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WINE COLUMN
Chocolate is Fine, but Wine is Divine
Taste the Best of Germany’s Noble Sweet Wines this Easter
The grapes for Germany’s noble sweet wines are harvested in Autumn, much later than the main harvest. This extra time allows the grapes to continue to develop and naturally increase their sweetness every day.
When the grapes are very ripe in autumn and it is also damp and relatively warm, a fungus attacks the grapes, which is known as ‘noble rot’ (or the technical term is’ Botrytis Cinerea’). This makes the berry’s skin porous, which dries them up like a raisin. The water in the grape evaporates and what is left is an extremely sweet juice, from which very sweet wines known as Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese are created.
During the harvest, these dried grapes are specially selected, which explains the name “Auslese” meaning choice or selection. Incidentally, the yeasts in the wine do not ferment all of the natural sugar and therefore such wines generally have very little alcohol and have high sugar content, because if you swirl such wines in a glass the consistency is thicker, almost oily. Dried berries are mostly golden yellow in colour, which is caused by the noble rot, while ice wines tend to keep a light colour.
ALDINGER 2015 FELLBÄCHER LÄMMLER RIESLING AUSLESE
WÜRTTEMBERG £22.30 per 0,375l bottle
This wonderful Riesling Auslese has aromas of peach, passion fruit and lemon. Its acidity and sweetness are harmoniously balanced. Aldinger’s Riesling Auslese pairs well with sweet desserts, particularly those with citrus fruits.
BECKER 2018 PINOT NOIR EISWEIN
PFALZ £24.40 per 0,375l bottle
Becker’s 2018 Pinot Noir Eiswein is an exceptional vintage. Gentle golden in colour with a hint of rose, it lures you into the glass and gets your tastebuds going. On the palette, everything comes together with a mild acidity that leads to a round and perfect finish. On the nose, it delivers aromas of yellow stone fruit paired with white blossoms and white chocolate, with a creamy finish. A delicious accompaniment to light or medium to strong hard cheeses and fruity desserts.
MOSEL £40.80 per 0,375l bottle
This organic and biodynamic wine is sweet, concentrated, and creamy, with pungent stoney minerality and zesty acidity. It has aromas of caramel, raisins, stone fruits and black tea. On the palate it is an expressive wine with a lot of fabric and good sweetness, but also has very high mineral acid backbone. It has a fascinating fruitiness, freshness, spiciness, sweetness, clarity and penetrating bite.
Aldinger - 2015 Fellbächer Lämmler Riesling Auslese.
Becker - 2018 Pinot Noir Eiswein.
Clemens Busch - 2014 Marienburg Rothenpfad Riesling Auslese.
ANNUAL PORTFOLIO TASTING
Date: 9 May 2022 Location: The Royal Air Force Club, 128 Piccadilly, London W1J 7PY Time: 6pm-8pm
This event will provide you with the unique opportunity to sample a range of fine German wines, including sparkling Sekts, elegant Spätburgunders (Pinot Noir), vintage Rieslings and sweet Dessert wines. You will also have the chance to learn more about the world of wine production directly from the winemakers themselves. Tickets are £35.00 per person
https://thewinebarn.co.uk/pages/ events
To find your new favourite German wine, you can contact the awardwinning merchant The WineBarn now. Visit: www.thewinebarn.co.uk Call: 0044 (0)1962 761 215 Email: wine@thewinebarn.co.uk
Photo: Iris Ellmann
Iris Ellmann is the managing director of The WineBarn, a multi-award-winning wine merchant that has been importing premium German wines to the UK for over 20 years. The WineBarn team lives, breathes and loves wine.
