Stone, everywhere

Photo courtesy of Weingut Steinmetz

Weingut Günther Steinmetz

Brauneberg, Mosel
weingut-guenther-steinmetz.de

Vineyard area: 5.8 ha (14.5 acres)
Soils: Devonian slate (gray and brown)
Best sites: Brauneberger Juffer, Kestener Paulinsberg, Mühlheimer Sonnenlay

Der Name ist Programm - a German proverb, meaning: the name is the program. A "Steinmetz" is the German word for a stone mason. Tasting the minerality in Stefan Steinmetz' Rieslings I like to entertain the idea that his ancestors cut stone before they dropped the chisel and started planting vines in the stony Juffer vineyard in Brauneberg. Minerality is an ongoing theme in all of the wines from Weingut Güther Steinmetz I have tasted so far.

The winery has been in the Steinmetz family for several generations and is now under the guidance of Stefan. He continues the tradition of sustainable viticulture - no insecticides have been used in the vineyards in the last 25 years and mostly organic compost is applied to give the vines some food in the meagre slate soils. There have been changes since Stefan took over, though: most notably the removal of every other row of vines and the switcht to wire training in order to improve air circulation and allow more sunshine to reach the vines, both of which make for healthier grapes. Yields are kept at less than half of what the law stipulates.

Photo courtesy of Weingut Steinmetz

Some of the weingut's vines are between 50 and 70 years old - and ungrafted. Even for the phylloxera louse some vineyards in the Mosel were too steep. To my surprise, these honorable old vines were capable of producing wines with a pronounced and lively acidity.

After gentle pneumatic pressing of the grapes the must is left unprotected for a short amount of time to allow must oxidation, which prepares the finished wine for contact with air later on, keeping it from losing its fruit during maturation all too quickly. This may be the reason why the Steinmetz Rieslings are more somber in style, more concentrated and less of that playful lightness which is often associated with the Mosel. As a matter of fact, I am sipping the Devon Riesling while I am writing this and although I opened the wine the night before none of the pear and grapefruit is lost. On the contrary, its flavors seem even more intense 24 hours after opening.

Weingut Steinmetz may not be a household name amongst American consumers (yet). It is part of the portfolio of the Mosel Wine Merchant, a company which also brought us the fine wines of Knebel, Busch and Stein. The four wines I tasted in the last couple of weeks strike me as very honest wines. There is nothing flashy about them. Instead, once you cut through their minerals, they shine.

More info: moselwinemerchant.com

Tasting Notes

Brauneberger Juffer Spätlese** 2007

Medium straw core with a medium watery rim. Small bubbles. Youthful nose with a medium(+) intensity of flowers and minerals. Sweet on the palate, with medium acidity, light body and low alcohol. Jammy apricot fruit along with tarragon, spicy. Long length with a biscuit finish.

Very vibrant wine, fruit and acidity are well balanced, the tarragon spice adds to its complexity, which lingers throughout its long length. Although the fruit has a jammy ripeness to it, it is still subtle and pleasant jamminess, not vulgar at all.

Brauneberger Juffer Spätlese** Feinherb 2006

Pale lemon core with a wide watery rim. Youthful nose with a medium intensity of grapefruit, minerals, spice and creamy peach. Off-dry on the palate, with medium(+) acidity, medium to light body and low alcohol. Light intensity of grilled peach flavors and minerality. Medium length.

A fairly light wine, yet at the same time this tastes quite concentrated. The minerality is the backbone, pure and linear but there is also this nice peach flavor on top of it, more smoky than fruity. Balanced and harmonious.

Veldenzer-Grafschafter Sonnenberg "Alte Reben" 2006

Pale lemon core with a watery rim. Youthful nose with a medium intensity of minerals, citrus and quince aromas. Off-dry on the palate, with medium(+) acidity, medium body and medium(+) alcohol. Medium intensity of citrus and mineral flavors along with white peach and quince. Medium length.

Well balanced wine with refreshing acidity. We drank the wine a German blood sausage soup - the light residual sugar and the acidity turned out to be a fine companion for this earthy meal.

Brauneberger Juffer Spätlese "Devon" 2005

Medium straw color. Intense aromas of minerality, with grapefruit, pear and smoke. Off-dry, high acidity. Medium body and alcohol. Medium(+) intensity of pear, grapefruit, wet stone, spice and strawberry. Medium length with a spice finish. Drink now through 2020.

The minerality on the nose is remarkable. It makes perfect sense that the Devon slate is part of the wine's name. You are drinking liquid slate, that's what it is. The residual sugar and the spices complement the minerality. Remarkable is also the price: a wine of such complexity under $20 is hard to find. I drank this wine with smoked pork sausages and mushrooms, with which the spicy part of the Devon agreed well. But I particularly liked how it handled the sheep/cow milk cheese with a bloomy rind, which I had afterwards. The residual sugar took care of the rind, the minerality and pear fruit seemed to enhance the cheese's nuttiness. This is where Oregon and the Mosel meet!

Brauneberger Juffer Auslese 1994

Medium golden color. Developed nose with pronounced fleshy apricot aromas. Very warm fruit notes mixed with spicy, flowery and earthy tones. Medium sweet, medium(+) acidity. Light body. Medium intensity of red apple, minerals and spice. Long length.

Young and lively, still, after all these years. The acidity is still invigorating and the fruit is ripe and luscious. There is a fascinating earthiness in this wine, it is soaked with the imagery of a summer country landscape with the smell of warm earth, fragrant straw and ripe fruit, which lingers beautifully during a very long length. Beautiful!

Kestener Paulinsberg Auslese 1994

Pronounced aromas of botrytis, honey, ripe apple and flowers. Medium(+) sweet, high acidity, low alcohol and light body. Medium flavor intensity of flowers, minerality and peach. Long length.

Leaner and more mineral than the Brauneberger Juffer. Overtones of spice on the long finish. Still very young tasting, has lots of acidity. A wine with a shy, but very interesting voice, that requires to listen carefully. If you do, you shall be rewarded. The minerality is pristine, rocks in a mountain lake on which the sun plays a warm tune of reflections. Beautiful purity with a seductive finish.

Mülheimer Sonnenlay Riesling Spätlese 1994

Medium golden color. Developed nose with a medium intensity of pear fruit, meadow flowers, ripe peach, honey, minerality and hints of smoke. Medium sweet on the palate, high acidity, low alcohol and light body. Medium intensity of toffee, strawberry, rhubarb, hints of fennel and wet stone. Medium length.

A fine Spätlese in its traditional sense, meaning it's not a lush wine of downgraded Auslese level but shows lots of ripe fruit and at the same time has a radiant acidity level that made me beg for more. Enough acidity to keep it alive for a few more years probably. Its complexity on the nose and the palate is deeply satisfying and given the price of $20 this is a fantastic deal. I already ordered more of it for my own cellar.

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The 1994 vintage of Weingut Steinmetz