WTN: Maximum Blanc

[David M. Bueker]

2008 Hiedler Weissburgunder 'Maximum'
I've always found it odd that anyone would name a cuvee of Pinot Blanc of any kind 'Maximum', but this one lives up to its name. On night one it was thick, almost viscous in mouthfeel and bursting with ripe peach and pear fruit to the point of near oppressive weight. I put the leftovers in the fridge, forgetting to even cork up the bottle.

So here it is 72 hours later, and a wine has emerged from the bottle. It still carries plenty of fruit, but the heaviness is gone. There is now a second layer of flavor that includes pepper and cress, reminiscent of a fine Gruner Veltliner. The acidity is now in balance, and overall I wish I had opened the bottle three days early (or decanted for a long time). Delicious stuff that reminds me why I have thought of this wine as the best Pinot Blanc/Weissburgunder in the world.

2008 Hiedler Weissburgunder 'Maximum'...the best Pinot Blanc/Weissburgunder in the world.

Strong words, even for a grape that doesn't top many people's favorite lists. Is this a vineyard-specific wine? It sounds fun, but it also sounds pretty straightforward and rich, if elegant, which makes me think there must be some terroir-specific pinot blanc out there somewhere that could best it?

[David M. Bueker]

2008 Hiedler Weissburgunder 'Maximum'...the best Pinot Blanc/Weissburgunder in the world.

Strong words, even for a grape that doesn't top many people's favorite lists. Is this a vineyard-specific wine? It sounds fun, but it also sounds pretty straightforward and rich, if elegant, which makes me think there must be some terroir-specific pinot blanc out there somewhere that could best it?

It is a specific vineyard, though I do not recall which one, and it is 50+ year old vines. The wonder of the wine for me was that it went from being "straightforward and rich" on day 1, and after 3 days of air became so much more elegant and complex. I would love to pour it for you, but we do not tend to hang out together for 3 days at a clip.

It is a specific vineyard, though I do not recall which one, and it is 50+ year old vines. The wonder of the wine for me was that it went from being "straightforward and rich" on day 1, and after 3 days of air became so much more elegant and complex.

Sounds good. Maybe I'll come across it one day.

And again, will all due respect to your palate, don't all wines become more 'elegant' after three days of air after they slim down? Or perhaps the key here was that it retained some focus and flavor interest.

[David M. Bueker]

And again, will all due respect to your palate, don't all wines become more 'elegant' after three days of air after they slim down? Or perhaps the key here was that it retained some focus and flavor interest.

They key for me was that not only did it slim down, but it gained in focus and flavor interest rather than just retaining.

And again, will all due respect to your palate, don't all wines become more 'elegant' after three days of air after they slim down? Or perhaps the key here was that it retained some focus and flavor interest.

The question is whether they become more 'elegant' or more elegant.

Interesting. My experience is rarely that a wine tastes better 2 or 3 days after opening, especially if stored in a fridge. In fact, I cannot recall one time, unless the wine had volatile defects which then had a chance to blow off.

[David M. Bueker]

Craig,

99 times out of 100 I would agree with you. Perhaps this was the exception that proves the rule.

They also have a GV Maximum. The 2009 was a bit too rich/soft for me. Hoping time will help (as I have several more)

This is a duplicate post from elsewhere, but to get in on the conversation...
And I'm in agreement with Rahsaan about more terroir-specific examples.

Hi David,

Thanks for the note. As you may be aware, I am a ginormous fan of Weißbugunder and I like the Hiedler Maximum very much. It is certainly among the most impressive Pinot Blancs in the world, but given my leanings towards finesse, I have to go with Prieler Leithaberg as my favorite Weißburgunder from Austria. It is every bit as impressive, but trades viscosity for sinewy bite. The Seeberg from Prieler is also nice, but the Leithaberg is like taking a sip from a cup of marble.

