The Schafer-Frohlich sponti, does it ever go away?

[RyanC]

I’ve only had a small handful of aged S-F GGs (even those have been only moderately aged), but those I’ve had have been spellbinding. These age gorgeously. I’m a buyer.

[David_Bu3ker]

Jayson, that’s the Felsenberg, c’mon, up your game.

I didn’t bring it, but I did taste it. I brought 2001 Muller-Catoir Burgergarten Kabi Halbtrocken and 2004 Donnhoff Brucke Spatlese to that #rieslingstudy.

I miss those HGS-made Catoir Halbtrockens. The 1998 Burgergarten Spatlese Halbtrocken was a gateway to off-dry Riesling for me.

[Robert_Dentice]

Where does one find pre-2012 S-F GGs these days? Maybe I should add it to my “I have never” list

Make it to a Rieslingstudy and I’m sure one will be around.

Yep we can make that happen!

[DougS]

I’m not familiar enough with these wines to have an opinion, but when I hear rotten egg, I think reduction. Is something like rotten egg being attributed to fermentation yeast rather than reduction, or might there be both types of funk in some of these wines?

Side note: when I first tasted the 2015 Rings Saumagen GG, it was so reduced I thought the wine was permanently flawed. I tried it again a couple of years ago and it was really coming around. Shows what I know. I guess I would have said the same thing about older era Prüm had I not known their track record.

What’s the Stink? – Lars Carlberg: Mosel Wine

Thanks, that’s an interesting article with interesting comments below. Both Lars and Ulli Stein seem to be saying the sulfury smell (eggs or however it seems to you) is sulfur related reduction, and that reductive funk and “sponti” funk can kind of amplify each other. Is that your understanding?

[Robert_Dentice]

I’m not familiar enough with these wines to have an opinion, but when I hear rotten egg, I think reduction. Is something like rotten egg being attributed to fermentation yeast rather than reduction, or might there be both types of funk in some of these wines?

Side note: when I first tasted the 2015 Rings Saumagen GG, it was so reduced I thought the wine was permanently flawed. I tried it again a couple of years ago and it was really coming around. Shows what I know. I guess I would have said the same thing about older era Prüm had I not known their track record.

What’s the Stink? – Lars Carlberg: Mosel Wine

Thanks, that’s an interesting article with interesting comments below. Both Lars and Ulli Stein seem to be saying the sulfury smell (eggs or however it seems to you) is sulfur related reduction, and that reductive funk and “sponti” funk can kind of amplify each other. Is that your understanding?

To me it is the combination of spontaneous fermentation and air tight vessels. Although I could be oversimplifying this. But it does help explain why the smell goes away with air.

[Mike_C1]

Like this one?

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That was the one I brought—still have a ‘11 for the next Rieslingstudy!

[Russell_Faulkner]

I must reread that article. Most of the wines I drink are fermented spontaneously with native yeasts but the Sponti aroma are quite limited to Germany, but a BdB Pinot we stock also has it, so it’s not just Riesling.

[Robert_Dentice]

I must reread that article. Most of the wines I drink are fermented spontaneously with native yeasts but the Sponti aroma are quite limited to Germany, but a BdB Pinot we stock also has it, so it’s not just Riesling.

Hi Russell - I do seem to recall that Sponti is unique or more common to Riesling.

Hopefully Lars will chime who obviously knows a lot about this topic.

[Ian_S]

30 years of Riesling drinking has shown that to be true for me.

Riesling Royalty! Any luck on a few other bullet points from your resumé, Sir David? Who doesn’t love a tidbit or two from one of our resident boffins?

[Martin_Zwick]

Don‘t worry, it will go away. I had some 2007 Felseneck GG and NO flavors of spontaneous fermentation.