Since the mid decade, we have been visiting this marvelous Nahe estate, and have never been disappointed by the results of what we have seen and tasted. The winery as a whole is a study in cleanliness and consistency.
From year to year, the phenomenal results exacted from their two leading vineyard sites, Frühlingsplätzchen and Halenberg, are nothing short of astounding. The combination of elegance and finesse together with classic minerality is what German Riesling epitomizes. These wines are so finely crafted and precise with an absolutely beguiling filigreed delicacy that they are very often mistaken for Mosels in blind tastings!
Werner, Hanne and Frank Schönleber are presently expanding and renovating their facilities no doubt in an effort to accommodate the growing interest in their wines, but ultimately to improve on the quality of an already seamless product.
When we tasted there on Friday, April 23rd, the place was in a rare state of chaos due to the major construction project which is due to be completed by the end of August. From the dry wines all the way up to the very sweetest examples, perfectly clean, clear wines with superb balance, zesty acidity, ideal ripeness, and a magical mineral profile were everywhere in evidence. The dry wines made here are amongst the finest examples of dry Riesling to be found anywhere in the world, and in my humble opinion there are none that exceed these.
2009 was a very successful vintage for the Schönlebers, and one in which they were able to excel at what they do best–craft absolutely prisitne wines that are so perfectly balanced that God knows how long they will last, but suffice it to say that when these lovely creatures have given up the ghost, I will have been long gone!
I remain the eternal fan of traditional German Riesling–wines with residual sugar in perfect harmony with ripe acidity and mineral flavors. However, it is nonetheless important to point out that in recent years I have increasingly become a passionate lover of dry Rieslings such as Grosses Gewächs. In fact, whilst these wines have continued to improve as global warming has intensified, my regard for Chardonnay-based white Burgundy and their insanely high prices, and dependency on new oak flavors, I have turned more and more toward these marvelously restrained, subtle but highly expressive dry alternatives.
Across the board, we liked the dry wines from both Frühlingsplätzchen and Halenberg as well as the simpler dry cuvees. However, my passion for classic, fruity Riesling was really aroused when I tasted both the Kabinett and Spätlese wines from this astoundingly good vintage. No over-ripe, exaggerated wines here at all. These are wines based on perfectly ripe fruit and acidity balance with very delicate amounts of botrytis in only the very ripest late-harvest wines. In short, they are German Rieslings that everyone should have in their cellars and… a class act!
Dade
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