Presentation of the 2011 vintage

31.8./1.9.2012, special guest: Johannes Strate (Bandleader Revolverheld)

David Schildknecht via www.erobertparker.com:

Gernot Kollmann picked most of his best parcels in the third week of October, although botrytis pressure forced him to attack some vines earlier. Even with such a relatively late harvest and a vintage this ripe, he has been able to bottle wines with finished alcohol between 12-12,5%, in keeping with a continued goal of achieving levity. Vine age, genetic diversity, and lack of grafts have much to do, in Kollmann’s (and many another Mosel vintner’s) view, with their fruit ripening at relatively low must weights. These wines display the sort of balance thal long-time (and last family) proprietor Georg Immich adored, although I regret that one certainly cannot credit as prohpetic his belief that halbtrocken would, before the last century was out, become the sensible and aesthetically norm among „dry“ German Rieslings! (Perhaps one day still, though.) He has managed to secure significant numbers of wholesome used barrels of 300-liter capacity, substituting these increasingly for classic 225-liter barriques; but reports that, sadly, he cannot locate suitable used 500- or 600-liter demi-muids nor, for the time being, afford to introduce newly constructed fuders on the classic Mosel model. (For more on the recent evolution – indeed, veritable resurrection – of this venerable estate, please consult my reports in issues 199 and 192. The first, strikingly delicious Chardonnay-dominated wine has appeared from Weingut Rinke’s dramatically-steep and -restored mussel-chalk terraces on the Upper Mosel, a Kollmann project about which I’ll write further in future, though that arguably belongs in the context of covering neighboring Luxemburg, or even Champagne.)

Imported by Louis/Dressner Selections, New York; tel. (212) 334-8191

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Riesling C A I

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 90

Fifteen in part geographically disparate contract lots informed the 30,000 bottles of Immich-Batterieberg 2011 Riesling Kabinett C.A.I., including – as in 2010 – a majority of Dhronhofberger from Kohl-Staudt Weinhofgut Amtsgarten, considerable Oberemmel and Wiltinger Riesling courtesy of Moritz Gogrewe, plus contibutions from Kinheim, Kröv, Wolf (all near-by) and Enkirch itself. Genuinely dry- though not labeled as such – this is consistent with the standards set by its two predecessors, emphasizing levity, precision of flavor, and genuine interactivty. The vividness and lusciousness of flower-garlanded white peach and lime are every bit as much Mosel archetypes as are this wine’s mouthwatering salinity, wet stone understone, and shimmering sense of transparency to nuances that can only – for lack of any better covering term – be called „mineral.“ This exceptional value should serve well for at least the next 3-4 years (The 2010 is even more exciting today than it was a year ago.)

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Riesling Escheburg

A Riesling Medium Dry White Table wine from Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 89

The Immich-Battieberg 2011 Enkircher Riesling Escheburg – a mid-range cuvee drawn on this occasion from around 40% Ellergrub, 40% Batterieberg, and 20% Steffensberg, and not stinting on old, ungrafted vines – is, like the intro-level negociant cuvee „C.A.I.,“ legally dry, though not labeled as such. There’s also a rahter austerely stony, ashen understone, which sets-off the tropical ripeness of fruit flavors, favoring melons, passion fruit, mango and peach. Kollmann seeks to assure me that there was no botrytis in this fruit but it was extremly ripe. A slight majority of the vinification was in tank, which may have enhanced freshness but may also have underscored the wine’s austere side. The charm or interactivity and saliva-inducement of the ostensibly lesser „C.A.I.“ would be welcome here, too, but this is still an excellent and persistent performance that may with a few years acquire other, compensatory virtues.

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Steffensberg Riesling

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Steffensberg, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 90+

Drink: 2013 – 2017

Peppermint, cassis, and struck flint pungently inform the nose of Immich-Batterieber’s 2011 Enkircher Steffensberg Riesling; then join hints of spice from barrel as well as grapefruit and kumquat oils in accenting a juicy reserve of white peach. Palpably dense and phenolically pronounced, this, nonetheless, serves for ample refreshment, and its prolonged, wet stone-underlain finish offers a welcome sense of buoyancy. It seems to me quite easy to imagine that were only another half percent of alcohol present, this wine’s bitter elements would be too reinforced and its sense of buoyancy compromised. I am inclined to anticipate this being best drunk over the next 3-4 years. Kollmann cautions me, though, that Steffensberg was more expressive before as well as immediately following bottling than the corresponding wine from the Batterieberg, and that it might well be suffering more from its recent bottling. As for the wine’s pungently reductive cast, I can testify from my experience in the 1980s with Georg Immich’s wines that it is at least partly associated with Steffensberg terroir.

