WTN: Things fall apart, the Centgrafenberg cannot hold

[David M. Bueker]

2016 Josef Walter Bürgstadter Centgrafenberg Spätburgunder "J" trocken - Germany, Franken (11/5/2022)
Tasted over two evenings. There's an interesting combination of influences in this wine, as it has elements of Germany (bright, fresh acidity, stony minerality), Burgundy (earthiness), and the Loire (green notes, and crunchy fruit expression). I spent a good bit of time on the first evening trying to get my arms around this wine, and could not do it. Every time I thought I had it pinned down it would slip away again. Tonight it's an amalgamation of its influences, though still not of a piece. There are a lot of good ingredients, but it's not a cohesive dish. Give it some cellar time to see if the elements meld into a harmonious blend.

There's an interesting combination of influences in this wine, as it has elements of Germany (bright, fresh acidity, stony minerality), Burgundy (earthiness), and the Loire (green notes, and crunchy fruit expression)...

Interesting note. I too would like to say that I can distinguish pinot noir from Germany, Burgundy and the Loire. But earthiness and crunchy green fruit expressions are surely not foreign to German spatburgunder. Maybe it's an issue of language limitations, and the specific character of the notes.

[David M. Bueker]

There's an interesting combination of influences in this wine, as it has elements of Germany (bright, fresh acidity, stony minerality), Burgundy (earthiness), and the Loire (green notes, and crunchy fruit expression)...

Interesting note. I too would like to say that I can distinguish pinot noir from Germany, Burgundy and the Loire. But earthiness and crunchy green fruit expressions are surely not foreign to German spatburgunder. Maybe it's an issue of language limitations, and the specific character of the notes.

I really haven’t had enough Spatburgunder to know what is common or foreign in its makeup. The things that struck me were the distinct elements in this wine, and how they seemed as if they had just been blended together in the bottle with no time to meld.

The things that struck me were the distinct elements in this wine, and how they seemed as if they had just been blended together in the bottle with no time to meld.

Always a tricky stage when that happens. Sounds like you have more bottles, maybe the next ones will be more harmonious!