So my monthly blind tasting group met this week to sample 2007 German Rieslings, Kabinetts to be specific.

2007, while not being overly hyped, is a wine with some pedigree behind it. The bud break was amazingly early but the harvest was right about on time, giving the grapes unheard of hang times. In most vintages, producers in Germany are happy to get 100 days of hang time. In 2007 most producers saw 120-150 days!

Hang time is not, of course, the end all in any vintage. 2007 saw a cool, yet not cold summer, with enough rain when it was needed and a fine, sunny September and October that allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. This is a vintage with very pure, balanced fruit. It’s also a vintage of extremes in that the crop of Kabinett and Spatlese wines made up the vast majority of the harvest, real Kabs and Spats at that.

At the opposite end of the spectrum botrytised wines were a small part of the harvest but the combination of fairly dry conditions and perfectly ripe fruit should make these among the most compelling BA and TBA wines in recent history. Auslesen were the odd man out this year with very few being made.

For my palate, I prefer the lacy transparency and pure, terroir driven character one finds in the best Kabinetts. I am also a bit sugar averse in non-desert wine, hell even in dessert wines for that mater, and am a bit of an acid freak so give me Kabinett, lighter Spats and Eiswien and I’ll be happy!

Understandably I was happy to hear that we would be tasting these 2007 Kabinetts and was really looking forward to gleaning what little I could from this small sample of admittedly fine producers. While extrapolating regional vintage character from such a small sample really is imprecise to say the least I will go ahead and do it anyway. The point is not to issue the definitive vintage assessment but rather to create hypotheses to be further refined with additional exposure to the wines of the vintage.

I look forward to hearing the impressions of others but to get the ball rolling I will start with this!

Our tasting featured wines from most of the significant German wine regions. So how exactly does such a perfect growing season express itself in each region?

Let’s begin in the warmest region, the Pfaltz. While we had only 1 wine here it struck me as over-ripe and flabby. Given that that is frequently my impression of these wines that is not surprising. On the other hand the aromatics in Darting’s Dürkheimer Hochbenn Riesling Kabinett were pretty amazing, and so unusual that I would never have thought it to be Riesling. It struck me much more as something Scheurebe like with its aromatics and low acidity. It was my #8 wine and the groups #7 so there was no great love for this. I really enjoy Darting’s wines but may wait for a cooler vintage before dipping my toes back into the Pfaltz.

http://www.snooth.com/wine/kurt-darting-durkheimer-hochbenn-riesling-kabinett-2007-1/


Moving further north we entered into the Nahe with 2 examples, both of which finishes in my top 4 and in fact tied as the group’s favorite wines!

Helmut Dönnhoff may be my favorite German producer, he certainly is the best represented in my cellar. His Kreuznacher Kahlenberg Kabinett, the first vintage for this wine, is a perfect example of why. Intensely aromatic, layered yet lithe, with rich fruit and sappy acidity this was my #2 wine of the tasting and the only wine I was able to identify blind.

http://www.snooth.com/wine/donnhoff-kreuznacher-kahlenberg-kabinett-2007/

The other wine from the Nahe, Schäfer-Fröhlich’s Riesling Kabinett was my #4 wine. This also had a great nose but was perhaps richer and just a little less well defined in the mouth when compared to the Dönnhoff. Yet it had such a wonderful Kabinett presence in the mouth that I found myself drawn back to it’s crisp, refreshing finish.

http://www.snooth.com/wine/schafer-frohlich-riesling-kabinett-2007-1/

Moving only slightly north into the Rheingau we came to Leitz’ Rüdesheimer Klosterlay Riesling Kabinett. After Dönnhoff Leitz is the second most represented producer in my cellar, based on the incredible values his wines offer. This was a bit tight, actually the tightest wine of the tasting, but offered such fine balance and length that I just felt the innate quality here. It was another wine that really hit my Kabinett button and was among the least sweet wines of the tasting, though the range, once the Darting was removed, was fairly narrow. My #3 wine of the tastings yet the groups #6.
http://www.snooth.com/wine/weingut-josef-leitz-rudesheimer-klosterlay-riesling-kabinett-2007-1/

Most of the historically famous German wines have come from the hallowed vineyards of the Mosel. We had 3 Middle-Mosel wines to represent this vinous heartland. Now this was a tough little group. Two of the wines had significant sulfur issues and all will benefit from some time in the cellar. They did not show as well as many would expect, lacking the notes that would make one think Mosel while tasting them. That is an issue for me.

One thing I have seen is that wines that come from “great” weather vintages often are hailed as great on release but frequently lack the transparency that allow the complexity of terroir to emerge. These samples did show the potential to get themselves sorted out but the issue I have for the long run is whether these will turn out to be great Mosels or only great Rieslings. The difference is subtle, and yet significant, and worthy of further discussion on it’s own.


The first of these middle Mosels was the Schloss Lieser Riesling Kabinett, a blend of vineyard sites. Marred by quite bit of sulfur this was a chunky, somewhat clumsy wine at this point that lacked the acid to support it’s considerable sugar. It was my #6 wine and the groups #5 with most people thinking this was the JJ Prum but that was most likely based on this being the most heavily sulfured wine of the tasting.

http://www.snooth.com/wine/schloss-lieser-riesling-kabinett-2007/


The next wine was indeed the Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett. It showed some obvious sulfur as well and while it showed a lot of potential it was not performing at it’s best this evening garnering my 7Th place vote and falling in dead last among the group. It has a succulence and layered liquid minerality that should allow this to emerge with some time in the cellar as the deepest and most complete wine of the tasting but, as is the case with Prüm’s wines, is offering only disjointed glimpses of greatness at this youthful stage of it’s evolution.

http://www.snooth.com/wine/joh-and-46-jos-and-46-prum-graacher-himmelreich-riesling-kabinett-2007/

Our final Middle Mosel wine was the Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett, which as my #5 wine and the group’s #4 was the highest-ranking Mosel wine of the tasting. This also will benefit from some time in the cellar and while it’s a very solid wine it lacked the depth and poise that would make this truly special in my book.

http://www.snooth.com/wine/willi-schaefer-graacher-domprobst-riesling-
kabinett-2007/


Our final wine came from the Saar, home to Germany’s most nervous, steely Rieslings. The Saar is a tough place to grow Riesling. It is not unusual to have only a handful of good or better vintages each decade. Obviously that sounds like the perfect place to benefit from an extended growing season and near perfect weather. If the Von Hövel Oberemmeler Hütte Riesling Kabinett is any indication that is spot on! Not only was this my #1 wine but it was the group’s #3, coming in directly behind the two wines from the Nahe that were tied for first!

That is an impressive result, on the heels of the two wines from arguably Germany’s most flamboyant region comes this black sheep from a region frequently faulted for under-ripeness! I loved this wine! It lacks the explosiveness and complexity of the Nahe wines but was so focused and crisp with exceptional Kabinettiness! Racy and lacy, this is a wine to drink by the pool next summer.

http://www.snooth.com/wine/von-hovel-oberemmeler-hutte-riesling-kabinett-2007/

So my top lesson learned from this modest tasting? Try more Saar wines from 2007! If you appreciate their leaner style and are looking for transparent, pure elegance this may very well be the spot for you in 2007. On the opposite end of the spectrum the Nahe seems to have done well in 2007. While completely different in character from the Saar, the richness and flamboyance the wines exhibited was compelling and certainly warrants further investigation.

I hope you all get out there and try at least one 2007 German Riesling. They are delicious, affordable, and just so much fun to drink. Take a note and post it on Snooth. Helping you to find better wines!