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Batterieberg Riesling

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Batterieberg, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany.
Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 92

A greenhouse- or florist’s-like amalgam of laefing and flowering things joins with intimations of alkalinity and wet stone in the nose of Immich-Batterieberg’s 2011 Enkircher Battierberg Riesling. Its juicy lemon and lime brightness enlivens a complex matrix of white peach, apricot and crabapple suffused with fruit pit, diverse flower petals, crushed stone, mustard seed and freshly-milled grain on a subtly satiny palate. This finishes with lift and shimmeringly interactive intensity of floral, herbal, fruit and mineral components. I would expect it to perform well for a least 15 years.

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Ellergrub, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 94

The Immich-Batterieberg 2011 Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling is fascinatingly and alluringly floral, incorporating musky narcissus and peony, chamomile and lavender, as well as sweet scents of honeysuckle and apple blossom. These, along with mint and hints of citrus oils, garland succulently juicy white peach which – like the impression of liquid floral perfume itself – is beautifully underscored by a subtle hint of sweetness from 17 grams of residual sugar on a seductively silken yet invigorantingly juicy palate. A cyanic hint of peach kernel, nutty bitter sweetness of almond, kiss of wet stone, and saliva-drawing salinity help intriguingly extend a buoyant, kaleidoscopically-interactive, and refreshing finish. This beauty should dazzle for at least two decades.

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Zeppwingert Riesling

Riesling Dry White Table wine from Zeppwingert, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany.
Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 93

From old vines immediately adjacent to the Batterieberg yet always giving distinctly different vinous results, the 2011 Enkircher Zeppwingert Riesling is the only „dry“ wine in its collection whose fruit was influenced by botrytis. Quince, white peach and bittersweet liquid floral perfumes cavort against a background of wet stone on a silken, expansive, deeply rich, yet still-refreshing palate, nuances of peach kernel, almond, black tea, and ginseng adding to the dynamically interactive finish of a Riesling that manages to at once sooth and enervate. As one has come to expect from Kollmann, this wine is adroitly-balanced, its 22 grams of residual sugar entirely supportive yet leaving behind only the subtlest impression of sweetness per se. Look for at least two decades of satisfaction.

David Schildknecht via www.erobertparker.com:

Gernot Kollmann picked most of his best parcels in the third week of October, although botrytis pressure forced him to attack some vines earlier. Even with such a relatively late harvest and a vintage this ripe, he has been able to bottle wines with finished alcohol between 12-12,5%, in keeping with a continued goal of achieving levity. Vine age, genetic diversity, and lack of grafts have much to do, in Kollmann’s (and many another Mosel vintner’s) view, with their fruit ripening at relatively low must weights. These wines display the sort of balance thal long-time (and last family) proprietor Georg Immich adored, although I regret that one certainly cannot credit as prohpetic his belief that halbtrocken would, before the last century was out, become the sensible and aesthetically norm among „dry“ German Rieslings! (Perhaps one day still, though.) He has managed to secure significant numbers of wholesome used barrels of 300-liter capacity, substituting these increasingly for classic 225-liter barriques; but reports that, sadly, he cannot locate suitable used 500- or 600-liter demi-muids nor, for the time being, afford to introduce newly constructed fuders on the classic Mosel model. (For more on the recent evolution – indeed, veritable resurrection – of this venerable estate, please consult my reports in issues 199 and 192. The first, strikingly delicious Chardonnay-dominated wine has appeared from Weingut Rinke’s dramatically-steep and -restored mussel-chalk terraces on the Upper Mosel, a Kollmann project about which I’ll write further in future, though that arguably belongs in the context of covering neighboring Luxemburg, or even Champagne.)

