Carl Ehrhard Spatburgunder 2019 Rheingau
The other evening, I had the pleasure of doing a blind tasting with my friend Kendal. Sniffing the glass, my first guess was a nebbiolo-the wine had wonderful aromas of roses and a high acidity, but I didn’t get bold tannins typical of a nebbiolo. Then I was leaning towards a Burgundian pinot noir… only to reveal it was a Spätburgunder! (Pinot noir). Having enjoyed this beautiful wine, I needed to write up this blog to learn more about the wine and its’ producer.
The Carl Ehrhard vineyards are located in the Rheingau, at the prestigious site of Rüdesheim. One of the many aspects that give depth to German winemaking is the rich history of their appellations. This land has been producing wine since at least Roman times!
Rüdesheim is known for steep slopes: a virtue in viticulture and a hallmark of Germany’s top vineyards. So, it’s no wonder that Carl Erhard’s vineyard, “Berg Roseneck” is a VDP Grosse Lage. This classification denotes exceptionally favorable conditions for viticulture. The region sits alongside the Rhine River, enjoys bountiful sunshine, and boasts a variety of soil types such as slate, gravel, and loess (Rudesheim.de). Their winery dates back 150 years and is home to ancient slate soils. (Soave Selections) Slate soils provide excellent drainage, preventing rot but also challenging the vines when drought occurs in hotter vintages. The 2019 vintage in Germany was well-received, thanks to a cool, rainy autumn after a hot summer. With the heatwaves of this past summer, European winemakers certainly had their work cut out for them, and I’m curious to see how the 2022 vintage turns out.
Picture of the Ehrhard vineyards, sourced from Soave Selections.
I pulled some information from the Carl Ehrhard website about their Spätburgunder. They noted that this wine took 30 days of fermentation, which is quite a long time. For reference, red wines normally ferment for about 2-3 weeks. Winemakers will allow longer fermentation periods to help a wine’s components better integrate, just like letting Nonna’s bolognese simmer all day.
Spätburgunder is known for being delicate, and sometimes if the grape skins are pressed too hard, it can become overly tannic and bitter. After fermentation and gentle pressing, the wine was barreled in regional oak and sent to further develop in the cellar. Finally, after aging in barrel for 16-18 months, the wine was bottled.
The Tasting
The wine was a cherry red, with a thin rim of a burgundy hue. On the nose there was this amazing bouquet of fresh strawberries, a bit of cinnamon, and strong notes of rose petals. On the palate there was a refreshing acidity with pomegranate notes, medium tannins and a dash of cedarwood. The finish left me craving more, and a nice balance of acidity kept me coming back. I was very pleased with this wine and can say with confidence that it knocked my proverbial lederhosen off. I would absolutely love to buy another bottle!
