Saturday lunch at my place to taste some AdamsWein and assorted others. Sasha starts us with 2021 and 2023 AdamsWein Weissburgunder. Both are delicate and precise interpretations of Weissburgunder, in comparison to the broad ponderous versions one finds all too often. The 2021 is more incisive whereas the 2023 has more vivid fruit. Not blockbusters, but both could play a lovely role, depending on mood/food, etc.
Jayson moves us to a blind sparkling wine. After some confusion over which regions and grapes are or are not ruled out, we spew a wide range of guesses until everyone is surprised with it being NV Bruno Dangin Crémant de Bourgogne Réserve de Valentin Brut Nature (2024 disgorgement). 100% pinot noir and shows more savory nutty elements than I often get with PN sparklers (apparently it’s the barrel treatment). Still, lovely and elegant and I believe it pleased a range of palates at the table. Plus, while it is apparently difficult to find, it is very well-priced and seems like strong value.
As the main course foods are served, we get to the Spӓtburgunders. Starting with 2022 AdamsWein Heerweg Spӓtburgunder. The vineyard is lower down and has clay with the limestone, and from the few vintages I’ve tasted, is nice and charming early. Yet, here with 2022, we have some good structure as well, which is especially apparent next to the 2023s.
2023 AdamsWein Auf dem Haun Spӓtburgunder is perhaps the most difficult of the four for me to get a read on. All of the 2023s have juicy sweeter fruit, lovely fragrant berry aromas on the nose (with maybe a touch of Spӓtburgunder rustic edge), and freshness and lift from the stems. But Auf dem Haun has less depth than the next two. So I spent less time with it. Yet it’s also half the price of the Pares, and has a place in the rotation.
A bit of back and forth between me and Jayson about 2023 AdamsWein Horn Spӓtburgunder and 2023 AdamsWein Pares Spӓtburgunder. I think he preferred the former for being a more ‘complete’ wine, and I can see that. Both show more depth, ‘breed’ and elegance than the previous wines. (They would be GGs if she joined the VDP) The Pares is also darker and has a more linear compact structure. But both showing more open and friendly compared to my tasting at the winery in March.
I very much like the fragrant elegant profile on these wines and will be interesting to follow, but I fear US pricing (especially on Pares) might make them less competitive with Burgundy for my wallet. In DE, Heerweg is 25 euros, Auf dem Haun is 40 euros, Horn is almost 60 euros and Pares is 80 euros, all of which sounds right to me.
Speaking of Burgundy, I served two blind wines that I thought would have some connection to the AdamsWein Spӓtburgunders. I think everyone agreed 2010 Chandon de Briailles Île des Vergelesses was the better bottle of the two. Started off a bit closed but opened nicely with air. Sasha and Jayson both felt it was still too early, and now that I’ve opened two bottles in two weeks, I’ll have to hold onto my last one for a while! But I do like the combination of silk and crunch that you get at this stage, with good vibrant fruit, the crystalline PV structure, and some mellowing from age.
Unfortunately, 2010 Forey Nuits St. Georges Les St. Georges was a mess. Jayson thought VA, there’s also disjointed spicy wood notes. Recent purchase so I do wonder if the bottle was less than pristine, although I know some criticize the winemaking at that time. It seemed like there was promising fruit underneath, will hope for better on the next bottle.
2017 Friedrich Becker Steinwingert Spӓtburgunder was another challenging wine that we threw into a decanter. So much darker than the AdamsWein Spӓtburgunders, firmer tannins, not sure I would have picked the grape if blind. And what a recommendation from Karl, who said he doesn’t like the wine but brought it because he wanted to see what we thought! Some wonder if it will improve with age, and interested to see some notes online praising other vintages for being delicate.
Circling back around to white wines, the 2016 Clemens Busch Riesling Marienburg Rothenpfad Riesling Reserve needed decanter time as well. Karl thinks it might already be too old for his tastes, others wonder if it’s just an awkward in-between stage. The fruit has definitely mellowed but it’s not yet fully stretched out into the evolution you will get with future aging. Would be happy to taste again in the future, if I owned any!
Lastly, thirsty folks tried the 2024 Günther Steinmetz Dhron Hofberger Riesling Reserve I had opened the night before. This is a curious wine with weight depth and presence, but also very angular vertical 2024 structure. Lots of promising elements, but have made a note not to open another for several years, and hopefully will be more impressed then.
And at that point, it was almost time for dinner…