Imported by Louis/Dressner Selections, New York; tel. (212) 334-8191

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Riesling C A I

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 90

Fifteen in part geographically disparate contract lots informed the 30,000 bottles of Immich-Batterieberg 2011 Riesling Kabinett C.A.I., including – as in 2010 – a majority of Dhronhofberger from Kohl-Staudt Weinhofgut Amtsgarten, considerable Oberemmel and Wiltinger Riesling courtesy of Moritz Gogrewe, plus contibutions from Kinheim, Kröv, Wolf (all near-by) and Enkirch itself. Genuinely dry- though not labeled as such – this is consistent with the standards set by its two predecessors, emphasizing levity, precision of flavor, and genuine interactivty. The vividness and lusciousness of flower-garlanded white peach and lime are every bit as much Mosel archetypes as are this wine’s mouthwatering salinity, wet stone understone, and shimmering sense of transparency to nuances that can only – for lack of any better covering term – be called „mineral.“ This exceptional value should serve well for at least the next 3-4 years (The 2010 is even more exciting today than it was a year ago.)

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Riesling Escheburg

A Riesling Medium Dry White Table wine from Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 89

The Immich-Battieberg 2011 Enkircher Riesling Escheburg – a mid-range cuvee drawn on this occasion from around 40% Ellergrub, 40% Batterieberg, and 20% Steffensberg, and not stinting on old, ungrafted vines – is, like the intro-level negociant cuvee „C.A.I.,“ legally dry, though not labeled as such. There’s also a rahter austerely stony, ashen understone, which sets-off the tropical ripeness of fruit flavors, favoring melons, passion fruit, mango and peach. Kollmann seeks to assure me that there was no botrytis in this fruit but it was extremly ripe. A slight majority of the vinification was in tank, which may have enhanced freshness but may also have underscored the wine’s austere side. The charm or interactivity and saliva-inducement of the ostensibly lesser „C.A.I.“ would be welcome here, too, but this is still an excellent and persistent performance that may with a few years acquire other, compensatory virtues.

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Steffensberg Riesling

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Steffensberg, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 90+

Drink: 2013 – 2017

Peppermint, cassis, and struck flint pungently inform the nose of Immich-Batterieber’s 2011 Enkircher Steffensberg Riesling; then join hints of spice from barrel as well as grapefruit and kumquat oils in accenting a juicy reserve of white peach. Palpably dense and phenolically pronounced, this, nonetheless, serves for ample refreshment, and its prolonged, wet stone-underlain finish offers a welcome sense of buoyancy. It seems to me quite easy to imagine that were only another half percent of alcohol present, this wine’s bitter elements would be too reinforced and its sense of buoyancy compromised. I am inclined to anticipate this being best drunk over the next 3-4 years. Kollmann cautions me, though, that Steffensberg was more expressive before as well as immediately following bottling than the corresponding wine from the Batterieberg, and that it might well be suffering more from its recent bottling. As for the wine’s pungently reductive cast, I can testify from my experience in the 1980s with Georg Immich’s wines that it is at least partly associated with Steffensberg terroir.

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Batterieberg Riesling

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Batterieberg, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany.
Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 92

A greenhouse- or florist’s-like amalgam of laefing and flowering things joins with intimations of alkalinity and wet stone in the nose of Immich-Batterieberg’s 2011 Enkircher Battierberg Riesling. Its juicy lemon and lime brightness enlivens a complex matrix of white peach, apricot and crabapple suffused with fruit pit, diverse flower petals, crushed stone, mustard seed and freshly-milled grain on a subtly satiny palate. This finishes with lift and shimmeringly interactive intensity of floral, herbal, fruit and mineral components. I would expect it to perform well for a least 15 years.

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Ellergrub, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 94

The Immich-Batterieberg 2011 Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling is fascinatingly and alluringly floral, incorporating musky narcissus and peony, chamomile and lavender, as well as sweet scents of honeysuckle and apple blossom. These, along with mint and hints of citrus oils, garland succulently juicy white peach which – like the impression of liquid floral perfume itself – is beautifully underscored by a subtle hint of sweetness from 17 grams of residual sugar on a seductively silken yet invigorantingly juicy palate. A cyanic hint of peach kernel, nutty bitter sweetness of almond, kiss of wet stone, and saliva-drawing salinity help intriguingly extend a buoyant, kaleidoscopically-interactive, and refreshing finish. This beauty should dazzle for at least two decades.

2011 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Zeppwingert Riesling

Riesling Dry White Table wine from Zeppwingert, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany.
Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 199 and 192 (April 2013)
Rating: 93

From old vines immediately adjacent to the Batterieberg yet always giving distinctly different vinous results, the 2011 Enkircher Zeppwingert Riesling is the only „dry“ wine in its collection whose fruit was influenced by botrytis. Quince, white peach and bittersweet liquid floral perfumes cavort against a background of wet stone on a silken, expansive, deeply rich, yet still-refreshing palate, nuances of peach kernel, almond, black tea, and ginseng adding to the dynamically interactive finish of a Riesling that manages to at once sooth and enervate. As one has come to expect from Kollmann, this wine is adroitly-balanced, its 22 grams of residual sugar entirely supportive yet leaving behind only the subtlest impression of sweetness per se. Look for at least two decades of satisfaction.

