Nonnenberg: The Greatest Site in the Rheingau?
2/26/2008 -
Well, Bernhard Breuer would have you think so. If you taste a bottle that has some age on it you might think so too. I have no idea why Nonnenberg does not get talked about in the same breath as Grafenberg, Holle, Kirchenstuck, Grunlack, Schlossberg & Rottland. It should, and hopefully in the future it will. It is a devastatingly complex wine that has power, understated elegance, incredible levels of ripe fruit (apricot, peaches) and a knack for aging very long. I can't remember ever tasting a bad vintage of Nonnenberg and when they are on they are on. Just ask anybody who has some '93, '94, '01, '02 or '03. What is most interesting about this wine is that is was not classified as an Erstes Gewachs (First Growth) in the 2002 VDP classification. For my palate and many other experienced Nonnenberg drinkers this is a travesty of the highest regard. That's like ranking a Ponsot Clos de la Roche or a Leroy Richebourg as a village wine. The greatness in those wines is obvious as soon as you taste them and it's evident they are of Grand Cru quality. Bernhard Breuer was one of the leading proponents of the Erstes Gewachs/Grosses Gewachs system so he was especially bitter when he thought his greatest site was not recognized. After that Breuer pulled out of the VDP and the GG system. Irony in its worst form. Bernhard Breuer then died well before his time in 2004.
Nonnenberg is located in the town of Rauenthal which is in the eastern Rheingau. The soil in the vineyard is mainly deep phyllite with deposits of gravel. It is south facing on a very steep slope and gets fantastic exposure. There are 12.5 acres of this wonderful site all under the control of the Breuers as it is a monopole. The vineyard work is precise and as Bernard Breuer says "At Georg Breuer low-tech is the theme in both the vineyard and the cellar, as we reverted to natural wines made in the traditional manner." These are about as pure and natural an expression of German Riesling as you can get. As a result of the natural practices in the vineyards and the winery, the wines tend to be on the drier side of the spectrum. Breuer says "A great majority of wines with a dry finish is the logical result, although such wines can only come from the best sites giving the highest levels of concentration and mineral extract from healthy grapes, since there will be no residual sugar to camouflage thinness. A great naturally-fermented wine is in itself a demonstration of the pedigree of its source, and the vineyard sites capable of producing such wines have been perfectly known to the vintners for centuries." These are true vin de terroir wines with amazing complexity, as has been said before, the uncanny ability to age for a very long time.
Today's offer is for the 2002 George Breuer Raunthal Nonnenberg. 2002 is a classic vintage in the the Rheingau with crisp acidity, loads of fruit and a firm mineral underpinning, and Nonnenberg for my palate is one of the best German dry wines of the vintage. It is drinking great right now but this wine has many more things to say. The wine will arrive here within the first two weeks of May.
Suggested Retail Price - $43.99
Special E-Mail six-pack price - $38.99
