Philosophy and Discussion Session – accompanied by Kabinett and a fascinating trilogy of Auslesen
Arriving at a bench in Juffer, not extensively described in this account but offering a breathtaking view of Brauneberg and the Moselle Valley stretching westward, we engaged in contemplation about the future of viticulture in the Moselle and agriculture in general. Despite being on the cutting edge with their organic-biodynamic approach, Domi and Benni find themselves in a relatively small, elite wine bubble. It’s uncertain how swiftly viticulture will re-embrace a more natural cultivation approach and how judiciously policies will guide, rather than, as is unfortunately common now, ambitiously dictate, leading to guidelines that may not serve the greater good.
Hopefully, both sides can swiftly find a modus vivendi. The Klosterhof appears to have already found its own.
As delving so deeply into philosophy can make one quite thirsty, there was always plenty of liquid Riesling from the Brauneberger Juffer to quench that thirst. We kicked things off with a 2022 Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett, a collaborative project with Christian Hermann from the Dr. Hermann winery in Erden, a close friend of the brothers. What can I say about this wine? Perhaps it suffices to mention that at the end of my visit, I left the winery with a 3L Jeroboam of this wine. Juicy, citrusy, with a touch of crushed rock dust, fresh, invigorating, cool, and equipped with an enlivening interplay of sweetness and acidity. This wine truly has all the characteristics of a fantastic Kabinett.
To conclude our vineyard tour – it was already nearing noon – Domi and Benni proudly presented their trilogy of Auslesen from the Juffer, harvested in 2022. For the “regular” Auslese, only healthy grape material was used. In the two Goldkapsel selections (normal and extended GK), they contain 70% and 100% botrytis-infected grapes, respectively. Any concerns I had about encountering three overly sweet, somewhat lackluster, and creamy wines without tension and juiciness dissipated after the first sip of the “regular” Auslese. Through meticulous vineyard management and rigorous grape selection, the guys managed to produce Auslesen with very good acidity levels in 2022.
I seldom inquire about analytical values from winemakers, as they can be somewhat meaningless without context related to sugar and pH levels. However, when Auslesen with sugar levels ranging from 90-130 Oechsle exhibit acidity values of 8.5-9 in a vintage plagued by drought like 2022, it’s noteworthy. This promises juicy, fresh, finely creamy, and crystal-clear sweet wines full of vibrancy and concentration, a distinctive characteristic found only here along the Moselle. The Klosterhof accomplished this masterfully with its trilogy of Auslesen in 2022.