Stephan Reinhardt via www.weinwisser.com

SR. – Das Enkircher Weingut wurde im Jahre 911 erstmalig urkundlich erwähnt und war zwischen 1425 und 1989 im Besitz der Familie Immich. Seit 2009 gehört es zwei Hamburger Familien, die Gernot Kollmann zum Betriebsverwalter und Kellermeister machten.

Die kleine Gemeinde Enkirch verfügt über vier erstklassige Lagen, die bereits in der preussischen Kartierung von 1868 herausgehoben wurden: Steffensberg, Ellergrub, Grub Zeppwingert und Batterieberg. Immich-Batterieberg hat in allen vier Lagen Besitz, insgesamt 5 Hektar, nichts als Riesling, 90 % davon sind wurzelechte Reben. Die Böden spielen sämtliche Schieferfarben von Grau bis Rot durch. Im Batterieberg kommen Quarzite dazu, den feinsten Schiefer aber findet man in der steilsten Lage, der Ellergrub.

Kollmann bewirtschaftet seine Flächen ökologisch, die Ertragsreduzierung erfolgt allein mit dem Anschnitt im Winter. Im Jahrgang 2009 betrug der Gesamtertrag lediglich 35 hl/ha, jahrgangsbedingt (verzettelte Blüte), aber auch wegen der alten Reben, die im Durchschnitt mindestens 60 Jahre alt sind. Die Lese erfolgt in kleinen roten Bütten, nach der Mühle kommt die Maische für 2-24 Stunden auf die Presse, der Most geht dann per Falldruck für 3-24 Stunden in Edelstahltanks zum Klären. Klärhilfen und Schönungsmittel wie andere Zusätze werden nicht verwendet. Die Vergärung erfolgt spontan im Edelstahl sowie in gebrauchten Barriques, da die alten Fuderfässer nicht mehr zu gebrauchen waren. Wir haben Kollmann Ende September besucht, die meisten Weine waren da gerade erst abgefüllt.

2009 CAI Kabinett: 11,5 Vol.-%. Von jüngeren, etwa 40-jährigen Weinbergen. Helles Strohgelb. Saftige Rieslingfrucht mit würzigen Sponti-Noten und zartem Schieferton. Vollmundiger Gaumen mit feiner Schieferrasse und salzigem Finale, deutliche Restsüsse, intensiver, recht nachhaltiger Geschmack. Sehr guter, recht fülliger Kabinett. (9 EUR) 16/20 trinken -2020

2009 Steffensberg: Gemischter Schiefer mit höherem Anteil von rötlichem Schiefer, tieferer Boden als sonst. Die Lage wurde flurbereinigt, allein die unterste Parzelle blieb verschont, daher gibt es hier noch wurzelechte Reben. Ausschliesslich von deren Trauben stammt dieser Wein, während die anderen Trauben im Escheburg oder CAI verarbeitet werden. Nur 4 g Restzucker, 12,5 Vol.-% Alk. Holzfassvergärung und -ausbau in fünf alten Barriques. Kräftiges Gelb. Tiefe, substanzreiche, würzig-mineralische Nase mit satter, saftiger Stein- und Kernobstfrucht, reife Birnen, mit mehr Luft feine Kräuternoten vom roten Schiefer. Stoffiger , aber gnadenlos trockener Gaumen mit leichtem Hefeschmelz und zarter Barriquewürze, besitzt viel mineralische Substanz und eine noch zurückhaltende Frucht. Im Ende fehlt die Länge. Dekantiert besser? (22 EUR) 16+/20 2013-2022

2009 Batterieberg: Je zur Hälfte im Edelstahl und in gebrauchten Barriques ausgebaut. 12 Vol.-%, 16 g Restzucker. Recht ausgeprägte Sponti-Würze, kühle Mineralik, helles Kernobst, Knäckebrot, mit mehr Luft immer feinduftiger werdend, getrocknete Apfelringe. Am Gaumen mit spürbarer Fruchtsüsse und angenehm mineralischer Fülle, elegant, reife Säure, pikant, schöne puristische Länge, ausgewogen. (22 EUR) 17/20 2016-2030

