Wine & Spirits - Winter 2016 - 73

C. von Schubert

Carl von Schubert
Xxxxxxx
& StefanXxxxxx
Kraml

G ERMANY
XXXXXXXX
R HEINGAU

TOP 100 WINERIES 2016

G ERMANY
XXXXXXXX
M OSEL

Domdechant Werner
Founded: 966
Winemaker/viticulturist:
Founded: XXXX
Stefan Kraml
Owner/winemaker/viticulturist:
Owner: Dr. Carl von Schubert
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX
Acres owned: 85
Acres owned: XXX
Annual production: 18,000 cases
Cases produced: XXXXXX
Estate grown: 100%
Estate grown: 100%
Importer: Loosen Bros. USA,
Importer: Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx, XX
Salem, OR
Website: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Website: vonschubert.com

This is C. von Schubert's 12th appearance as a Top 100 Winery, its wines again
proving the special character of its land alongside the Ruwer River.
Deep Roots: Vines have grown on the slopes of this Mosel tributary
since Roman times. In the Middle Ages, it was the monks of the
Abbey of Saint Maximin who named these vineyards and made them
famous: Herrenberg fruit went to make wines for the choirmasters;
the Abtsberg supplied the abbot, while the Bruderberg wines-from
the smallest parcel-went to the brothers. Today, the estate is run by
Carl von Schubert, whose family has managed to keep it intact for
five generations.
Exemplary Basics: Perhaps the best test of a vineyard-not to mention
a winemaker-is a challenging vintage. That was 2014, plagued by
the coolest, dampest August in decades, and heavy rain in early October. Von Schubert and winemaker Stefan Kraml chose not to make
anything above Spätlese-level ripeness. And those Spätlesen represent some pretty great fruit: The Herrenberg, for example, is completely delicious, bursting with juicy flavor in shades of yellow fruit,
its floral and herbal notes accenting the ethereal feel of the wine. And
at the often overlooked QbA end of the spectrum, Abtsberg's old
vines, planted on a steep slope of blue Devonian slate, gave
an Alte Reben QbA Trocken that's as profound in its sense
of minerality as it is zesty and bright.
Superior: Since Kraml came on in 2004, he's weaned the
vines off of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, dropped
yields and moved to ambient yeast fermentations, many
of which he does in traditional, large oak fuder made from
the estate's own trees. He's also introduced the "Superior"
wines, made in a traditional feinherb style, fermented
in fuder and bottled with a little residual sugar. In 2014,
the treatment seems to magnify the character of each
vineyard, and lends the wines extra strength. The Abtsberg, for instance, emphasizes the filigreed delicacy and
peach scents common to the fruit off its cool blue slate,
as well as the profundity of its mineral flavors. It's not
recognizably sweet; rather, this is sugar as muscle, making the best of a vintage short on sun. -T.Q.T.

TOP-SCORING WINES

MichaelXxxxxx
Bott
Xxxxxxx

Founded: 1780
Winemaker/viticulturist:
Founded: XXXX
Michael Bott
Owner/winemaker/viticulturist:
Owner: Dr. Franz Werner Michel
XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX
Acres owned: 32
Acres owned: XXX
Annual production: 9,000 cases
Cases produced: XXXXXX
Estate grown: 100%
Estate grown: 100%
Importer: Slocum & Sons,
Importer: Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx, XX
New Haven, CT; Langdon Shiverick,
Website: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Los Angeles, CA
Website: domdechantwerner.com

Domdechant Werner anchors the eastern end of the Rheingau with a portfolio
of cask-fermented rieslings that reflect the rich soils and protected sites along
the River Main.
The Dean's Wines: The Werner family has run this estate in Hochheim
since 1780, when Johann Baptista Werner purchased it. His eldest
son, Franz, was the domdechant (dean) of the Mainz Cathedral, and
oversaw its restoration after it was ransacked in the Siege of Mainz in
1793. Today, Dr. Franz Werner Michel, the seventh generation, runs
the estate with his daughter Catharina Mauritz, overseeing 32 acres
of vineyards along the Main River. One of their most prized parcels
is the Hochheimer Domdechaney, a south-facing slope with deep
loam-loess soils that was once reserved for the church deans. Highly
regarded for its ability to weather heat and drought, the vineyard
also handled the wild temperature swings of 2013 well, turning out
an electric Auslese, its lemon and spice flavors structured for aging.
Great Vineyards: The Werners are one of the largest landholders in the
Hochheimer Kirchenstück, a south-facing slope of light, sandy soil
protected at the top by the high walls of the Church of St. Peter and
Paul. In 2012, it grew a standout Grosses Gewächs, savory in its mineral intensity, lasting with a salty mouthwatering quality.
Patience: Michael Bott has managed Werner's cellars and
vineyards for 25 years, maintaining the estate's reputation for cask-fermented wines. He and his crew rely more
on handwork than chemicals to control disease in the
vines; in 2013, they were in the vineyards constantly,
pruning short branches, dividing clusters and picking
out any sunburned or botrytised berries. The work paid
off, especially in the Hochheimer Kirchenstück Riesling Beerenauslese. Harvested in numerous passes
through early November, the fruit came in healthy
and intensely ripe. The wine is as rich in golden color
as it is in dark, toasty flavors, the botrytis lending a
buckwheat honey tone to the candied-orange finish.
It glows with warm spice, while the acidity sweeps the
wine along, leaving the palate surprisingly clean for all
that weight. -T.Q.T.

TOP-SCORING WINES

XX '14
93
'XX Maximin
XxxxxxxxGrünhauser
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
Herrenberg
$XX (XX/XX)
QbA Superior $60 (12/15)

XX '13
94
'XX Hochheimer
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Kirchenstück
Xxxxx $XX
Riesling
(XX/XX)
BA $323 (12/15)

XX '14
92
'XX Maximin
XxxxxxxxGrünhauser
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
Herrenberg
$XX (XX/XX)
Spätlese $38 (12/15)

XX '13
93
'XX Hochheimer
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Kirchenstück
Xxxxx $XX
Riesling
(XX/XX)
QbA Trocken $38 (12/15)

XX '14
92
'XX Maximin
XxxxxxxxGrünhauser
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
Abtsberg
$XX (XX/XX)
QbA Superior $65 (12/15)

XX '12
93
'XX Hochheimer
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Kirchenstück
Xxxxx $XX
Riesling
(XX/XX)
GG $52 (12/15)
WINE & SPIRITS

BUYING GUIDE 2017

http://www.vonschubert.com http://www.domdechantwerner.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - Winter 2016