Koehler-Ruprecht R Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese Trocken, Pfalz, Germany

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At slightly over 13% in alcohol, the Koehler-Rupprecht 2009 Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese trocken R was rendered from material of comparable Oechsle to the vintage’s two Saumagen Spatlesen, so that the designation Auslese was clearly chosen based on personality rather than must weight. Aromas of kirsch and mirabelle parallel the emphasis on distilled-fruit esters that was encountered in the “regular” Saumagen Auslese trocken. There is an especially strong fresh ginger pungency, a Saumagen trait that is likely to become even more prominent with bottle age (and also usually comes out more in off-dry renditions). A palpable sense of stuffing and richness of pit fruit flesh here are impressive, though the clarity, vivacity, and refreshment found in the “R” Spatlese is absent. Peat and chalk mingle with nut oils and pit fruits in a finish of almost opaque density and layering but formidable persistence. I would anticipate a dozen years of high-performance. Bernd Philippi has a new cellarmaster, young Dominik Sona, who has his own fledgling winery amid the Pfalzerwald, well west of the Weinstrasse’s beaten track. Operating in Philippi’s long shadow could, one imagines, prove daunting, but Sona – who most recently worked for Ernst Loosen at the J. L. Wolf winery, and about whom the numerous Pfalz growers I quizzed all expressed enthusiasm – exhibits a fidelity to the established, highly-distinctive stylistic virtues of Koehler-Rupprecht, along with a wry humor and self-critical self-confidence that strike me as just right for his job. And the 2009 results certainly speak volumes not just for Sona’s aptitude but for Philippi’s promise when he sold his winery two and a half years ago that the wines as well as his own role would remain as before. Even though this estate is best-known for its dry Rieslings, Philippi has continued to render small volumes of residually sweet wine nearly every year. From 2009, though – he claims on account of vintage character not lack of demand – only two non-trocken Rieslings were essayed. (For an account of Philippi’s methodology, consult my previous reports. His “R” and “RR” reserve bottlings represent selected casks bottled at 10-11 months but cellared for years before release.)A new U.S. importer has still not been arranged, and it’s quite possible that Philippi will work with more than one.

The Koehler-Rupprecht 2008 Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese trocken R returns to the gueuze-like combination of citrus, grain, yeastiness, esterous high-tones, and microbiological intrigue that were detected in this year’s “regular” Spatlese trocken. Piquant floral perfume emerges with air, and – enhancing the resemblance to non-vinous fermented fluids, there’s even kriek-like kirsch. Bright, salty, and invigorating, this firmly-textured Riesling also evinces green tea and chicken stock, and finishes with the already anticipated complexity, mystery and sheer length. For now though, the Spatlese “R” is even more remarkable. Look for this to be released around 2014 and be worth following for at least 8-10 years thereafter. For comments on the recent sale of this estate (the most important of which is Bernd Philippi’s insistence that “nothing will change”) and on other developments here, see my report in issue 185. The choice of Pradikat-designation (or of “Reserve” status) for his many dry Rieslings from the large Saumagen site, explains Philippi, was once again this year – as in many others – based on an assessment of phenolic ripeness (clues: are the grapes greener or deeper gold; how big and how numerous are they?) and ultimately on style, concentration, and perceived aging potential, rather than on must weight, since sugar levels in the grapes were relatively uniform. Philippi acquired the major vineyard holdings of his friend Walter Henninger – notably in the chalky Annaberg – after that estate was recently dissolved, so while he had been farming these parcels and making the wines for many years under Henninger’s label, beginning in 2008 they became Koehler Rupprecht wines.A new U.S. importer had not yet been selected as of press time.

It is vital for me to update readers on the Koehler-Rupprecht 2008 Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese R because it is now performing at a level which far transcends what it revealed to me when I wrote it up in issue 187. There are mysteriously floral (iris) and animal (white truffle, sweetbread, raw scallop) dimensions now that render this still creamily-rich and subtly-honeyed Riesling profoundly intriguing and delicious. Moreover, there is a greater sense of primary juiciness and energy as befits the vintage’s personality than I detected a year earlier. This is an extraordinary wine and my apologies to readers for any extent to which my failure to adequately apply myself to tasting it last time might have contributed to my gross underestimation of its quality. You can anticipate yet greater glory, and plan to follow it for at least 20 years ? once you can get your hands on it, that is: release is tentatively scheduled for 2013. Bernd Philippi has a new cellarmaster, young Dominik Sona, who has his own fledgling winery amid the Pfalzerwald, well west of the Weinstrasse’s beaten track. Operating in Philippi’s long shadow could, one imagines, prove daunting, but Sona – who most recently worked for Ernst Loosen at the J. L. Wolf winery, and about whom the numerous Pfalz growers I quizzed all expressed enthusiasm – exhibits a fidelity to the established, highly-distinctive stylistic virtues of Koehler-Rupprecht, along with a wry humor and self-critical self-confidence that strike me as just right for his job. And the 2009 results certainly speak volumes not just for Sona’s aptitude but for Philippi’s promise when he sold his winery two and a half years ago that the wines as well as his own role would remain as before. Even though this estate is best-known for its dry Rieslings, Philippi has continued to render small volumes of residually sweet wine nearly every year. From 2009, though – he claims on account of vintage character not lack of demand – only two non-trocken Rieslings were essayed. (For an account of Philippi’s methodology, consult my previous reports. His “R” and “RR” reserve bottlings represent selected casks bottled at 10-11 months but cellared for years before release.)A new U.S. importer has still not been arranged, and it’s quite possible that Philippi will work with more than one.

Philippi (at least, insofar as he is still calling the shots) will put the 2004 Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese trocken R on sale in 2010. Ester-rich high notes of almond, maraschino, mirabelle, mothball, and corn mash become entangled on the palate with dark roasted chestnut, winter squash, and smoldering leaves. The multi-registered nature of this voluminous, satin-textured Riesling persists into a long finish, with just a hint of sweetness suggested by its ester-rich, billowing, pit fruit aspects. The 2005 “R” is going to be fabulous, but Philippi asked me to refrain from publishing a note so far in advance of its intended release. Bernd Philippi is making plans to sell his winery – as has long been expected given there is no one to inherit it – and says he has found a suitable buyer. Details – including all of those for which lovers of Koehler-Rupprecht wines (which seem inseperable from the person of Bernd Philippi) are waiting with baited breath – have yet to materialize. It has always been difficult to cover Koehler-Rupprecht Riesling in the context of a vintage report, because the dry wines are seldom released for at least a full year after already late bottling, the top examples are released years later as “R” or “RR” reserves. When I sat down with Philippi in August, 2007 we as usual tasted through a range of wines including many long ago sold-out, but what follows are notes on a few favorite or still upcoming releases. Unperturbed by the botrytis of the vintage, his 2005s are proving to be almost consistently outstanding.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300