2009 Ellergrub: 80 % Barrique, 20 % Stahl. Extrem flachgründiger Schieferboden, stark verwitterter grauer und blauer Schiefer, nur wenig roter und wenig Quarzit. Klares helles Gelb mit grünlichen Reflexen. Sehr feines Rieslingbouquet, kühle, klare Schiefermineralik mit deutlichen Kräuternoten und feiner reifer Frucht von weissem Kern- und Steinobst. Am Gaumen schlank, aber fest, komplex und nachhaltig. Zeigt einen tollen Purismus mit feingliedriger Rasse, delikater Mineralität und einer bemerkenswert feinen Fruchtausprägung. Geradlinige Eleganz. (24 EUR) 17+/20 2018-2030

2009 Enkircher „Escheburg“: Dieser Wein ist die Synthese aller Toplagen, aber eben deren B-Selektionen. Doch auch für diesen Wein werden nur Trauben verwendet, die von wurzelechten Reben stammen. 90 % Edelstahl. 11,5 Vol.-%, 29 g Restzucker. Kräftiges Gelb. Satte, gelbfleischige Frucht mit feiner Schieferwürze, wild. Saftiger, mineralisch strukturierter Gaumen, leicht salzig, reifer und getrockneter Apfel, schöne Länge, sinnlich. Spassig und komplex zugleich. 4 000 Flaschen. (14,50 EUR) 17/20 trinken -2030

2009 Batterieberg Auslese: 100 % sauber ausgelesene Botrytis, 128 g Gesamtalkohol, 100 g Restzucker, 10 Promille Säure, 9 Vol.-% Alk. Kollmann: „Ich will etwas Weiniges im Süsswein haben. Diese Schmerzen an den Zähnen brauche ich nicht. Auch nicht diese in der Gärung gestoppten Fruchtkörbe.“ Sehr helles Gelb. Sehr klare und feine Frucht. Am Gaumen delikat und vornehm, dichtes, fein strukturiertes Fruchtfleisch, feinste Rosine, sehr klar und angenehm rassig, filigraner, hochfeiner und eleganter Typ, enorm trinkig. Delikater Nachhall. (48 EUR/0,375 l) 18/20 2020-2040

Report via www.moselfinewines.com by Jean Fisch and David Rayer.

2009 Enkircher Ellergrub, 92+ Pt.

This offers the most wonderful nose of white peach, white flowers and a delicate touch of fresh herbs. The wine is remarkably elegant and playful on the palate, with great finesse and length. The aromatic purity is remarkable and intriguing at the same time, and this makes it so fascinating to drink. This is a beauty which could ultimately gain further from bottling. It is that good. 2012-2019.

2009 marked the rebirth of one of the historic Estates of the Middle Mosel, the Immich-Batterieberg in Enkirch. The Estate had gone through some rough times after its owner went bankrupt and it is only at the end of 2008 that things took a turn for the better. It was acquired by two wealthy German families, who appointed Gernot Kollmann as Estate Manager. He had already made a name for himself at the Van Volxem and Knebel Estate.

The Estate is now focusing on dry-tasting Riesling and 2009 proved a remarkable success with a stunning collection at all levels (see our Issue No 13 of October 2010 for further information). We were particularly impressed by the Enkircher Ellergrub.

Bericht unter www.captaincork.com von Manfred Klimek.

Warum soll Maat Mally heute nicht überstunden machen und die Mosel talwärts rudern? Da macht er Halt bei Gernot Kollmann und kostet die letzten Rieslinge aus dem Jahr 2009. Zuschlagen!

Es war Flaute. Das machte nichts. Ich bewegte mich flussabwärts. Die Mosel hinab. Auf den Spuren des Captains. Er ist ein guter Kapitän, der seiner Mannschaft sein Wissen um den guten Rebensaft erzählt und ein gutes Gespür beweist. Ein Gespür für Talente und Newcomer. Und damit meine ich nicht mich. Der Captain schrieb als einer der ersten über Gernot Kollmann und über das Weingut Immich Batterieberg, wo Kollmann seit 2009 für die Jahrgänge Verantwortung trägt. Hier gibt es nur Riesling. In allen Lagen. In allen Kategorien.

Dass hier ein erfahrener Weinmacher am Werk ist, einer, der die Kunst der Spontanvergärung perfekt beherrscht, das erkennt man in jenem Moment, in dem man das Glas zur Nase führt. Was für ein Geruch!

