990 in their portfolio.
The Sekt Renouveau initiated in the 1980s is far from over. On the contrary, it may be on an acceleration path as which large wine Estates such as von Buhl hire top winemakers from Champagne, the top wine growers in the Mosel and Germany start to pay more attention to this unique product, using their best terroir for their Sekt, and the world opens up to the unique Riesling (and not only Riesling!) expression of sparkling wine.
www.moselfinewines.com page 61 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Sekt – Tasting Notes Mosel Perspective: Let’s Talk About Sekt – Detailed Tasting Notes [ 60 Wines ]
Over the last few months, we sampled over 60 Sekt from the Mosel as well as Germany in the context of this article.
Detailed tasting notes for the recommenced Sekt are provided here below.
Wein- und Sektgut Barth (Hattenheim – Rheingau)
The Barth Estate set up its own Sekt making facilities in the course of the Winzersekt revival of the 1980s and 1990s and was soon recognized as one of the finer producers of Sekt in Germany. Still today, the Estate is known as much its sparkling wines as for its still wines. The Estate produces a full range of Riesling and Pinot Sekt in its own facilities and leaves them on their lees for at least 2 years before disgorgement.
N.V. Barth Riesling Sekt Extra-Brut 105 14 88
The Non-Vintage Riesling Sekt Extra-Brut is made from fully ripe grapes and aged on its lees for a minimum of two years before being disgorged. The Sekt AP 105 14 (made from a base of 2012) delivers a quite open and reach nearly Auslese-styled nose of yellow fruits, fruit gums and bergamot. The wine is still quite marked by a harsh mousse and should really benefit from a few months of rest to show its best. 2016-2018
N.V. Barth Riesling Sekt Extra-Brut 03 13 87
The Non-Vintage Riesling Sekt Extra-Brut is made from fully ripe grapes and aged on its lees for a minimum of two years before being disgorged. The Sekt AP 03 13 (made from a base of 2011) delivers a rather easy even if slightly green and aggressive nose of herbs and spices. The feel in the finish is in complete contrast, both round and soft. The mousse is nicely integrated and the finish is refreshingly piquant. Now-2018+
Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier (Trier – Trier-Ruwer)
The Estate can look back to a rich history of Sekt as casks from the Priesterseminar, Konvikt and Domkirche (which merged into the Bischöfliche Weingüter) had already been used for Sekt by the great Houses in the Mosel and the Rheingau since at least the early 20th century. The Estate started to commercialize its own Sekt as everybody else, in the 1980s, during the Winzersekt revival. The Estate offers a whole range of Riesling and Pinot Sekt, including one from the Scharzhofberger, which are all from a single vintage and are left on their lees for 16 to 24 months before being disgorged.
2012er Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier Scharzhofberger Riesling Sekt Brut Nature 135 15 88+
This Sekt was aged for over two years on its lees before being disgorged and bottled without sugar added. Bright white-yellow in color, this Sekt does not prove very aromatic on the nose at this stage and only reveals shy scents of white minerals, pear, pink grapefruit and some earthy spices on the palate. A sharp touch of acidity comes through in the finish which, combined with a rather active mousse, conveys a rather pleasant sense of austere restraint to the Sekt. This Sekt is however best left alone for a year after bottling in order for the aromatics to gain in presence, the acidity to integrate and the mousse to settle down. It will then prove an enjoyably crisp expression of Sekt afterwards. 2017-2019+
www.moselfinewines.com page 62 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
2011er Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier Crémant Brut 104 14 85
The Crémant is a blend of Weissburgunder, Spätburgunder and Riesling, aged for at least 24 months on its lees. The 2011er version offers an attractively fruity nose of pear, herbs and wet slate. An active mousse drives the aromatics on the palate and provides for a tart wrap to the shy scents of grapefruit and white minerals in the crisp finish. While already nice now, this elegant and direct Sekt would benefit from a few months of bottle age to allow the mousse to blend into the wine. 2017-2019
Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl (Deidesheim – Pfalz)
As many others, the historic Reichsrat von Buhl Estate has been producing Sekt since decades. However, in 2014, it landed quite a coup when it was able to attract Matthieu Kaufmann, the former winemaker of the prestigious Bollinger house in Champagne, to oversee its winemaking. For Matthieu Kaufmann, the ability to work with Riesling was a decisive factor to move to Deidesheim. While still in the early days, the new winemaker is putting his own mark and brings his Champagne expertise to this traditional house. So far, the Estate has released three Sekt, the Riesling Brut, the Brut Réserve (a blend of Weissburgunder and Chardonnay) and the Brut Rosé (made from 100% Spätburgunder). All Sekt are single vintage and are aged for at least 12 months on their lees before being released.
2013er von Buhl Riesling Sekt Brut 30 14 91
This comes from lot T4 (as indicated on the back label). Golden in color, this offers a most stunning and captivating nose of brioche, grapefruit, spices, yellow peach and a touch of green apple. This Sekt has a refined palate with some fruity flavors, a good creamy structure as well as a fresh and zesty finish. The mousse is fine and well integrated by now. Everything is nicely balanced in this gorgeously smooth and quite complex Riesling Sekt. Now-2023
N.V. von Buhl Sekt Brut Réserve 54 15 90
This Sekt Brut is made from a blend of Weissburgunder and Chardonnay. It offers a complex and delightful nose with notes of pineapple, grapefruit, brioche, William’s pear and spices as well as a decent touch of hazelnut. The mousse is very fine and the wine is gorgeously fresh and nicely balanced on the palate. The long finish is zesty, light and linear. This is a superb sparkling wine! Now-2020
2014 von Buhl Riesling Sekt Brut 50 16 88
This offers a quite fresh nose of apple, minty herbs, spices and gooseberry. This sense of freshness carries over onto the palate. An active mousse conveys a mouth-coating feel at first yet a grapefruit acidity cut through this and brings focus to the mid-palate and finish. The after-taste is slightly on the tart side as notes of green apple and gooseberry come through. This is best kept in the cellar for at least another year to show its best and will best be served as a refreshing aperitif or with a light appetizer. 2017-2020
Weingut Jos. Christoffel jr. (Ürzig – Middle Mosel)
Karl-Josef Christoffel has been producing some Sekt since the 1990s. He uses early harvested grapes which undergo their second fermentation and bottling at the facilities of the St. Laurentius Estate in Leiwen.
N.V. Jos. Christoffel Jr. Riesling Sekt Brut 89
The Sekt Brut from Lot 60/14 is made from a basis of 2011 fruit from the Ürziger Würzgarten. This Sekt offers a rather round feel of strawberry and citrusy fruits on the nose. The wine is rather lively even if seriously off-dry on the palate, with herbs adding some depth to the experience. The finish is rich, delicately bubbly and satisfying. This is hard to resist. Now
www.moselfinewines.com page 63 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Weingut Hofgut Falkenstein (Niedermennig – Saar)
The Hofgut Falkenstein has been producing Sekt since 2006. It typically produces one or two Sekt per year from fruit with good maturity (the cooler side valley in which the Estate owns its vineyards ensures that the base wines can be ripe without reaching very high sugar levels). These are bottled for tirage in the summer after the vintage and left on their lees for 12 months before being disgorged and bottled with a low dosage (4-8 g/l). As demand is high, the disgorgement is usually done in one go, approx. 18 months after the harvest.
