I thought I had German wine figured out but ...

I bought this yesterday:

2010 Selbach Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling "Anrecht"

As I was reviewing the label today, I could find no Prädikat classification on the label (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, etc. ). A web search (SO website, cellar tracker, etc.) yielded little. Is it a Prädikatswein? Do they have to put the Prädikat on the label?

What am I missing?

I found this but does it help? Nagh!!!!

http://www.skurnikwines.com/wines.cgi?r ... e_id=13237

Web search? Tried searching the WLDG?

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28292&hilit=+anrecht

[David M. Bueker]

Just from a German Wine Law standpoint, there is no requirement to declare a pradikat on the label.

The 'Anrecht' is intended as a modern spatlese in its style, but likely (surely in fact) qualifies as solid auslese.

As David said, there is no need to declare a Prädikat. In the case of the Anrecht, it has been ‘down-graded’ to Qualitätswein (likely because they couldn't use the sub-parcel name for a Prädikatswein-another silly rule.)

If S-O would have opted to declare this a Prädikatswein, they would also need to state Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese…using any one of those terms as long as the wine qualified for the minimum must-weight in each category.

I really like the idea behing these en-bloc bottlings of Schmitt, Rotlay, and Anrecht. No outdated, misleading, and useless information such as Prädikat to deal with. Experience with the producer and his wines and then taking vintage into account is what is important -just like with every other wine region worldwide.

Cheers,
Bill

As far as I understand it the “old” German wine classification does not distinguish the better sites from the lesser sites. Rieslings is king in Germany, any Riesling wine produced in any of the 13 wine regions of Germany if it meets a given must weight and if certain rules and regulations are followed the wine can be labeled a certain way. Just because a producer designates a wine, as a “Quality wine with special attributes” does not necessarily mean it is “superior” to a wine just designated a “Quality wine”.
Like Bill said by “block naming” the wine one is putting the focus on “terrior” (the actual site where the grapes are grown). “Anrecht” as a noun means “a claim” (as in claiming a stake in a parcel of land).

Salute

Since we're on the subject of rules can someone clarify this for me.

Qualitätswein mit Prädikat - Never chaptalized. Ok, this one is simple.

Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete - May be chaptalized. It's my understanding that if you see QbA wine it is probably chaptalized. The exceptions being some dry wines and Grosses Gewächs or the occasional oddball that doesn't want to meet some element of must weight or typicity? Are GG ever QmP?

Lets think about this for a minute, usually “chaptalization” refers to adding, “sugar” to the juice or must prior to fermentation (to boast alcohol production). Under QmP rules and regulations this is forbidden, but yet setting aside a percentage of unfermented juice in “reserve” to be added to a “finished” wine is allowed. Technically IMHO this is “chaptalization” of a “finished” wine (basically this is like adding sugar to a finished wine).

Salute

so you thought you had german wines figured out, eh? well the authorities are checking; and as soon as you come close, they change things.

[David M. Bueker]

Kelly,

GGs must meet the requirements of spatlese in order to be declared as GG, but they do not use the pradikat on the label.

Chaptalization is the practice of adding sugar prior to fermentation in order to raise prolong fermentation & thus ultimately raising the alcohol level. The addition of sussreserve is thus not chaptalizaiton (and is not used that much these days anyway).

And as for the Anrecht (and the Schmitt and Rotlay - two more single parcel wines from Selbach-Oster), the wines have had a pradikat in the past. It's not the labeling issues that prevent the use of spatlese, auslese, etc, but rather Johannes Selbach's preference. There's no "downgrading" going on here.

Chaptalization is sometimes referred to as “enrichment”. Whether you add the sugar prior or during alcoholic fermentation to “enrich” alcohol, or add the sugar later (or when the wine is “done”) to “enrich” sweetness doesn’t matter.

Salute

[David M. Bueker]

Chaptalization is sometimes referred to as “enrichment”. Whether you add the sugar prior or during alcoholic fermentation to “enrich” alcohol, or add the sugar later (or when the wine is “done”) to “enrich” sweetness doesn’t matter.

Salute

Let's just agree to disagree...completely.