Germany has more than its share of great Weißburgunder too, and some of the GG wines from Bergdolt are every bit the equal of Hiedler. They both go where Pinot Blanc almost dare not go and they get away with it. But for me the real appeal of the grape is that it can show incredible minerality, a crunchy, grapey, peary texture, subtle, restrained aromas and very pure, classy fruit without being intense. The best are like HD wine –a magnifying glass into terroir. When they get too vinous or are pushed too far, they start to lose their versatility for me. I find myself gravitating to the ‘2nd’ wines of a lot of producers as the GGs can be just too broad and too GREAT if that makes sense.

Austria and especially Germany have found this wonderful middle-ground with the grape that Alsace is missing imo. It has been a lot of fun exploring these wines.

Cheers,
Bill

ginormous

Please desist. Bablyon says that's Australian slang - and I can barely cope with a Yankee winemaker in Germany. You are American, right?

[David M. Bueker]

I'm curious how you guys know that the Hiedler is not expressing its terroir...it is from a specific site.

I'm curious how you guys know that the Hiedler is not expressing its terroir...it is from a specific site.

I was just posing a question and trying to suss out some answers. I don't claim to know anything about this wine!

[David M. Bueker]

Honestly it seemed a lot more like the wine had lots of fruit and therefore was not a valid expression of its terroir.

ginormous

Please desist. Bablyon says that's Australian slang - and I can barely cope with a Yankee winemaker in Germany. You are American, right?

That is what it says on my Passport. Though Chaim, I strive to be more of a global citizen . I have eaten a few kangaroos in my lifetime. Maybe it is starting to rub off?

Cheers,
Bill

I'm curious how you guys know that the Hiedler is not expressing its terroir...it is from a specific site.

I only wanted to suggest a few ideas. Just as wines that made from high yields can be less expressive of terroir, the same can be true of wines that are too ripe. Your notes indicate to me that this is a very ripe, very high alcohol wine –that can be a function of terroir, but maybe the terroir would be better suited to a different variety. I don’t know from which vineyard this wine comes from, but it would stand to reason (this being the Kamptal) that Loess and Loam come heavily into play. Rather than speaking of a unique flavor profile based upon drainage, water-stress, and trace elements, wines made on Loam tend to be plump and ripe and lacking minerality. Loess and Loam are inferior soil types for planting Weißburgunder (again, not sure where Maximum comes from, but it could be one explanation or at least part of the explanation.) Winemaking comes into play for the Maximum too (maybe at the expense of Terroir) You aren’t going to get that kind of viscosity without an extended skin maceration and probably fermentation in oak. I like those considerations for wines, but usually not for wines pushing 14 or 15% alc. It just makes a big wine even bigger. I don’t mind extract in Pinot Blanc, I just don’t like high alcohol. I haven’t tasted the Maximum Weißburgunder for a couple of vintages and I used to really like it, but based on your note, I’m not sure that I would anymore.

Cheers,
Bill

[David M. Bueker]

Well there was no excess of alcohol in the wine for one thing.

And the richness of the fruit really reined in with a lot of air - and did not expose heat or any imbalance, just additional layers of flavor.

I've also had numerous vintages of the Weissburgunder Maximum, and certainly foudn this one riper, but after being open it was much more in line than what I expected from prior vintages.

goven how innocuous 99% of all Pinot Blanc is, I'll take a rendition like this any day of the week.

Well, you've got me curious anyway. I'm guessing that the wine is hard to find in Germany, but I'll see what I can do as far as finding one. I read 'viscous' and 'near oppressive weight' in a dry wine as meaning high in alcohol. Do you recall the alc.% ?

Rich and ripe Weißburgunder is no stranger in Germany either, I just prefer a bit more elegance, and it most certainly can be elegant without being boring. That in-between style is where I'm finding the most appeal and there seem to be enough of those to go around. If you get the chance to try a Rebholz or Meßmer or Müller-Catoir (or for that matter Prieler), I'd like to hear your take on it.

Cheers,
Bill

[David M. Bueker]

The label says 14%, but who knows what it really is. The fascinating thing about the wine for me was how much it changed over several days.