2011er Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Sonnenberg Riesling Sekt Brut 09 13 91
This Sekt disgorged in spring 2013 offers a superb nose of pear, smoke and spices. The wine is gorgeously lemony, earthy and spicy on the palate, where a subtle and playful mousse enhances the aromas. The finish is gorgeously smooth and elegant, yet vibrant and energetic. This has beautifully integrated all its elements and is simply a joy to taste. Now-2019+
2013er Hofgut Falkenstein Saar Riesling Sekt Brut 12 15 90
This Sekt was disgorged in spring 2015 (although the information is not on the label, there is usually only one disgorgement done approx. 18 months after the harvest). This offers a rather gorgeous and inviting nose of bakery products, ripe grapefruit and minty herbs. The mousse has integrated nicely now and just enhances a gorgeously dry feel on the palate. The after-taste is completely dry and driven by gorgeously crisp and hugely racy scents of grapefruit sorbet and white minerals. This firmly racy Sekt will please lovers of Saar steeliness! Now-2018+
Weingut Reinhold Franzen (Bremm – Terrassenmosel)
The Reinhold Franzen Estate has been producing small quantities of Sekt since the 1980s. The Sekt are typically made from for clean but ripe grapes which then usually go through malolactic fermentation. The Sekt are then left on their lees for at least 12 months before being released.
2013er Reinhold Franzen Riesling Sekt Brut 87
This Riesling Sekt from Lot 1513 was disgorged in July 2015 (the information is provided on the back label). White-yellow in color, it exhibits at first a fresh nose of aniseed herbs and spices before richer and fruiter flavors of orange blossom, grapefruit and green apple kick in. Zesty fruits and a fine mousse make for a comparatively lean experience on the palate and powerful smoky and spicy flavors come through in the tart and herbal finish. Now-2017
2013er Reinhold Franzen Weissburgunder Sekt Brut 86
This Weissburgunder Sekt from Lot 0115 was disgorged in September 2015 (the information is provided on the back label). It shows an aromatic nose driven by quince, almond, anise and ginger. A quite active mousse on the yellow fruit-driven palate makes for a rather mouth-coating and rich experience. The finish is slightly sweet in taste but also powerful, long and quite tart. This will please to lovers of ostentatious and fruit-driven Sekt. Now-2018
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Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Weingut Geltz-Zilliken (Saarburg – Saar)
The Geltz-Zilliken Estate has been producing since the start of the Sekt revival in the early 1980s. The Sekt are all made from clean and typically Spätlese level fruit. In function of the vintage, the Estate produces a Riesling Brut but can also produce a Brut Réserve, made from higher quality base fruit and aged on its lees for longer. On an exceptional basis (so far in 2003 and 1997 only), it may also produce a Riesling Brut Prestige from Auslese level fruit and very long aging on its lees.
2011er Geltz-Zilliken Saar Riesling Sekt Brut Réserve 17 15 90
Bright in color, the 2011er Brut Réserve is made from fruit out of the Saarburger Rausch (the same material which was used for the Saarburger Alte Reben) and is left on its lees for at least three years. It offers a very attractive subtle nose of grapefruit, pear, smoke and minty herbs. The wine is firm but still juicy on the palate, where the playful mousse brings an additional touch of freshness. A powerful feel of tart herbs accompanies one in the dry-tasting finish. This is very classy and nicely made in a nice restrained (dare we say Saar) style. Now-2018+
Weingut Reinhold Haart (Piesport – Middle Mosel)
The Estate has been producing Sekt on an on-and-off basis since the 1980s (last vintage was 2009). The Sekt produced here is typically handled at the St. Laurentius Estate in Leiwen and is meant for own consumption and customer gifts rather than for full commercial sales.
2009er Reinhold Haart Riesling Sekt Brut 89
This Sekt (Lot 01/2014 disgorged in 2014, the information is provided on the label) was made from ripe fruit which fermented a long time and bottled without any dosage. White-yellow in color, it offers a slightly winey nose of pear, poached yellow peach, white minerals and laurel. It offers a rather delicate mousse which lifts up an aromatically rich and ripe feel on the palate. A hint of tartness comes through in the nice and delicately powerful feel in the finish. This is more on the full-bodied side but very nicely made in this direction! Now-2019
Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein (Winningen – Terrassenmosel)
The Heymann-Löwenstein Estate has been producing some Sekt since the mid-1980s, including from small parcels planted with Spätburgunder. These Sekt are made from ripe fruit as the Estate does not want to produce some Champagne imitation, but “slate character wines enhanced with a sparkle of bubbles.” This means the Sekt often exhibit 13%+ of alcohol. The Estate bottles the base wines for “tirage” in the summer after the vintage (in parallel with its still wines) and seeks a long aging on the lees (many years are here the norm).
N.V. Heymann-Löwenstein Spätburgunder Sekt Blanc de Noirs 91
This sparkling wine (Lot C48 disgorged in April 2012, the information is provided on the back label) was made from fruit from the 2006 vintage. Deep golden-hay in color, it offers a subtle and engaging nose of apricot, pineapple, pear, grapefruit and lead pencil. All this is underlined by a very subtle and complex feel of mousse on the palate, and the finish is loaded with fine scents of fruits, almond and a hint of herbs. This is plain gorgeous and a huge success. Its unique character make it more fit as food companion than as aperitif. Now-2018+
2007er Heymann-Löwenstein Spätburgunder Sekt Blanc de Noirs 91
This golden-colored sparkling wine (Lot C49 disgorged in April 2015, the information provided on the back label) offers a subtle and fleeting nose of beautifully integrated and delicately baroque scents of marzipan, pear, herbs, mango and candied lime. This is very complex and enticing on the palate, where a delicate sense of mousse lifts the delicately baroque scents up. The finish is gorgeous, long and “only” medium-bodied, despite the aromatic fireworks. This is a gorgeous sparkling wine to accompany subtle and hearty food wine. This is really enjoyable. Now-2017+
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Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
2008er Heymann-Löwenstein Riesling Sekt Fantasie der Schieferterrassen 86
This sparkling wine (Lot C55 disgorged in April 2015, the information provided on the back label) starts off with a rather baroque bouquet of hay, marzipan, candied pineapple, lemon, cognac and dried herbs. A fine mousse lifts up and wraps the richness on the palate. Only the touch of heat (it does boast 13.5% of alcohol!) and bitter almond affect a bit the whole experience of this very individualistic wine. This wine requires hearty food to match its exuberance and wrap up its power. Now
2006er Heymann-Löwenstein Riesling Sekt Fantasie der Schieferterrassen 86
This Sekt (Lot C46) comes from a lot disgorged in June 2015 (it is indicated on the bottle). Deep yellow golden in color, it offers a very expressive, ripe and fruity nose of mirabelle, pineapple juice, candied orange, quince, William’s pear and dried herbs. This ostentatious sparkling wine coats the palate with plenty of exotic and ripe fruits and a feeling of quite some residual sugar like in a demi-sec sparkling wine. The bubble is still pretty much active and reinforces the power in the slightly phenolic finish and after-taste. This baroque expression of sparkling Riesling will please lovers of rich and ripe sparking wines. Now
Weingut Immich-Anker (Enkirch – Middle Mosel)
The Immich-Anker Estate was one of the early pioneers as it set started to produce Sekt together with Nalbach and Melsheimer in Reil already in the mid-1980s. The Sekt is made from ripe but not fully ripe grapes in the Enkircher Zeppwingert from a single vintage (which appears on the label on the US market but not in Germany). It usually undergoes a 12 hour maceration on the skin before fermentation in stainless steel and bottling 6 months later. The wine is then left on its lees in the bottle for a minimum of 3 years before being gradually released commercially, with the disgorgement date provided on the bottle (NB: The Estate informed us that the Sekt will be called 1425 – in reference to the origins of the Immich family – as of the 2016 vintage).