Hedonismus einer anderen Dimension

Hier beginnt Hedonismus einer anderen Dimension. Wollen Sie auf Batterieberg vorstellig werden? Schnallen Sie sich bitte gut an, denn bei Kollmann nimmt man als Copilot eines Kunstfliegers Platz.

Das Weingut? Sieht unbedeutend aus. Kein Betonchateau, keine coole Architektur. Ein kleiner Innenhof, etwas Platzmangel. Sicher nicht der Ort (so denkt man), an dem große Weine entstehen. Doch falsch. Denn Kollmann profiliert sich nicht mit schlechter und uniformer Architektur.

Eröffnend servierte uns Kollmann seinen Einstiegsriesling – ein klassischer Riesling, wie er besser nicht sein könnte. Saftig, vibrierend toll. Aber das erzählte uns bereits der Captain.

Steffensberg schmerzt

Darauf folgte der Riesling Steffensberg. Ein Wein, den ich besonders hervorheben möchte, weil er fast schmerzt. So trocken, wie er ist. Ein guter, fast erotischer Schmerz, der den größten Romantiker in einen nach Bestrafung lechzenden Masochisten verwandelt.

Der Steffensberg ist im Holzfass vergoren und wurde anschließend in fünf alten Barriques ausgebaut. Der Wein ist stark von der Lage geprägt, die massiv eisenhaltig ist. Ein Unikat mit einer deutlichen Frucht nach Steinobst, danach Golden-Delicious-äpfel. Mit mehr Luft noch Kräuter, Koriander und Dill. Genial und noch jugendlich verhalten mit einem Hauch von Holzwürze.

Batterieberg braucht

Der Riesling Batterieberg wird erst mit viel Luft zugänglich. Meiner wurde gerade frisch geöffnet. Da heißt es warten. Und es beginnt, wie großer Wein beginnen soll: sehr reduktiv. Und das ist gut so.

Große Weine dürfen nach dem öffnen auch mal übel riechen. Der Batterieberg riecht sofort übel: Zeichen und Zeuge der spontanen Vergärung. Und wieder ein wichtiger Beweis für Reifepotenzial.

Doch dann öffnet sich der Batterieberg. Ich hab’s erlebt. Und dann zeigt er viel Kraft und Mineralität. Erhaben mit einer (blödes Wort) betörenden Rieslingsfrucht, die viel Grapefruit, Weingartenpfirsich und ätherische Thymiannoten mitbringt. Am Gaumen (noch mal das blöde Wort) betörend fruchtsüß mit salzigem Nachhall. Ein Garant für 20 Jahre pures Trinkvergnügen. Da spricht schon die Reduktivität für.

Ellergrub ewig

Am Schluss noch die Ellergrub: Rosenblüten mit Pfirsich, nur helle Früchte kombiniert mit Heilkräutern und Salbei. Dazu auch Tannenzapfen und reife Orangen. Ein (zum dritten Mal das blöde Wort) betörender Hauch von Ewigkeit. Ein extremer Wein, bei dem alles ausgereizt wurde. Dazu eine feine, fast kitzelnde Säure. Aber auch heftig cremig und gigantisch im Nachhall. Hier fehlt es an nichts und nichts ist zu viel.

P.S.: Kollmanns Reben wurzeln in Schiefersteillagen. Einige Rebstöcke aus den Lagen sind wurzelecht. Das heißt, sie überstanden die Reblauskatastrophe in Europa. Wurzelechte Weine sterben aus, da ein EU-Gesetz aus vorbeugenden Gründen das Auspflanzen von unveredelten Rebstöcken verbietet. Das macht Kollmanns Weine zu den letzten ihrer Art.

David Schildknecht via www.erobertparker.com:

Few German wine lovers or even wine growers under the age of 45 are likely to know much about the family-run estate once officially know as Carl August Immich-Batterieberg, even though it farmed one of the traditionally highest-taxed and highest-rated concentrations of vineyards on the Mosel; boasted a history not to mention labels as colorful as any in Germany; and was guided in its final generation by a soft-spoken gentleman who rendered some of the finest exemplars of – and offered some of the most profound insights into – Riesling of any I have been privileged to imbibe.

