11th Riesling- competition: Fulda and the Spätlese

For example, some cheap ice wines that can be found in the supermarket shelf, should actually not have received a control number, because the rotten notes in the aroma make it clear that the grapes were no longer healthy at the time of harvest. And you cannot necessarily expect a light wine, as it was once intended, when buying a Kabinett wine. Some Kabinett wines measure 14 “Volt” of alcohol.

You still have a certain degree of security when buying a Spätlese wine, which, of course, as before, no longer has to be produced of a normal harvest. Since 2000, the city of Fulda has been dedicating this name to a separate competition, the so- called “Spätlesereiter Pokal”. The background for this is a special relationship between the Hessen municipality and the Johannisberg Castle in the Rheingau. The castle was still a monastery in the 18th century, which belonged to the diocese of Fulda. At that time, it was usual that the Bishop of Fulda, gave the starting signal for the harvest. In return he was delivered a grape sample by a riding messenger. If the bishop thought that the grapes were mature, could the monks begin with the harvest.

In 1775, the messenger was delayed for unknown reasons. While they grapes were harvested everywhere in the Rheingau, the obedient monks did not dare to go in the vineyards where the grapes shrunk and were attacked by fungus. When the rider arrived at last, all hope to harvest a drinkable wine was gone.  However, the grapes were still harvested, though the amount was small. When a few months later a winemaker undertook the first tasting, he was astonished and reverently passed the judgement that he had never drunk such a wine. By today’s standards, it has probably been a Beeren- or Trockenbeerenauslese. But back then, it was called a late harvest that has been systematized over time.

Since the wine law of 1971, there is the official term Spätlese , for which - according to different varieties and regions - a minimum must weight is valid. What is actually missing is an upper limit. Many companies meanwhile upgrade Auslese wines to Spätlese wines in order to show off in particular. So it happened during the 11th competition of the Spätlesereiter-Cup of Fulda, for which more than 250 Riesling wines from Germany (all of the 2009 vintage) as well as two dozen mature growths from 2004 backwards have been entered.

In the category “mature wines”, a still young 2004 Grünlack Schloss Johannisberg Schloss Johannisberg Spätlese from the Schloss Johannisberg domain has been classified as the best. (picture of the 2005 vintage: Schloss Johannisberg)

For two days, a jury of experts coming from the areas of trade, winemaking and the media tasted Riesling Spätlese wines in different categories (dry, medium dry/ off-dry and fruity).

There was a surprise in the group of “dry wines” (123 wines) that was occupied the most. The highest rating was given to a Sommeracher Katzenkopf of the Max Müller wine estate in Volkach, Franken. The second rank went to a Weinolsheim Kehr of the Manz winery in Weinolsheim (Rheinhessen).

In the category “semi-dry and off-dry wines”, the jurors did like an off-dry Bernkasteler Badstube of Geheimrat Wegeler in Bernkastel (Mosel) best. Closely behind was a semi-dry Mittelheimer St. Nikolaus of F.B. Schönleber from Oestrich-Winkel (Rheingau).

The category “fruity wines” was won by a renowned wine estate, the Robert Weil winery from Kiedrich.  The wine was grown on the Kiedricher Turmberg vineyard. A growth from the Mittelrhein region came in second: a Schloss Fürstenberg of the Weingart winery from Spay.

In the category of “mature wines”, a still young 2004 Schloss Johannisberg Grünlack (Spätlese) of Johannisberg Castle has been classified as the best. He perfectly demonstrated that a fine Riesling Spätlese has the potential to mature. (r.knoll)