N.V. Immich-Anker Riesling Sekt Brut 08 14 89
The Non-Vintage Sekt Brut is made from fruit in the Enkircher Zeppwingert from a single vintage. The vintage appears on the label of bottes on the US market but not on those for the German market). The Sekt AP 08 14 was made from the 2011er vintage. This yellow golden colored bottle disgorged in March 2015 (the disgorgement date is provided on the back label) delivers a sorbet nose of passion fruit and ginger as well as herbs and spices. The wine is rich and firm on the palate and leaves a clean but tart feel in the finish. The mousse is still far to dominating at this stage and this needs at least another if not two years of bottle age to develop its full balance. It should then turn out really nice and enjoyable. 2017-2021
2011er Immich-Anker Riesling Sekt Brut 08 14 89
The Sekt Brut made from fruit in the Enkircher Zeppwingert (the vintage appears on the label of bottes on the US market but not in Germany). This yellow golden colored Sekt disgorged in March 2015 (the disgorgement date is provided on the back label) delivers a sorbet nose of passion fruit and ginger as well as herbs and spices. The wine is rich and firm on the palate and leaves a clean but tart feel in the finish. The mousse is still far to dominating at this stage and this needs at least another if not two years of bottle age to develop its full balance. It should then turn out really nice and enjoyable. 2017-2021
Weingut Immich-Batterieberg (Enkirch – Middle Mosel)
Immediately after taking over the Immich-Batterieberg Estate at the beginning of 2009, Gernot Kollmann started to produce Sekt made from ripe fruit coming from old vines in the Saar and Mosel, which are then fermented in used barrique. After bottling in the year after the vintage, the Sekt see extensive aging on the lees before being disgorged without any dosage.
2011er Immich-Batterieberg Riesling Sekt Brut Zéro Jour Fixe 09 14 87+
The 2011er Jour Fixe is made from old un-grafted vines in the Enkircher Steffensberg and Oberemmeler Altenberg. It offers a rather attractive nose of ginger, kumquat, star anise, with a hint of oak, vanilla, herbs and spices. The wine is rather direct in its aromatics on the palate, with a buoyant mousse giving this Sekt an overly tart and powerful feel in the long finish at this stage. Easy and direct, this is best left alone for a year or two after disgorgement to allow the mousse to integrate and the aromatics to settle. 2018-2021
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Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Weingut Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt (Morscheid – Trier-Ruwer)
The von Kesselstatt Estate has a long tradition in Sekt and was already producing some before the Reh family took it over in 1978. The Estate produces a regular Sekt called Majorat (aged for at least 15 months on its lees) as well as a more ambitious bottling of Scharzhofberger. This latter Sekt is made from ripe grapes fermented with ambient yeasts and left on its lees after the second fermentation for at least 36 months before being disgorged and bottled with an Auslese or Beerenauslese as dosage.
2007er von Kesselstatt Scharzhofberger Riesling Sekt Brut 56 11 89
This bottle of Sekt was aged a few years after disgorgement in the bottle. It offers a classy and delicately mature nose of licorice, pear, herbs, white truffle and herbs. The feel on the palate is now fully ripe, with a nicely subtle mousse delicately lifting the aromatics. This gorgeously ripe Sekt leaves excellent complexity and a nice focused and multilayered feel in the finish. Now-2019
2009er von Kesselstatt Scharzhofberger Riesling Sekt Brut 09 16 89
This offers a classy and delicately creamy nose of pear, cassis and white minerals blended into slightly more earthy spices. The wine is nicely balanced on the palate, with an active mousse still slightly dominating rich scents of delicately creamy fruits. The finish is beautifully balanced, with the tartness from the mousse providing the right balance to the power and creaminess of the flavors in the after-taste. This classy Sekt just needs a little bit of bottle age to develop its full potential and should then prove a great companion for fine food. 2017-2021
2011er von Kesselstatt Riesling Sekt Brut Majorat 74 13 86
This offers a ripe nose of pear, melon and white flowers. An active mousse provides the right balance to the rich scents of delicately creamy fruits which come through on the palate. The finish is tart and well made, with a touch of power (the wine exhibits 13% of alcohol) coming through in the slate-infused after-taste. This is nicely made in a slightly forceful but no less satisfying style. Now-2019
Weingut Kirsten (Klüsserath – Middle Mosel)
This organically grown Estate was one of the pioneers of the Sekt revival. After a stint in California in the mid-1980s, Bernhard Kirsten immediately focused on Sekt, first having them done at the nearby St. Laurentius Estate before setting up his own Sekt winery in 1990. The Estate hence produces its own range of Sekt but also handles Sekt for other reputed makers, including von Schubert and Dr. Loosen. The portfolio of own Sekt are made from Riesling and Pinot grape varieties which are aged for 9 to 18 months on their lees. The Estate produces one “un-chaptalized” Sekt (Heldensekt), i.e. made without any sugar added: For this, an off-dry Auslese is used as base wine to undergo its second fermentation in bottle with only yeasts added.
2011er Kirsten Riesling Sekt Brut Heldensekt 91
This serious Sekt is made from a (fruity) Auslese harvested in the Pölicher Held vineyard (hence the name) which undergoes its second fermentation with yeasts only (no sugar added), thereby eating up part of its natural residual sugar. The Sekt (Lot 11/12) from a batch disgorged in mid-2015 offers a hugely complex and winey nose of pear, fine herbs, spices and tangerine. These complex flavors are enhanced by a superbly delicate mousse as some almond and hint of fresh pineapple come through on the palate. This is a gorgeous Sekt made to accompany fine plates of food. Now-2021
N.V. Kirsten Pinot Sekt Brut 88
This partridge-eyed Pinot Sekt is made from a blend of Weissburgunder and Spätburgunder which has seen some skin contact. Golden-bronze in color, the Sekt (Lot 04/10) from a batch disgorged in mid-2015 offers a baroque nose of delicately candied fruits, backed apple, pear cream and marjoram. A fine and subtle mousse lifts up a rather rich and round feel on the palate driven by bakery scents and herbs. The finish is round and off-dry. This sparkling wine is very winey and needs food to shine. Now-2017
N.V. Kirsten Riesling Sekt Brut 88
The Sekt Lot 08/14 was made from the 2013 vintage. This bottle from a batch disgorged in mid-2015 offers a delicate nose of toasted oak, almond and ripe Auslese-styled fruit. The wine is still quite marked by its mousse on the palate which makes the medium-long finish quite firm and austere at this stage. This is best left alone for a year or two after disgorgement. 2017-2019 www.moselfinewines.com page 67 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Weingut Peter Lauer (Ayl – Saar)
Peter Lauer was one of the Sekt pioneers of the region, as it did its first Sekt already back in 1966 and one of the founding members of the Saar- Mosel-Winzersekt Winery in 1984, where the Estate still has its Sekt made and aged until today. The regular Crémant is aged for 14-20 months before being disgorged while the Vintage Réserve are released after a very long bottle aging. Currently, the 1991 and the 1992 are commercially released. The Estate provides the disgorgement date on the label for its Réserve bottlings.
