3x 2019 Falkenstein Kabinetts

Jayson_Cohen · October 28, 2020, 2:28am

I like the significant evolution over (especially) the first 3-4 days open. Really interesting.

At this point I don’t think I’ll get my note up on the 2019 #11 (from 750) until the weekend. But I drank it over 4 days. Excellent. And it has a lot of structure on which to age, which is especially apparent on Day 4.

Lars_Carlberg · October 28, 2020, 8:53pm

Someone asked me to reply to this thread. When Erich Weber first started to make his own wines in the early eighties, he only produced bone-dry Saar Rieslings and had a devoted following who snatched up all of his wines, and he never sought to have a private cellar of back vintages. Even now, he and his middle son, Johannes, have no desire to store lots of bottles from multiple vintages in a “treasure chamber.” This doesn’t mean, however, that their Rieslings don’t age. On the contrary, the wines age very well.

Howard_Cooper · October 28, 2020, 9:23pm

Lars,

I had a couple of wines from the late 80s or early 90s from the winery and now have had wines from 2015 and 2017. So, I have a bit of experience with the estate but not that much - I will have more over time as I am buying more wines from the estate. I thought that the wines from years ago were more austere young and showed its structure a lot more than it showed its fruit (at least young than the wines do today. What I have found with the more recent wines I have had is also excellent structure but more fruit and a good deal of dry extract showing as excellent minerality. I cannot compare aging ability as I have not had any mature wines from the estate. Do you think I am close or way off base in my comments?

Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r · October 28, 2020, 10:22pm

Someone = me

Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r · October 28, 2020, 10:23pm

Someone asked me to reply to this thread. When Erich Weber first started to make his own wines in the early eighties, he only produced bone-dry Saar Rieslings and had a devoted following who snatched up all of his wines, and he never sought to have a private cellar of back vintages. Even now, he and his middle son, Johannes, have no desire to store lots of bottles from multiple vintages in a “treasure chamber.” This doesn’t mean, however, that their Rieslings don’t age. On the contrary, the wines age very well.

Lars,

I had a couple of wines from the late 80s or early 90s from the winery and now have had wines from 2015 and 2017. So, I have a bit of experience with the estate but not that much - I will have more over time as I am buying more wines from the estate. I thought that the wines from years ago were more austere young and showed its structure a lot more than it showed its fruit (at least young than the wines do today. What I have found with the more recent wines I have had is also excellent structure but more fruit and a good deal of dry extract showing as excellent minerality. I cannot compare aging ability as I have not had any mature wines from the estate. Do you think I am close or way off base in my comments?

I wonder how much of this is a general reflection of climate change and better ripening of grapes in the Saar.

Howard_Cooper · October 28, 2020, 11:41pm

Someone asked me to reply to this thread. When Erich Weber first started to make his own wines in the early eighties, he only produced bone-dry Saar Rieslings and had a devoted following who snatched up all of his wines, and he never sought to have a private cellar of back vintages. Even now, he and his middle son, Johannes, have no desire to store lots of bottles from multiple vintages in a “treasure chamber.” This doesn’t mean, however, that their Rieslings don’t age. On the contrary, the wines age very well.

Lars,

I had a couple of wines from the late 80s or early 90s from the winery and now have had wines from 2015 and 2017. So, I have a bit of experience with the estate but not that much - I will have more over time as I am buying more wines from the estate. I thought that the wines from years ago were more austere young and showed its structure a lot more than it showed its fruit (at least young than the wines do today. What I have found with the more recent wines I have had is also excellent structure but more fruit and a good deal of dry extract showing as excellent minerality. I cannot compare aging ability as I have not had any mature wines from the estate. Do you think I am close or way off base in my comments?

I wonder how much of this is a general reflection of climate change and better ripening of grapes in the Saar.

I think the first one I had was a 1989, a pretty warm vintage, even in the Saar. My guess is that there was a good bit of fruit there but that it was hidden beneath the structure - although the grapes could have been picked earlier or something like that.

Pau1_M3nk3s · October 29, 2020, 3:12am

Just popped open a Krettnacher Altenberg Riesling Spätlese Trocken #7 and see what the hub-bub is all about: mineral with fruit and an electrical charge (dry extract?) that is very nicely balanced. After protesting that I cannot forecast young Riesling, well, this one seems to telling me that there is a lot in store as the fruit, mineral and extract gain complexity, at least for the midterm. Glad I picked these up. Stoppering the bottle and may report back in the next couple of days.

Lars_Carlberg · October 29, 2020, 5:49am

Someone asked me to reply to this thread. When Erich Weber first started to make his own wines in the early eighties, he only produced bone-dry Saar Rieslings and had a devoted following who snatched up all of his wines, and he never sought to have a private cellar of back vintages. Even now, he and his middle son, Johannes, have no desire to store lots of bottles from multiple vintages in a “treasure chamber.” This doesn’t mean, however, that their Rieslings don’t age. On the contrary, the wines age very well.

Lars,

I had a couple of wines from the late 80s or early 90s from the winery and now have had wines from 2015 and 2017. So, I have a bit of experience with the estate but not that much - I will have more over time as I am buying more wines from the estate. I thought that the wines from years ago were more austere young and showed its structure a lot more than it showed its fruit (at least young than the wines do today. What I have found with the more recent wines I have had is also excellent structure but more fruit and a good deal of dry extract showing as excellent minerality. I cannot compare aging ability as I have not had any mature wines from the estate. Do you think I am close or way off base in my comments?

Yes, I think you’re right.

In the 2013 vintage, the Webers also replaced their old screw press with a pneumatic press, which is pretty standard.

Lars_Carlberg · October 29, 2020, 5:58am

Someone asked me to reply to this thread. When Erich Weber first started to make his own wines in the early eighties, he only produced bone-dry Saar Rieslings and had a devoted following who snatched up all of his wines, and he never sought to have a private cellar of back vintages. Even now, he and his middle son, Johannes, have no desire to store lots of bottles from multiple vintages in a “treasure chamber.” This doesn’t mean, however, that their Rieslings don’t age. On the contrary, the wines age very well.

Lars,

I had a couple of wines from the late 80s or early 90s from the winery and now have had wines from 2015 and 2017. So, I have a bit of experience with the estate but not that much - I will have more over time as I am buying more wines from the estate. I thought that the wines from years ago were more austere young and showed its structure a lot more than it showed its fruit (at least young than the wines do today. What I have found with the more recent wines I have had is also excellent structure but more fruit and a good deal of dry extract showing as excellent minerality. I cannot compare aging ability as I have not had any mature wines from the estate. Do you think I am close or way off base in my comments?

I wonder how much of this is a general reflection of climate change and better ripening of grapes in the Saar.

It plays a role for sure. In the 2020 vintage, must weights on the Saar were low, but this was due to a lack of rain in the summer, which affected the young vines adversely. The drought conditions are also a reflection of climate change.