To go by the recent, lavishly-produced, multi-authored Weinatlas Deutschland, the stretch of vineyards once managed by Immich is scarcely worth mentioning. At one place along this sheer, once-celebrated expanse of blue and red slates the Prussian demolitions expert for whom the estate was named blasted apart what became known – if at first mockingly – as the „Batterieberg.‘

The circumstances surrounding Georg Immich’s 1989 sale of his family’s estate and its subsequent fate make for a tale of personal betrayal, divorce, decline, and criminal deceit too intricate and sensitive – perhaps too sorrowful – and certainly too long for retelling on the present occasion. And besides, the welcome news last year that oenologist Gernot Kollmann and two friends had purchased the by then prostrate estate has now been followed by an astonishingly successful inaugural range of 2009s under the newly-simplified estate name „Immich-Batterieberg,‘ and if you-re entirely ignorant of history or local terroir (as, apparently, are even some self-styled experts) these new wines will tell you everything essential.

Kollmann (who will continue to closely advise the Knebel estate in Winningen) would love to have vinified his new wines in fuder, but the few that remained in his cavernous facilities were unusable, and the approach he took out of expediency – tanks supplemented by seasoned barriques – succeeded far beyond my skeptical imagination. Halbtrocken and trocken Rieslings from Georg Immich’s cellar often remained fresh as well as riveting for 20 or more years, but I have remained very conservative in my projections for this latest collection, since there is no track record under the current regimen.

The estate’s acreage in Enkircher Zeppwingert has been replanted, and following some re-acquisitions this year, total holdings under the new owners correspond closely to those formerly associated with the Immich estate, minus the portion of Ellergrub that is farmed by Weiser-Kunstler under an arrangement with Georg Immich’s widow, and has been described in my recent reports on that young estate. (Incidentally, Terry Theise imported Georg Immich’s Rieslings during his latter years as proprietor.)

Mosel Wine Merchant Trier, Germany (various importers); tel. (413) 429-6176; +49 (0) 651 14551 38

2009 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Batterieberg Riesling

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Batterieberg, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany.
Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 192 (Dec 2010)
Rating: 93
Cost: $52

The -new Immich- 2009 Enkircher Batterieberg Riesling – half of which was brought-up in older barrique – saturates the senses with Bartlett pear, fresh lime, and tartly-edged Maine blueberry wreathed in heliotrope and honeysuckle. Silken-textured and suggestively creamy; caressing, yet lively; palpably extract-rich yet practically delicate (at 12% alcohol) this veritably wafts into its long, luscious, minerally shimmering finish. Plan on following bottles for at least a decade but don’t be surprised it the wine proves a good deal more resilient than that.

2009 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Batterieberg Riesling Auslese

A Riesling Sweet White Dessert wine from Batterieberg, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 192 (Dec 2010)
Rating: 94

Picked over several of the ten principle days of harvest here October 20-29, the Immich-Batterieberg 2009 Enkircher Batterieberg Riesling Auslese exudes lemon, pear, and quince in fresh and preserved forms, offering a striking counterpoint of creaminess of texture and honeyed gloss with citric brightness. Even at 9.5% alcohol, 100 grams of residual sugar were left behind (no, former proprietor Georg Immich would not recognize this, not even as a Beerenauslese!) an amazing balance is achieved, along with considerable sense of invigoration. -That energy and clarity are what led me to bottle this as Auslese,- rather than B.A. explains Gernot Kollmann. Impingement of pear skin and crystallized ginger as well as hints of wet stone all add to the fascination of this buoyant wine as it soars to a saliva-inducing, spirit-lifting finish. I expect it will be worth following for at least 30 years. What a return the Batterieberg has staged in its new incarnation!

2009 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Ellergrub, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 192 (Dec 2010)
Rating: 94
Cost: $52

From the site with Immich-Batterieberg’s highest proportion of old, ungrafted vines, their 2009 Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling offers even more exuberant, almost explosive generosity of citrus – here grapefruit, lemon, and pineapple – than were found in its generic counterpart; and the interactive dynamic of that fruit with crystalline, saline and stony minerality displays scintillating energy. All the while, suggestions of pit fruits, fruit pits, iodine, peat, and deep nuttiness well-up in mysterious waves, the whole coming together in a finish of vibratory, mouth-watering persistence. I imagine the shade of Georg Immich smiling at this superb accomplishment, which happens to feature the halbtrocken balance and 12% alcohol he generally favored and believed (dare I hope, yet prophetically?) would find widespread future favor. But I’m sure he would be as astonished as I was to learn that 20% of this wine was raised in tank, and the rest in seasoned barriques. Look for at least a dozen years of excitement from bottles of this beauty.

