Stephen Bitterolf and Joe Salamone from Crush organized a dinner at Seasonal with lineups from Rebholz and Schafer-Frohlich, with Tim Frohlich presenting his wines. Rudi Wiest was also there to talk about the wines of Rebholz and the Pfalz. A very, very fun and informative evening - the food at Seasonal was excellent and a really nice complement to the wines that were excellent across the board, with the Rebholz GGs being the standouts for me.
Flight 1: With white asparagus soup and goat cheese
2009 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Weissburgunder Trocken 'S'
Fresh pear and white peach flavours with delicate floral accents and really amazing texturally; it's expansive and round but with a sense of lightness that makes it almost float over the tongue, and superb precision and clarity.
2009 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Riesling trocken
Such vivid, crystalline minerality here - it feels as if it was sculpted from rock. Fresh pear and citrus fruits with touches of talc and floral elements on top of the mineral flavours, very light, precise and pure. Lovely.
2009 Schäfer-Fröhlich Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling trocken
Tighter and more restrained than the Bockenauer, giving a sense of the same flavours and structure but nowhere near as expressive. Tim Fröhlich said this needed decanting, and later in the night it was certainly more accessible with very pretty lilac and iris elements emerging aromatically and the fruit gaining in depth.
Flight 2: With veal sweetbreads (the dish of the night for me, to go with a staggering lineup of dry Rieslings)
2008 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Siebeldinger Im Sonnenschein Ganshorn Riesling Großes Gewächs
From the Ganz Horn parcel, which Stephen says is on coloured sandstone (the rest of the site is on chalk). Amazing aromatics, a beach-like scent initially with seawater and sandy notes, and then this evolves dramatically with air with rich pear and grapefruit flavours building and all sorts of wild herbal and molten metal like elements emerging underneath. Full bodied, firm, expansive mouthfeel; tremendous power but with pinpoint precision and a sense of grace. Wow.
2008 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Siebeldinger Im Sonnenschein Riesling Großes Gewächs
A striking contrast with the Ganz Horn parcel bottling from the same site; this doesn't show quite the same depth of fruit and expansive richness, instead it's much stonier and more herbal, trading richness for more of a sense of freshness. Comparatively taut and streamlined in the mouth, but with the same balance, depth and length.
2008 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Birkweiler Kastanienbusch Riesling Großes Gewächs
Flat out wow. This is insane. Wild, exotic aromatics, so much going on here from deep white fruited flavours, faintly truffled and smoky elements, fresh herbal notes and an intense mineral character underneath. Starts out with more of an emphasis on the fruit and mineral, but with air this gets even more exotic, picking up orange blossom and spicy elements and showing one of the most hypnotic scents I've ever smelled from a wine. Tremendous power and depth with a polished, glossy texture, fantastic acids and spectacular length and presence. Did I mention wow?
Flight 3: With veal goulash and schnitzel. Tim said he was very happy with his '09s (not surprising, the wines were for the most part stunning, though the Kabinett was a touch disappointing) and that this year he's making all his wines with natural yeasts.
2009 Schäfer-Fröhlich Riesling Medium Dry
Very fresh, pale fruits and steely mineral notes on a light, streamlined frame. Really refreshing and precise with lovely acids, all too easy to drink.
2009 Schäfer-Fröhlich Riesling Kabinett
Fresh floral and faintly yeasty aromas leading into a palate full of bright peach, pear and lime fruit, slightly sweet and clearly Spätlese richness at least, though this didn't have quite the depth or level of refreshment of the other wines by its side.
2009 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese
This is becoming one of my favourite Spätlese in any vintage. Loved the '08, and the '09 also rocks with the same combination of florality, fruit and mineral flavours with slightly funky accents (Tim says from the natural yeasts), razor sharp precision and fantastic clarity with no shortage of acids. Delicious stuff.
Flight 4: With oxtail consomme. The most eye-opening flight for me, as I've not been thrilled by German Pinot before - but the '05 Spätburgunder was really tremendous.
2005 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Spätburgunder "Tradition"
Stunning; compelling aromatics and a silken palate with bright black cherry and strawberry fruit mingled with faintly meaty and leathery notes. With air the fruit deepens and gains in depth while this becomes more exotic, picking up sage and peppery scents on top of the fruit and leathery aspects. There's a lightness of touch and gentleness -in the mouth that reminds me of a lot of very good Burgundies, flavour and depth with barely any sense of weight.
2007 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Spätburgunder "Tradition"
Nowhere near as complex and layered as the '05, while that had a lot more depth and signs of development, this is all fresh, juicy red fruits. Very primary with a faint touch of wood in the background, but nicely balanced and refreshing to drink though not yet quite profound.