1991er Peter Lauer Saar Riesling Sekt Brut Réserve 24 12 89
The 1991 Brut Réserve disgorged in September 2015 (the disgorgement date is provided on the label) is bright in color and offers a backward nose of quince, underbrush, freshly cut button mushrooms, white pepper, anise, ginger and cardamom. The wine is quite complex and well balanced on the palate and leaves a fresh and easy feel of vanilla, aniseed herbs and spices in the elegant but full-bodied finish. This mineral and herby expression of ripe Riesling Sekt is truly fascinating. Now-2018
N.V. Peter Lauer Saar Riesling Crémant Brut 09 14 89
The N.V. Crémant Brut is made from exclusively out of fruit from Ayl and aged for 14-20 months on its lees before being disgorged. It develops a most attractively fresh nose of freshly cut minty herbs, gooseberry, white minerals and green apple. The wine has quite some finesse on the palate, and while the mousse is still quite active, this wine remains focused and zesty. A tartness comes through in the smoky and powerful after-taste, making this best left alone for a year or two to temper its intensity. This is a well-made Saar Sparkling wine which is for lovers of zesty and deliciously tart driven wines. 2017-2020
Weingut Dr. Loosen (Bernkastel-Kues – Middle Mosel)
The Estate commercializes a Non-Vintage Estate Sekt Extra-Dry, which is typically aged on its lees for 14-15 months. In addition, not for sale, the Estate produces some late release single vineyard Sekt, typically one Fuder per vintage, which are aged for up to 20 years on its lees before being served at private dinner parties at the Estate. The source for this Sekt varies in function of the vintage: grapes from the Bernkasteler Badstube were used from 1986 to 1989, and in the 1991 version (not yet released) came from the Erdener Prälat. This is traditionally fermented dry and aged in Fuder for one year before being bottled.
1990er Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Sekt Brut 01 07 92
This gorgeous Sekt was made from grapes harvested with less than 80° Oechsle and fermented dry in traditional Fuder. It was left in cask for a year before being bottled and disgorged and dosed to 8.3 g/l 17 years later. This little beauty delivers a stunning nose of aniseed spices, fresh herbs, a bit of fern and mushroom. Some fresh mint and a deliciously tickly mousse lifts up the aromatics on the palate. The finish is nice and elegant. This is a gorgeous Sekt with plenty of character and finesse. Now
www.moselfinewines.com page 68 Issue No 30 - March 2016
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“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Weingut Lubentiushof (Niederfell – Terrassenmosel)
The Estate has been producing Sekt right since the start, when Andreas Barth took over the Estate in 1994. The Sekt is made from selections of suited casks (no vineyard selections) of spontaneously fermented wines, ideally from riper fruit. The Sekt are left on their lees for as long as possible, although in practice this means for 12-18 months due to commercial pressure. Dosage varies between 3-10 g/l and is typically lower for Sekt with long aging on the lees.
2013er Lubentiushof Riesling Sekt Brut 88+
This Sekt Brut from Lot 1317 is made from grapes harvested in the Gondorfer Gäns. A reductive nose slowly gives way to flavors of smoke, green apple, anise, fresh pineapple and ginger spices. Fruity flavors including pineapple and apricot as well as a still powerful mousse convey the Sekt opulence on the palate. The finish is smooth and creamy with good length and a spicy feeling. This very nice Sekt could even gain in finesse with further bottle aging. 2017-2020
Weingut Melsheimer (Reil – Middle Mosel)
Weingut Melsheimer was one of the pioneers in the Sekt revival in the Mosel in the early 1980s, when Thorsten’s father Eberhard joined his friends Erich Nalbach in Reil and Reiner Immich (Immich-Anker) and started a Sekt winery in Reil, which also handles the Sekt for other makers, including Weingut O. A significant proportion of the Melsheimer Estate’s production is Sekt which it makes from its own bio-dynamically farmed vineyards. The Sekt are made from base wines made from fully ripe grapes (to mellow away the sometimes sharp acidity of the vineyard). They are left on their lees for 12-18 months before being bottled respectively as Extra-Brut and Brut. As of 2016, the portfolio also includes a Cuvée Prestige made from a blend of Riesling and Spätburgunder and aged for 5 years on its lees.
2011er Melsheimer Reiler Mullay-Hofberg Riesling Sekt Extra-Brut 08 13 91
This golden-hay colored Sekt starts off on a nutty side before developing a more ample and quite winey nose of almond and pear as well as a hint of backed pineapple and apricot immersed in a nice touch of toffee. These flavors are nicely enhanced by a very subtle and playful mousse on the palate and a bone-dry feel in the finish. The wine grows with air and really needs food to develop its full potential. The finish is then gorgeously airy and multifaceted. This is a gorgeous sparkling wine to serve at the table. Now-2018
2010er Melsheimer Sekt Brut Nature Cuvée Prestige 01 16 91
The Sekt Prestige is made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Riesling and aged for at least 5 years on its lees. The yellow golden colored Sekt from a lot disgorged on January 15, 2016 (the information is provided on the back label) offers a very aromatic and fruit driven nose of mirabelle, apricot, honey and ginger spices as well as a touch of raisin. It gains in finesse and complexity after some airing and as some floral notes and hazelnut join the party. A zesty and linear acidity provides the right counterpart on the palate to the richness on the nose. The fresh disgorgement means that there is still quite some mousse but this is already quite refined. The whole thing is nonetheless quite powerful even if the acidity and mousse nicely cover the extract in the fresh and long finish. This is a really impressive Sekt. 2017-2020
2013er Melsheimer Reiler Mullay-Hofberg Riesling Sekt Brut 15 15 89+
A whiff of sulfur gives way to a gorgeously engaging nose of grapefruit puree, passion fruit, lime and aniseed herbs. This Sekt is hugely racy yet nicely balanced on the palate as a touch of cream, some minerals and a nice mousse play with one’s senses. The lemon zest infused finish is slightly abrupt and quite tart but nicely dry-tasting (even if not 100% dry). This little beauty is already enjoyable now in its structured style but offers much upside with age. 2017-2021+
2012er Melsheimer Reiler Mullay-Hofberg Riesling Sekt Dosage Zéro 14 15 88+
This Sekt offers an enticing nose of passion fruit, ginger and spices. The wine is rather hard and austere on the palate, with the mousse adding to this feeling at the moment. There is great aromatic intensity on the palate, but this Sekt needs more time in the bottle after disgorgement to allow it to develop its inner harmony. 2017-2021
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“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Weingut Markus Molitor – Haus Klosterberg (Wehlen – Middle Mosel)
Markus Molitor has been producing Sekt right from the start, when he set up his Estate in the early 1980s. He tends to use earlier (everything is relative of course) harvested grapes for his basic Riesling and Cuvée Sekt to underline the crisp side of Sekt. For his Prestige collection, he relies on fully ripe grapes, often from old vines. All base wines are bottled for tirage in the summer after the vintage and are left at least 24 months (36 months for the prestige bottlings) on their lees before being disgorged.