2009 Immich-Batterieberg Enkircher Steffensberg Riesling

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Steffensberg, Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 192 (Dec 2010)
Rating: 91
Drink: 2010 – 2018

The Immich-Batterieberg 2009 Enkircher Steffensberg Riesling – which finished deep into trocken territory – is also the sole bottling in the current collection to evince a distinct note of oak from its barrique component, yet I was surprised to experience this as complimented the particular pungency and piquancy of smoky crushed stone, mineral salts, herbs and spices that have traditionally characterized Immich wines from this red slate site and that stimulate the salivary glands no end. The fruit component of this substantial (at 12.5% alcohol) yet lithe Riesling is metaphorically cool and winter pear-like, a perfect foil for the mineral as well as piquant aspects (no doubt reinforced by the 10-12 hours of skin contact typical for this collection) that seem to positively shimmer in its protracted finish. I would anticipate at least 6-8 years of high-performance here.

2009 Immich-Batterieberg Riesling C A I

A Riesling Dry White Table wine from Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 192 (Dec 2010)
Rating: 91
Cost: $25

The 2009 Riesling Kabinett C. A. I. (employing the former winery’s initials) is as fine a generic Riesling of its vintage as I have tasted, so given that assessment as well as the fact that this excellent value represents a debut, I take the liberty to go into unusual detail. Typical for the entire range of the new estate is discrete, spontaneous fermentation (i.e. no cross-inoculation) of each component lot and a refusal to be distracted from quality considerations by worrying whether a wine will finish to legal Trockenheit (which this year’s -C.A.I.- didn’t – which, opines Kollmann, is likely to be the norm) nor to employ the terms -trocken,- -halbtrocken,- or -feinherb- on any labels. Why -Kabinett- (although that word is admittedly only on one of this wine’s two labels)? -I have to do something,- explains Kollmann, -to distinguish my introductory level wine even at first glance from the majority of Gutsrieslinge that even from top estates are being sold at a price to which I cannot, with my costs and small volume, afford to descend.- This cuvee incorporates the lower sections of Batterieberg, which were replanted with clonal selections in the 1990s, and even here there is around 10% wood by way of a barrique-aged component. Exuberant lime, tangerine, and pineapple soar from the glass and burst onto the palate with vivid fresh juiciness followed by a cascade of saline, crushed stone and somehow crystalline mineral matter, setting up an animated and animating interplay that turns out to be typical for the entire 2009 Batterieberg collection. Residual CO2 enhances the sense of invigoration, yet a subtle creaminess is evidenced throughout, engendering a textural counterpoint that mirrors the wine’s flavor dynamic. This will reel you in for the next sip before you can finish taking its finish’s measure, and it should be capable of behaving that way for at least the next 4-5 years.

2009 Immich-Batterieberg Riesling Escheburg

A Riesling Medium Dry White Table wine from Enkrich, Middle Mosel, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany Review by David Schildknecht eRobertParker.com
# 192 (Dec 2010)
Rating: 89
Drink: 2010 – 2015
Cost: $37

A 2009 Riesling Escheburg – whose name comes from that of the great stone former fortress housing Immich-Batterieberg – represents largely ungrafted vines from steep but to some degree less-favored slopes. This is the only wine in its collection – save for the Batterieberg Auslese – to display significant sweetness, which however nicely supports pineapple, musk melon fresh lime, and ginger on a creamy yet refreshing palate, with distinct wet stone notes offering contrast in the finish. The sort of interactive dynamic that characterizes the other Immich 2009s is missing here, however, at least for now. The pleasure in this instance is of a more soothing sort, and I would plan on enjoying the wine over the next 3-5 years, although time might certainly tell a different story.

Jahrgangspraesentation 2009

Am ersten Septemberwochenende fand unsere erste Jahgangspräsentation und unsere Wiedereröffnungsparty statt. Das bunte Programm aus Eröffnungsmenü, Weinpräsentation, Seminaren, Konzert und Gartenparty hat viele Familienmitglieder, Freunde und Kunden ins Weingut nach Enkirch gelockt.

Wir bedanken uns bei Allen, die mit uns geschlemmt, gefeiert, uns geholfen haben, und die mit Ihrem Kommen Ihr Interesse an unserer Arbeit und unseren Weinen gezeigt haben.