The Ludes masterclass explores the formidable Thörnicher Ritsch vineyard through six different wines. Our goal is to better understand this amazing site and its history, but also to contextualize the Ludes estate and the Mosel’s truly singular obsession with hyper-specific bottlings. Keep in mind with the vintage 2022, Ludes bottled seven unique Kabinetts from only around five hectares worth of vineyards.
Weiser-Künstler is one of the most respected, most influential growers in the Mosel – they are the ultimate “winemaker’s winemaker.” Yet, because of both supply-side challenges (they make just excruciatingly small quantities of wine) as well as the rather cerebral quality of their wines, they remain curiously unknown in the US. It’s a strange situation: A small minority fanatically collects these wines while a larger audience seems to have no context or experience with them. This is what we want to change. There are few growers in the Mosel with more depth or soul. Perhaps these are not the easiest wines, but this is part of their magic – and they are unquestionably singular in the landscape of Mosel wine and they deserve their moment in the spotlight. This class recorded on May 4th, 2022 uses Weiser-Künstler’s three Grand Cru bottlings – the Ellergrub, Gaispfad and Steffensberg – as guideposts along our route, focusing on these three sites and their importance and individuality in the context of the Mosel.
If it's true that wherever you go, there you are, it's maybe also true that the only things that change us are the people we meet and the places we go. Most of us have been missing this essential part of the human experience - travel - for over a year now. Winter cabin fever has kicked in; memories of movement feel vague and gauzy, like a dream you can't completely piece together. Madlib's brilliant Sound Ancestor's album has moved me; quite literally the Hopprock track seemed pregnant with stillness, and then a sustained crescendo of movement. It felt to me, at a very deep level, like travel, motion. With the kind permission of Madlib and Egon, and with videos of travel recorded by my friend, the artist @ravingcave, we have put this video together, for no very good reason. To remember, but also to prepare for, movement.
The VDP in the Nahe put together some beautiful videos celebrating the unique and rare bottles that will go on auction later this month. We just thought they were visually stunning and so we transcribed/translated the spoken word and added subtitles. All creative credit to Alex Nixdorf @nxdrf and thanks to his generosity in allowing us to share the videos. Thanks to the artist @ravingcave for the subtitle work. Without friends vom Boden would be nothing.
We finish in the Nahe, with the exciting announcement that beginning this fall vom Boden will be representing Emrich-Schönleber in select markets in the U.S. The 2004 Frühlingsplätzchen GG, drank at restaurant Montrachet in New York in 2006, was one of the foundational dry Rieslings for me. The estate is one of the greatest in Germany and wildly underrecognized. We will do our damndest to change this. Frank and I finish up our "Germany 2019er Week" talking the 2019 and what is the Nahe, really.
Klaus Peter and Julia Keller have inspired an entire generation of young winemakers and single-handedly given birth to a Renaissance in the Rheinhessen. Today Klaus Peter discusses the 2019 vintage in the Rheinhessen in a two-part series that includes notes on the year, the wines, as well as new things coming from the estate as the next generation becomes more and more involved.
Klaus Peter and Julia Keller have inspired an entire generation of young winemakers and single-handedly given birth to a Renaissance in the Rheinhessen. Here's Part 2 from Klaus Peter Keller on vintage 2019.
Germany 2019er Week" takes us to the Pfalz - the northern Pfalz that is. We check in with the brothers Brand - Daniel and Jonas - and discuss the vintage, the varieties and the fact that these two are getting so good the wines are now too clean for the hard-core natty crew.
We move from the Mosel to the Saar valley today, with Florian Lauer telling us about the frost damage, the sunburn, the lower yields, vintage comparisons, the growing season and he promises to hold for the U.S. every single bottle of his greatest wine. This is a two-part vintage video so extra credit if you watch both.