2008er Markus Molitor Riesling Sekt Zéro Dosage Prestige 99 15 91+
This hay-yellow colored Sekt offers at first a rather surprising nose of yeasty warm brioche bread, which wraps some beautifully austere and deep scents of smoke, pear and minty herbs. However, the first surprise gone, this works remarkably well as the wine proves superbly racy on the palate, yet also has a depth coming from ripe flavors of apple, pear and smoke. A slightly broad and active touch of mousse comes through in the focused and delicately forceful finish. Overall, this classy effort proves greatly enjoyable and could even gain in presence with more bottle age, once the mousse has tamed down! 2017-2020+
2008er Markus Molitor Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Sekt Brut Prestige 45 13 91
Bright yellow color, this Sekt offers a gorgeous nose of grapefruit, greengage, white minerals and laurel, with a hint of yeasty bakery products fleeting in the background. The wine is nicely fresh and juicy on the palate, with a hint of smooth creaminess providing the right balance to the racy and austere structure. This is gorgeous stuff, which proves very enjoyable. Now-2020+
Weingut “O.” – Olaf Schneider (Traben-Trarbach – Middle Mosel)
Despite running a tiny Estate of less than 1.0 ha, Olaf Schneider has started to produce a Sekt called Bachrauschen (which could be translated into “buzz of a stream”) as of the 2011 vintage. This Sekt is made with grapes from its holdings in the Trarbacher Ungsberg and is fermented in stainless steel without malolactic fermentation. It is then left on its lees for at least one year and another year in the bottle before being commercialized.
2011er Weingut O. Riesling Sekt Brut Bachrauschen 89
This white hay-colored Sekt (Lot 01/13 – it was bottled unfiltered and hence did not get an AP number) made from fruit harvested very late (in early December), disgorged and bottled without dosage at the end of 2013. It develops a gorgeous nose of apple, grapefruit, pear, passion fruit, herbs and spices on the nose, with a hint of warm backing products coming through with air. The wine is nicely subtle, delicate but also racy on the palate and delivers good presence in a crisp but also somewhat assertive finish. Now-2018+
2012er Weingut O. Riesling Sekt Extra-Brut Bachrauschen 07 14 87+
This offers a nice nose of passion fruit sorbet, white minerals, very much in line with the aromatics of the Ungsberg. The wine is quite sharp on the palate but the tart side is nicely integrated. The finish is nice but still on the sharp and austere side at this stage. This will benefit hugely from bottle rest after disgorgement to mellow away and allow acidity, aromatics and mousse to integrate. 2017-2020
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“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
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Weingut von Othegraven (Kanzem – Saar)
The Estate has been producing Sekt since the 1990s. They are made from selections of suited casks (no vineyard preparation) of spontaneously fermented wines, ideally from riper fruit. The Sekt are left on their lees for as long as possible, although in practice this means for 12-18 months due to commercial pressure. Dosage varies between 3-10 g/l and is typically lower for Sekt with long aging on the lees.
2014er von Othegraven Riesling Sekt Brut 89
This Sekt Brut from Lot Nr. 1409 is made from fruit out of the Kanzemer Altenberg and Ockfener Bockstein. This offers an aromatic nose of ripe Auslese styled Riesling with notes of mango, apricot, dried yellow fruits, smoke, herbs and spices. The ripe and rich fruits are also quite present on the palate. The mousse proves active and zesty, but also already quite light and fine. It first gives extra volume and intensity to this Sekt, before adding more complexity to the fresh, smooth and long finish. This is not a steely Saar Sekt, on the contrary: It has breadth and nice ripe fruits, and as such, quite a nice and joyful Sekt to enjoy over the coming years. Now-2018
Sekthaus Raumland (Flörsheim-Dalsheim – Rheinhessen)
Volker Raumland caught the Sekt bug during his studies in Geisenheim (he produced at first only 100 liters in 1981) and had the idea to launch a mobile “Versektung” business (i.e. handling the process of the second fermentation right up to disgorgement) for other makers in 1984, right at the start of the Winzersekt movement. In 1990, he moved to Flörsheim-Dalsheim with his wife where they bought 4 ha of vineyards and received 2 ha in Hohen-Sülzen (Rheinhessen) and 4 ha in Bockenheim (Pfalz) from his parents. He largely replanted these holdings to Pinot Noir, and in addition some Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. The Estate focuses on harvesting clean grapes in small buckets with ripeness levels of around max. 80° Oechsle and good acidity levels, generally in the first part of September. Grapes are not destemmed and are cooled downed overnight before being pressed. The wines are raised in a mix of barrique and stainless steel and undergo malolactic fermentation. The wines are bottled the year after the vintage, and only disgorged many years later, up to 10 years for the best Sekt. All Sekt are made from a single vintage. However, the vintage is only given on the label of the top bottlings.
2004 Raumland Sekt Brut MonRose 94
The Brut MonRose 2004 is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. This bottle from a lot disgorged in August 2014 (the information is given on a small sticker attached to the capsule) offers a captivating and multi-layered flavors of green apple, brioche, ginger, nut, cassis, cherry and a hint of mushroom all wrapped into fresh grapefruit. This has developed secondary flavors without having lost any of its freshness and precision. The palate is well structured and rather on the powerful side. Yet the balance is really superb. The finish is very long and focused with a slightly tart side and quite some spices. This superb Sekt made to enjoy with food slowly enters its maturity window now (i.e. approx. 18 months after disgorgement). It should age gracefully. Now-2034
2008 Raumland Sekt Brut VIII. Triumvirat Grande Cuvée 94
This 2008 Brut Triumvirat is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier from grapes coming only from the Grand Cru Dalsheimer Bürgel. The bottle from a lot disgorged in July 2015 (the information is given on a small sticker attached to the capsule) offers a very subtle, fresh yet complex nose of citrus peel, plum, walnut, brioche, ginger cream, grapefruit and some floral nuances. Although the mousse is still quite active and present, the wine proves already nicely balanced, with good texture, extract and intensity. Intense zesty flavors add a feeling of delectable and joyful side to the finish. We would opt to wait for another year or two for the mousse to better integrate. But this is a stunning Sekt in the making! 2017-2028
2004 Raumland Sekt Brut Chardonnay 93
This 2004 Brut Chardonnay from a lot disgorged in September 2014 (the information is given on a small sticker attached to the capsule) exhibits a refined and delicately creamy nose of almond, pear, bergamot, orange peel and butter slowly showing secondary aromas of vanilla and juniper. A creamy texture, quite some extract and a spicy and slightly tart feel in the long finish convey the wine a rather vinous feel. This beautifully matured Sekt will be a delight to enjoy with food. Now-2024
www.moselfinewines.com page 71 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
N.V. Raumland Riesling Sekt Brut 89+
The Sekt Brut from Lot 61213 is made from the 2011 vintage and was disgorged in November 2015 (the information is given on a small sticker attached to the capsule). Golden in color, it offers a youthful and aromatic nose of raspberry, grapefruit, dried flowers and apricot. The mousse is still quite active (no doubt also due to the recent disgorgement) and this provides the Sekt a feeling of linearity and tension. The finish is very clean, zesty and straight with a very good length. This needs some bottle rest before showing its best, and could even exceed our already high expectations. 2017-2021
Weingut Balthasar Ress (Hattenheim – Rheingau)
The Balthasar Ress Estate has been producing Sekt since the mid-1990s, i.e. in the course of the Sekt revival in Germany. It recently introduced a range of Deutscher Sekt besides its more ambitious set of Rheingau Sekt. The range of Deutscher Sekt comes from the Estate’s vineyards in the Rheingau and those recently acquired on the other side of the Rhine, i.e. in Rheinhessen (and are therefore labelled as Deutscher Sekt).
