Pfalz and Rheinhessen – not just Riesling

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These 85 tasting notes were taken in August 2015 during a visit to the Pfalz and Rheinhessen regions. Together, they ably demonstrate the full diversity of German winemaking – for more details, read my accompanying article Pfalz pretences.

The tasting notes are arranged in alphabetical order by producer (sur)name, then in order of tasting. 


WEINGUT AM NIL

Weingut am Nil Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Pfalz

Picked over four weeks. Pungent and herby with a sweaty green scent. Plenty of flavour and perhaps just a little too much sulphur giving an acrid edge to the nose. (RH)

12.5%
Drink
2015
2016
15.5

Weingut am Nil Riesling 2014 Pfalz

Light lime aroma. Floral character on the palate, dry finish. Honest varietal character and a simple, straightforward palate. (RH)

13%
Drink
2015
2018
15.5

Weingut am Nil, Ungsteiner Riesling 2013 Pfalz

Reasonably straightforward nose. Lots of salinity on the palate, especially at the finish. Robust acidity, subtle floral notes but the dominant feature is intense lime compress. Deserves time to mature and let the fruit evolve. (RH)

13%
Drink
2016
2022
16.5

Weingut am Nil, Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling 2014 Pfalz

Matured in 500-litre oak barrels, 25% of which were new.
Tight, compact, minimalist nose. Convincing purity on the palate, and there is a pleasant lime density on the finish. Certainly has the fruit potential to age well, if not the most aromatically diverse aromas. (RH)

13.5%
Drink
2016
2022
16.5

BISCHEL

Bischel, Binger Quarzit Riesling 2014 Rheinhessen

Reductive notes on the nose giving a sulphurous edge. Tight, prickly palate – very youthful indeed. Enough fruit to merit a few years’ cellaring but not for the very long term. (RH)

Drink
2016
2020
17

DREISSIGACKER

Dreissigacker, Bechtheimer Riesling 2013 Rheinhessen

Juicy, tropical fruit with a cooked vegetal character. Totally fresh and attractive, however – the balance of flavours on the palate is very well judged and very moreish. Long, succulent finish with a refined mineral character. (RH)

12%
Drink
2014
2019
16.5

Dreissigacker, Bechtheimer Geyersberg Riesling 2010 Rheinhessen

Macerated for 6-7 days. High disease pressure in this vintage, but they did not include any botrytised fruit.
Indulgent marmalade and lemon curd fruit, sweet spice and a luscious creamy character. Superb extrovertness, and just a little oxidative touch on the finish. (RH)

Drink
2014
2018
17.5

KRUGER-RUMPF

Kruger-Rumpf, Binger Scharlachberg Riesling 2013 Rheinhessen

Thick and ripe, and behaves very much like a sweeter style until the bone dry finish. Intense, long, bursting with juicy fruit. Lovely savoury aftertaste too – savoury, slightly leesy and with a flash of green. (RH)

Drink
2015
2025
17.5

MUSSLER

Mussler Chardonnay 2014 Pfalz

Quite neutral nose, creamy palate with apricot, peach and toffee. Standard Chardonnay with good ripeness and softness. (RH)

Drink
2015
2016
15.5

Mussler, Freinsheimer Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Pfalz

Aged in 500 litre oak for six months.
Sweet cream with bitter lemon fruit, a lovely combination that favours oak but is very drinkable and appealing. Graves meets Sancerre. (RH)

Drink
2014
2016
16

Mussler St Laurent 2013 Pfalz

Herby, stemmy, ripe red fruit with a dark smoky edge. Full of personality and flair. Punches above its weight. (RH)

13.5%
Drink
2014
2016
16.5

Mussler, Cuvée S 2013 Pfalz

75% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, 25% Lemberger.
Fairly non-descript fruit, and the palate has a heavy oak element. Hard acid, peppery finish. (RH)

Drink
2015
2016
15

ODINSTAL

Odinstal, Nature Sylvaner 2014 Pfalz

Cloudy gold colour. Conventionalists be warned! 60% oak, 40% amphora (25% whole bunches for nine months). No sulphur added. Potent lemon skin and yoghurt character, some banana and crème fraîche character. Earthy and herbal. Interesting and personable, with nothing too outlandish about it, though it is definitely 'natural'. (RH)

Drink
2015
2017
16.5

Odinstal, Muschelkalk Riesling 2014 Pfalz

Lime marmalade and a seaweed sort of herby note. Chewy texture and surprisingly soft acid. Polished but with grit and grain on the palate to give substance and shape. (RH)

Drink
2015
2022
17 +

Odinstal, Buntsandstein Riesling 2014 Pfalz

Honey and lime zest, floral perfume, more substance and chunkiness than their Muschelkalk. Creamy and ripe on the palate with impressive length. Plump by Riesling standards. (RH)

13%
Drink
2015
2019
17

Odinstal, Basalt Weissburgunder 2014 Pfalz

Salty, volcanic – definite lava stink here. Has a quality similar to Santorini or Tenerife – fibrous yet creamy. Apricot fruit. Resplendent, expressive – the true face of Pinot Blanc. (RH)

Drink
2015
2018
17 +

Odinstal, Basalt Riesling 2005 Pfalz

Slinks out of the glass – bright but with a creamy character too. Just a touch of oxidative orange peel scent on the finish. Long, fragrant length with a nutty character. (RH)

