Eva and Jutta: Fresh Takes on Feinherb
3/8/13 -
We've written before about our love for the oft-ignored "third way" between sweet and dry Riesling, a category once described as halbtrocken, but more and more frequently referred to as feinherb (a slightly more attractive term than ‘half-dry’). To us, feinherb wines are those that fall in between what one would describe as 'technically dry' and 'noticeably sweet.' Our recommendations in this category have largely focused on wines from Germany's Mosel, Saar or Ruwer, regions beloved for their excellent sweet, dry and off-dry wines.
Stunning feinherb Riesling need not be restricted to one stretch of river, though, as the following new discoveries amply demonstrate. We’re thrilled to have found a pair of wines that come from two of the most talented young women working with Riesling today: Eva Fricke in the Rheingau and Jutta Ambrositsch in Vienna. Neither Eva nor Jutta were fortunate enough to be born into winemaking families and both started their estates within the past 10 years. They've worked hard to study their craft and have come remarkably far in a relatively short amount of time. They’ve each chosen to work in lesser-known terroirs, much like Andreas Adam in the Hofberg or Gernot Kollman in the Ellergrub back on the Mosel. Certainly this is mostly due to reasons of finance, but there's little that's quite as exciting as a young winemaker discovering her talents while simultaneously unlocking the secrets of an old and overlooked vineyard (this is not to say Lorch's Schlossberg and Vienna's Rosengartel aren't held in high regard in their respective locales, but neither vineyard is seen in the U.S. as frequently as a Würzgarten or Hochrain, let alone a Sonnenuhr or Steinertal).
Eva’s began her career studying at the well-known oenological school in Geisenheim, followed by apprenticeships at well-known estates around the world and a lengthy stint as the vineyard and operations manager at Leitz. She started her estate in 2006 and left Leitz in 2011 to focus entirely on her own production. Her vines in Lorch are the final stretch of the Rheingau after the Rhine turns north, thus they have a southwestern exposure rather than the area’s typical pure south-facing slope. This provides a dimension of delicacy not normally found in the stolid, almost stocky wines of the Rheingau; others frequently point out that the wines are more Mittelrhein-esque for just this reason. She farms sustainably and has a gentle hand in the cellar, avoiding adding yeasts or other additives.
A view of the Schlossberg as we float into Lorch:
Jutta was a graphic designer at a large advertising agency in Vienna and after a number of years could no longer stand the daily grind and being stuck behind a computer. Not too many young up-and-comers are flocking to Vienna to make wine, so the old-guard welcomed her with open arms, constant encouragement and generosity. She’s now acquired choice parcels in some of the city’s most beloved vineyards and meticulously does all the biodynamic vineyard and cellar work without any assistance (she brings in a team of harvesters but that’s it).
These are exceptionally small estates (under 3.5 hectares) and we’re lucky to have some of their miniscule production here in New York. Below we have the finest off-dry wines on offer from each estate, and they both are remarkably pure, fresh and clean expressions of their respective terroirs. In the spirit of celebrating all that is delicious and feinherb, we’ve listed some of our other perennial off-dry favorites as well. -jfr