N.V. Balthasar Ress Riesling Sekt Extra-Dry 90
Golden-hay in color, This Sekt (Lot 10/15) starts off with a rich and ripe nose akin to that of a ripe champagne with honey, almond, toffee and apricot. The wine hugely freshens up (in color and aromatics) with air, to provide brighter scents of pear puree, green apple and bergamot as the wine develops in the glass. The mousse is superbly playful, a touch of zest brings a tickle to the mid-palate and lifts up the aromatics smooth and delicately off-dry finish. This wine-styled sparkling wine is probably the ultimate picnic drink, complex yet pleasing at the same time. We would not be surprised if this would even gain from bottle aging! Now-2018+
Weingut Dr. Stephan Reuter (Krettnach – Saar)
The Reuter family is one of the old names in Krettnach and Stephan Reuter, manager of the local branch of winemaking chamber by day, runs a small winemaking Estate specialized on Sekt as a side activity. Together with his father, a former winemaker at von Kesselstatt, Stephan Reuter launched the production of Sekt in the mid-1990s. All the Sekt activities (except the disgorgement) are carried out at the Estate. Although the label only says Saar Riesling, all Sekt come from the Estate’s holdings in the highly regarded Silberberg sector of the Krettnacher Altenberg. The Estate relies on extensive lees aging: Its “regular Sekt” is aged for at least three years on its lees and its Reserve bottling for at least six years.
N.V. Dr. Stephan Reuter Saar Riesling Sekt Brut 01 14 90
The Saar Riesling Brut AP 01 14 is made from fruit out of the 2010 vintage and was aged for at least three years on its lees. This develops a very fine, aromatic and elegant nose of anise, almond, grapefruit, creamy herbs and honeysuckle. The mousse is nicely integrated and fine, and the fruity and richer side is nicely balanced out by a most refined and zesty acidity. There is a light touch of tartness in the finish which adds depth and a lively side to this dynamic Sparkling wine. Now-2020
N.V. Dr. Stephan Reuter Saar Riesling Sekt Brut 06 15 89
The Non-Vintage Sekt Brut AP 06 15 is made from fruit out of the 2011 vintage and was aged for at least three years on its lees. It offers a deep nose of slate and herbs as well as a nice and well-rounded feel on the palate with good freshness, a hint of herbs and peachy fruit. This epitomizes the elegance of slightly sharp but still nicely fresh Saar Riesling. Now-2019
2005er Dr. Stephan Reuter Saar Riesling Sekt Brut Reserve 09 10 88
This batch of 2005er Saar Riesling Brut Reserve came from a batch left on its lees until mid-2015. It offers a rich, expansive and toffee driven nose of almond paste, nut, bakery products and pineapple. The mousse is still quite active on the palate and over-magnifies somewhat the broad and rich feel on the palate at this stage. The finish is tart and driven by mature and rich flavors. This only needs a year or two in bottle to tame its bubbles and should then prove a nice companion for hearty food. 2017-2020
www.moselfinewines.com page 72 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Weingut Max Ferd. Richter (Mülheim – Middle Mosel)
The Estate was one of the founding member of the Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt winery and has been producing Sekt ever since. It usually targets grapes with low sugar levels to produce crisp and lively Sekt. The base wine is bottled after 4-6 months before undergoing its second fermentation. The wine is left on its lees for at least 20 months before being disgorged and bottled with a light dosage.
2011er Max Ferd. Richter Mülheimer Sonnenlay Riesling Sekt Brut 35 13 89
Hey-white in color, this Sekt, disgorged in December 2015 (the information is provided on the back label), offers a gorgeously inviting nose of pear, apricot flower, grapefruit zest and white flowers. The wine is nicely balanced on the palate, where a subtle mousse lifts up the delicately powerful aromatics. The finish is rich and inviting. This is very nicely, with subtle complexity and great drinking appeal. Now-2018
Sekthaus und Weingut St. Laurentius (Leiwen – Middle Mosel)
Klaus Herres is one of the pioneers of the Sekt revival in the Mosel in the 1980s. Soon after he took over the family Estate, he started experimenting with Sekt, with at first mixed results: “My first experiment nearly ended into a disaster as two third of the bottles exploded.” In 1993, he then invested into full Sekt facilities, from which he produces some own Sekt but, above all, handles the Sekt for many Estates of the region, including form instance those of Jos. Christoffel jr. and Reinhold Haart. The own portfolio of Sekt includes a wide range (of currently no less than 13) different bottlings of Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Elbling Sekt. The top of the range is composed of the Riesling Brut Grande Cuvée Sponti made from fruit out of the Klüsserather Bruderschaft fermented with ambient yeasts and aged for at least 24 months on its lees.
2009er St. Laurentius Riesling Sekt Brut Grande Cuvée Sponti 12 12 88
This Sekt is made from fruit out of the Klüsserather Bruderschaft fermented with ambient yeasts and aged for at least 24 months on its lees. It offers a ripe nose of fruit, a hint of ginger and some spices. The Sekt proves quite enjoyable on the palate, with a subtle mousse lifting up the straightforward roundness and richness in the long finish. Now
Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt (Trier – Trier-Ruwer)
The Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Kellerei was set up in 1980s under the impulse of Adolf Schmitt, then president of the Mosel winemaker’s association. It rapidly took over the cellar facilities owned by the Joh. Förster Winery in Trier and started to produce Sekt for its members (which include Peter Lauer, Meierer and the Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier) as well as produce Sekt under its own label called Dichtertraum. Besides a current portfolio of Riesling, Weissburgunder and Elbling Crémant, the winery also offers late disgorged Sekt ranging back to 1990 and which are released under a special Reserve label.