13.5%
Drink
2007
2016
17

Odinstal, 350 NN Gewurztraminer 2014 Pfalz

From vineyards 350 metres above sea level.
Quite suppressed aromatic scent, very little of the flamboyance that usually characterises this variety. Has a sort of milkiness on the palate. Finishes dry. (RH)

Drink
2015
2016
16

Odinstal, Wachenheimer Schlossberg Rieslaner Auslese 2014 Pfalz

Very little aroma, but sufficient fruit on the palate with well-balanced acid and sweetness (just over 100 g/l of residual sugar). A tickling sulphur prickle on the throat. Not at all cloying; really precise – but the flavour range is pretty conservative. (RH)

Drink
2016
2019
16

REICHSRAT VON BUHL

Reichsrat von Buhl, Riesling Deutscher Sekt Brut 2013 Pfalz

RS 6.9 g/l, TA 10.2 g/l. 7 mg free SO2. First wine made by the new team.
Combines yeasty autolysis and lime freshness. Splendid purity on the palate, crystal clear and accurate. Not merely technical though, there is a lovely umami savoury character giving soy and mushroom character. Returning to the nose, it is really sophisticated and attractive. (RH)

Drink
2015
2018
€14.90 RRP
16.5 +

Reichsrat von Buhl Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Pfalz

RS 0.6 g/l, TA 9.2 g/l.
Ripe vegetal character, brisk citrus fruit and lots of concentration. Not austere, but certainly tight and dense. Slate finish. (RH)

Drink
2015
2017
16

Reichsrat von Buhl Riesling 2014 Pfalz

Production of 50,000 bottles. RS 0.8 g/l. Blend of seven different parcels of what is effectively Spätlese trocken – though that term is not stated on the label, as per the VDP rules.
Regal perfume, floral and limey, slaty and saline. Persistent, pure fruit with lovely clarity and polish. (RH)

Drink
2015
2018
16.5

Reichsrat von Buhl, Deidesheimer Riesling 2014 Pfalz

RS 0.7 g/l, TA 8.7 g/l.
Subtle oil aromas, lime juice, snappy finish with a defined stony edge. Orange peel and a touch of leafiness. Excellent definition and great resonance: smart, brisk, crisp but not austere. (RH)

13%
Drink
2015
2019
17

RIFFEL

Riffel, Binger Scharlachberg Turm Silvaner 2013 Rheinhessen

Cooked vegetables on the nose – some underripeness? Has an almost celery sort of flavour. Nicely balanced on the palate, technically correct, and there’s good persistence on the finish, but the flavour is quite green. (RH)

Drink
2014
2016
16

Riffel, Riesling trocken 2014 Rheinhessen

Rich and quite thickly textured. Finishes dry, but has a sweetness to the fruit that also gives the volume. Appealing, easy-drinking. (RH)

Drink
2015
2016
16

MARKUS SCHNEIDER

Markus Schneider, Reserve Riesling 2003 Pfalz

From Saumagen. Developed, ripe, honey and a touch of caramel and ginger. Fleshy and creamy on the palate, and a toasty character that is straight out of the Hunter Semillon rulebook. (RH)

12.5%
Drink
2005
2018
17

Markus Schneider, Holy Moly Syrah 2012 Pfalz

Stunning fruit and pepper scent. Beautifully crafted – the scent is pure Syrah – violets and black fruit. Juicy on the palate, loads of spicy oak too. It’s modern and sleek with no earthy Rhône character, but it isn’t as heavy as South Australia. A complete triumph! (RH)

14.5%
Drink
2015
2027
17.5

Markus Schneider, Holy Moly Syrah 2009 Pfalz

Stemmy notes and quite baked fruit. Smoked bacon and hickory character – sweet but pungent. Impressive but not as rounded and complete as the 2012. (RH)

15%
Drink
2011
2017
17

Markus Schneider, Tailor Reserve 2007 Pfalz

Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Opulent, bursting with fruit, and with a great deal of balsamic and sweet spice. Firm structure, but the tannin has a plushness that is really drinkable. More like Bolgheri than Bordeaux, but very much valid in its own right. (RH)

14%
Drink
2010
2020
17

Markus Schneider, Tailor Reserve 2004 Pfalz

Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
The astonishing thing about this wine is the genuine Bordelais maturity – cedar, spice, marzipan, black cherry – it is complete and vibrant and has a port-like juiciness to the fruit. This is a phenomenon – it must be tasted to be believed! (RH)

14%
Drink
2008
2024
18

Markus Schneider, Botas 2012 Pfalz

Fortified. Made from Cabernet Cubin, a 1970s cross of Blaufränkisch and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Minty, spirity and fragrant. Dense, hot, potent and fragrant. Glossy texture, lovely balance and intensity. Succulent but simple and satisfying. (RH)

20%
Drink
2014
2018
17

STRAUCH

Strauch, Isabel Demi-Sec NV Rheinhessen

Scheurrebe, Muscat and Gewurztraminer.
Weird honey and bitter citrus fruit, plus tinned sweetcorn flavour. Finishes very sweetly. (RH)

Drink
2015
0
14

VON WINNING

von Winning, I Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Pfalz

75% oak aged, of which 15% was new, for 12 months.
Bold nose with lots of Graves-style spice, butter, cream and white chocolate. Savoury yet full of extravagant flavour. (RH)

12.5%
Drink
2015
2017
17