It is always thrilling to come across an exciting new producer and ![]()
Germany seems particularly well-endowed in this respect. Alexandra Künstler and Konstantin Weiser started out in 2005, taking a long lease on some steep, slate slopes of ungrafted Riesling vines in Enkirch near Traben-Trarbach to which they added more land last year and now have a grand total of 2.5 ha (6.5 acres) in Enkircher Ellergrub, Enkircher Zeppwingert and Trabener Gaispfad, all ranked highly in the official classification of 1897 (the one Erni Loosen pored over in our BBC tv series). They are from southern Germany but met in the Mosel. After his wine studies Konstantin worked with various other producers including Leitz in the Rheingau.
Here’s how they describe themselves on their well-written website: “Our philosophy is not about wine-‘making’. We rather see ourselves as respectful companions in the process of the development from grape to wine. So we believe in the unique character and the potential of ungrafted vines in sites untouched by modern reparcelling. In order to fulfil the demands imposed by such a treasure, we do not shrink from the additional expenditure of purely manual labour.”
Germany seems particularly well-endowed in this respect. Alexandra Künstler and Konstantin Weiser started out in 2005, taking a long lease on some steep, slate slopes of ungrafted Riesling vines in Enkirch near Traben-Trarbach to which they added more land last year and now have a grand total of 2.5 ha (6.5 acres) in Enkircher Ellergrub, Enkircher Zeppwingert and Trabener Gaispfad, all ranked highly in the official classification of 1897 (the one Erni Loosen pored over in our BBC tv series). They are from southern Germany but met in the Mosel. After his wine studies Konstantin worked with various other producers including Leitz in the Rheingau. Here’s how they describe themselves on their well-written website: “Our philosophy is not about wine-‘making’. We rather see ourselves as respectful companions in the process of the development from grape to wine. So we believe in the unique character and the potential of ungrafted vines in sites untouched by modern reparcelling. In order to fulfil the demands imposed by such a treasure, we do not shrink from the additional expenditure of purely manual labour.”
As far as I can tell from a single tasting of their 2006s, they have certainly succeeded in preserving great personality in their wines. The Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Kabinett 2006 Mosel is wonderfully correct and lively with impressive extract and real zest while the Spätlese too is marked by unusual density and an engaging streak of green fruit flavours. The Auslese is even better with such fullness, despite its low level of alcohol, that it positively reverberates on the palate. I’d drink the Kabinett 2008-12, the Spätlese 2009-15 and the Auslese 2010-18. They also made a Beerenauslese and even a Trockenbeerenauslese in 2006 which I did not taste. (It’s always so difficult at a big German tasting, as it can penalise the drier wines unfairly to taste them immediately after a very sweet one. And then the tendency is to run out of time in which to do a second circuit of the BAs and TBAs. Such problems..) To have such a combination of purity and density is rare.
In the UK Howard Ripley will be offering these wines from next month at prices from £36 per case of six in bond for the Kabinett to £296 for six halves of the TBA. They are also selling to Norma Vinimport in Frederiksberg in Denmark. Within Germany wines can be ordered from www.weinladen.com and www.belvini.de. I can’t find any record of Weiser wines on winesearcher.com but I trust that it is possible both to order and to find out more via weingut@weiser-kuenstler.de
The only thing that is (unfairly) slightly offputting is the similarity of the name Weiser to that of the anti-hero in the extraordinarily spooky Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others. Go see it. Go buy these wines. There is no connection whatsoever between them.
The only thing that is (unfairly) slightly offputting is the similarity of the name Weiser to that of the anti-hero in the extraordinarily spooky Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others. Go see it. Go buy these wines. There is no connection whatsoever between them.