1999er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Mosel Weissburgunder Sekt Trocken Dichtertraum 07 00 91
This bright-colored Sekt disgorged in December 2011 (the information is given on the back label) delivers a gorgeous nose of white and yellow peach, a hint of marshmallow and fine spices. The wine is incredibly fresh on the palate, with a fine mousse and just a hint of licorice adding complexity and depth to the aromatics. The finish is deliciously tart but still smooth. What a superb sparkling wine! Now
2012er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Zeller Petersborn-Kabertchen Riesling Crémant Brut Dichtertraum 01 14 89
This bottle disgorged in June 2015 (the information is given on the back label) delivers a gorgeously airy and subtle nose of white peach and melon lifted up by white flowers and aniseed herbs. The wine is light and elegant on the palate, with a nice mousse lifting up the aromatics and providing the right amount of grip in the medium-long but beautifully floral finish. This is direct, subtle and very pleasing. Now-2017+
www.moselfinewines.com page 73 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
2010er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Mosel Riesling Crémant Brut Dichtertraum 11 12 89
This bottle disgorged in August 2015 (the information is given on the back label) offers a bright color, gorgeous and lively scents of driven by juicy yellow peach, passion fruit and pear sorbet. The Sekt is crispy, focused and lively on the palate and not even the touch of sweetness in the finish disturbs the utter enjoyment of drinking this aperitif-styled sparkling wine. Now-2017
1992er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Saar Weissburgunder Sekt Trocken Réserve 88
This Sekt (Lot 83/93) was made from grapes harvested in the holdings of the Bernd Van Volxem Estate (some of the oldest in the whole Mosel). Yellow in color, this bottle disgorged in August 2012 (the information is provided on the back label) offers a ripe yet still enticingly fresh nose of poached pear, vanilla and coconut. The wine is creamy and smooth on the palate, with apricot and honey joining the party, but everything is lifted up by a very classy and superbly refined mousse. The dosage comes slightly through in the smooth and overall surprisingly fresh and animating finish. This little piece of history is nicely underlines the immense potential of ripe Sekt. Now
1999er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Mosel Riesling Sekt Trocken Réserve 22 12 88
This bottle disgorged in December 2014 (the information is given on the back label) offers an attractive nose of peach and herbs. The Sekt is quite juicy and fresh on the palate and leaves a rather lively feel in the medium long finish driven by a still rather powerful mousse. 2017-2019+
1990er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Mosel Elbling Sekt Trocken Réserve 87
This Sekt (Lot 447) is one of two wines tasted with different disgorgement date. This version disgorged in February 2014 (the information is given on the back label) offers a hay-golden color and a somewhat tertiary nose at first. The wine gains significantly from air and delivers then surprising and quite complex scents of camphor, backed apple and some toffee as well as quince. The mousse is nicely integrated but the wine finishes off rather abruptly. Now
1990er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Mosel Elbling Sekt Trocken Réserve 86
This Sekt (Lot 447) is one of two wines tasted with different disgorgement date. This version disgorged in March 2015 (the information is given on the back label) exhibits a fully tertiary and slightly foxy nose of backed apples and pepper which gains in complexity with air. The feel on the palate is completely herbal but a fine mousse in the finish lifts up the complex aromatics. This oddity is nicely made even if the already tertiary side of the wine may not be to everybody’s taste. Now
2009er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Mosel Riesling Crémant Brut Dichtertraum 08 11 86+
This bright colored wine disgorged in August 2015 (the information is given on the back label) delivers an inviting nose of peach, white minerals and spices. The feel on the palate is dominated by a fine but exuberant mousse which gives the finish a firmly dry and tart feel at this stage. This will benefit from bottle age in order for the mousse to gain in refinement. 2017-2019
1992er Saar-Mosel Winzersekt Mosel Elbling Sekt Trocken Réserve 14 13 86
This bottle disgorged in November 2014 (the information is given on the back label) offers a bright white-golden color. It develops a rather tertiary and quite aromatic nose of camphor, old wood, licorice, fennel, potpourri and nut cream. The wine is fine on the palate and the light mousse blends nicely into the smooth, round and easy finish. A touch of smooth sweetness rounds off the whole wine. This will please lovers of mature wines driven by tertiary flavors. Drink up
2011er Saar-Mosel-Winzersekt Mosel Riesling Crémant Brut Dichtertraum 03 13 85
This golden-colored Sekt disgorged in March 2015 (the information is given on the back label) delivers an aromatic nose of almond cream, gooseberry, boxwood, apple and banana. The mousse is still very active and present, lifting up a rich and powerful texture of yellow fruits and almond paste on the palate. The finish is rich, rather tart and herbal. This will please lovers of ostentatious Sparkling wines. Now
www.moselfinewines.com page 74 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Wein- und Sektgut F.B. Schönleber (Oestrich-Winkel – Rheingau)
This venerable Estate with a history going back to at least the 18th century was one of the first to embrace the Sekt revival and set up its own Sekt winery which produced its first Sekt in 1991. Today, a sizeable part of the production of this Estate (which recently joined the VDP) is composed of Sekt. The Estate produces a full range of Pinot and Riesling Sekt which are made from fully ripe grapes (the finished Sekt often have 13% if not 13.5% of alcohol) and are left on their lees for at least 18 months before being disgorged.
2012er F.B. Schönleber Riesling Sekt Extra-Brut 03 14 87
This offers rather ripe scents of Riesling, with a touch of almond bitterness on the palate a powerful finish in which the whopping 13.5% alcohol by volume is however hardly noticeable. Now
2012er F.B. Schönleber Sekt Extra-Brut Creation 02 15 87
This Sekt made from a blend of Spätburgunder and Riesling delivers some spices, bergamot, herbs and fresh fruits and is nicely made. However, the aggressive mousse and liveliness of the aromatics makes this really in need for some bottle aging. 2017-2019
Schlosskellerei C. von Schubert (Mertesdorf – Ruwer-Trier)
Cask of Maximin Grünhaus wines were already used for Sekt by the big houses at the turn to the 20th century. The von Schubert Estate started to produce some Sekt with the arrival of Carl von Schubert at the Estate in the 1980s. It did produce Sekt intermittently using the transfer method until the Estate decided to produce some quality Sekt as of the 2012 vintage with the help of Sekt specialist Bernhard Kirsten in Klüsserath. The Estate produces at the moment one Sekt made from grapes typically destined for Kabinett and aged for at least 9-12 months before being disgorged. We understand that more is to be expected as the Estate develops this side of its activities.
2013er von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Riesling Sekt Brut 23 15 89
This Sekt starts off on the opulent side as vivid but quite elegant scents of strawberry puree, a hint of passion fruit, cassis and minty herbs emerge from the glass. It is nicely playful on the palate, with firm but well balanced mousse. The finish is still quite primary and some Auslese-styled sweetness is not yet fully integrated in the after-taste. While already very nice in a fresh and slightly raw style now, this will benefit from aging and gain in finesse. 2017-2023
Weingut Selbach-Oster (Zeltingen – Middle Mosel)
The Selbach-Estate has been producing Sekt since the 1960s, mostly from Riesling as they want grapes with low sugar levels (ideally no more than 75° Oechsle) and this is rarely possible with Weissburgunder (the Estate has only produced a Weissburgunder Sekt twice so far). The Sekt are all from a single vintage and are left extensively on their lees before being disgorged and bottled with a light dosage based on a ripe Auslese.
2013er Selbach-Oster Riesling Sekt Brut 02 15 90+
A very attractive nose of grapefruit, lime, melon, white fruits and mint leads to an elegant, fresh and easy feel on the palate with the mousse still quite sharp and in need of a little bit of rest. The finish is lively with just a hint of creaminess to round off the whole wine. This is a very nicely Sekt which only needs a bit of rest to develop its inner balance, and could then prove to be even better than expected. 2017-2020+
2008er Selbach-Oster Pinot Sekt Brut 51 13 88
This bottle (disgorged in April 2015 – the information is not provided on the label) was made from an equal blend of Pinot Blanc (fermented in steel) and Pinot Meunier and Spätburgunder (fermented in used barrique). The wine is rather rich and round on the nose, with quite some vanilla and scents of oak still dominating the aromatics. A fine mousse gives a playful side to the powerful structure on the palate (the wine has 13% of alcohol) and leaves a touch of creamy butterscotch in the fresh and long finish. Now www.moselfinewines.com page 75 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
2008er Selbach-Oster Weissburgunder Sekt Brut 08 11 86
This bottle (disgorged in April 2015 – the information is not provided on the label) was made from Pinot Blanc fermented in used barrique. This shows an expressive nose mixing powerful notes of coconut, butter and almond cream with ripe fruity flavors of pear, quince and peach. This Sekt is nicely structured on the palate and an active but fine mousse adds depth to the whole experience. The mid-palate is more ostentatious and powerful, and the wood impact clearly comes through in the nicely fresh and long finish. Now-2018
Sekthaus Solter (Rüdesheim – Rheingau)
Helmut Solter, originally from the Baden region, caught the Champagne bug and set up his own Sekt winery in the Rheingau in 1988. He gradually developed it into one of the leading names in the region. The winery commercializes its own Sekt but also handles the Sekt for many of the leading producers in the Rheingau. Its own portfolio includes a dozen different variations of Sekt. This includes the Non-Vintage Brut Cuvée Henri made from a blend of 7-15 years old Spätburgunder, Weissburgunder, Grauburgunder and Chardonnay wines and the Rheingau Vintage Brut Réserve, made from fruit exclusively grown in the Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck and aged extensively on its lees.
2005er Solter Rheingau Riesling Sekt Brut Réserve 12 07 91
The Réserve is made exclusively from fruit harvested in the Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck and was aged extensively on its lees. It offers a quite gorgeous nose of almond, herbs, grapefruit and spices. A touch of petrol and reduction come through on the palate which add structure and lead to a gorgeously long and quite rich finish. This is impeccably well made in a direct and comparatively complex style. This cries for food. Now-2020
N.V. Solter Sekt Brut Cuvée Henri 90
The Cuvée Henri (Lot 12/57) is made from a blend from fruit out of 5% of Chardonnay from 1999, 2004 and 2007 as well as younger wines. This Sekt develops a rather rich nose of herbs and spices. Scents of ripe orchard fruits come through on the palate which blend into a nice touch of white truffle. The wine is nicely balanced on the palate, with impeccably well-integrated mousse. Now-2018
Weingut Günther Steinmetz (Brauneberg – Middle Mosel)
The Günther Steinmetz Estate has been producing Sekt since over 20 years. The Sekt are typically made on a Pinot basis and fermented with ambient yeasts usually in cask before being bottled. They is then aged on their fine lees for another year before being gradually released.
2012er Günther Steinmetz Sekt Brut 88
This Sekt (Lot 01/14) is made solely from Müller-Thurgau grapes in the Veldenzer Grafschafter Sonnenberg fermented with ambient yeasts and aged for a year in bottle before being disgorged. Fresh fruits are quickly joined by quite spices, including ginger and white pepper as well as herbs on the nose. The wine starts off on a riper side on the palate before a zestier side driven by green apple, and spices kicks in. This light and fresh Sekt leaves a nicely tart and smoky feel in the finish. Now-2017
Weingut K.J. Thul (Thörnich – Middle Mosel)
The upcoming K.J. Thul Estate has only started to produce some Sekt in 2010. The objective is to produce a Non-Vintage Riesling Sekt made from blending different vintages as well as a mix of steep slate and more alluvial soils around Thörnich for a unique style and balance. The Sekt is left on its lees for three years before being disgorged. A Pinot Rosé Brut will be added to the portfolio soon.
N.V. K.J. Thul Riesling Sekt Brut 85
This Sekt (Lot C01/2011) is made exclusively from fruit around Thörnich out of the 2010 vintage. Golden in color, it offers a nice and attractive nose driven by ripe fruits including peach, mirabelle and quince as well as bitter almond, licorice and spices. The Sekt coats the palate with rich, sweet and almond-infused fruits as well as a rather powerful mousse. The finish is medium long and ample. Now-2018 www.moselfinewines.com page 76 Issue No 30 - March 2016
Mosel Fine Wines
“The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling”
By Jean Fisch and David Rayer
Weingut Van Volxem (Wiltingen – Saar)
The Van Volxem Estate is known for trying to return to ancient and proven methods of the grand period of the Mosel and in particular the Saar around 1900. It is therefore hardly surprising that Roman Niewodniczanski also set his heart on producing a Riesling Sekt “like in the old days” (and aptly called 1900). For this he uses late-harvested fruit from very old vines situated in some of his best vineyards with the objective of adding a creaminess to the resulting Sekt. The base wine is bottled in the summer after the vintage to undergo its second fermentation and a long aging on the lees of minimum 36 months.
2009er Van Volxem Riesling Sekt Brut 1900 14 12 90+
This gorgeous Sekt develops a rather baroque feel of cooked apple, smoked herbs and spices on the nose. These flavors are underlined by a nice feel of mousse on the palate, which, while lively, does not take the upper hand on the enjoyment. The finish is fresh and lively thanks to a nice touch of acidity. This outstanding Sekt could even develop further with more post-disgorgement bottle age! 2017-2019
Weingut Dr. Wagner (Saarburg – Saar)
Dr. Wagner Estate can look to an illustrious Sekt heritage. J.H. Wagner launched one of the largest Sekt wineries in Germany around 1900. The Dr. Wagner Estate has been catching onto its illustrious past and re-started producing Sekt since the 1990s, even going as far as making the Sekt (except the disgorgement) in-house since 2011. The Estate offers two Non-Vintage Sekt, A Saar Riesling Brut and the Sekt Mathilde, which are however always made from a single vintage and aged for at least 18 months on their lees before being disgorged.
N.V. Dr. Wagner Riesling Sekt Brut 14 14 88
This Non-Vintage Sekt AP 14 14 (made from fruit out of the 2012 vintage) literally screams Saar, with zesty scents of fruits, herbs and spices. The wine is nice and playful on the palate, with slightly simple but still satisfying mousse underlining a light structure. The finish is long and elegant, with a direct but nice sweet-zesty tension. Now
N.V. Dr. Wagner Riesling Sekt Mathilde 13 14 88
Almost white in color, the nice Non-Vintage Sekt AP 13 14 (made from fruit out of the 2012 vintage) offers a fresh nose of green apple, tangerine, grapefruit, smoke and herbs which get broader with air as riper flavors of apricot and yellow peach come through. An active mousse and ripe fruits give this sparkling wine quite some volume on the delicately fruity sweet palate. Nicely zesty and spicy acidity in the finish brings back the Saar side of the Sekt and adds persistence to the after-taste. Now
Weingüter Wegeler (Oestrich-Winkel – Rheingau)
The Wegeler Estate has been producing Sekt since it was set up in 1882 and could rely of the related Deinhard winery experience’s which as far back as 1843. The Wegeler Estate relies on clean grapes with not high ripeness. Its current portfolio is composed of a Sekt Brut made from fruit out of its holdings in the Rheingau and the Mosel, and the more ambitious Sekt Brut Geheimrat “J”, which is made from the Estate’s best holdings in the Rheingau (the fruit mostly comes from Grosse Lage vineyards) and is aged extensively (up to 10 years) on its lees before being disgorged.
2004er Wegeler Rheingau Riesling Sekt Brut Geheimrat “J” 01 14 93+
This is a cracker of a sparkling wine, with quite some bergamot, spices and quince all delivered with a most delicate mousse and lively zest on the palate. The finish is clean and mouth-watering. What a stunning sparkling wine! This proves superb now but could even gain with some further bottle aging. Now-2019+
www.moselfinewines.com page 77 Issue No 30 - March 2016