On the Lookout for Loch
4/17/13 -
(The Schodener Herrenberg (center) as viewed from the Saarfeilser)
We've been reading for years about the wines of Manfred and Claudia Loch, primarily in David Schildknecht's glowing reviews that consistently end with some variation on the phrase "sadly, Loch's wines continue to have no U.S. importer". Finally, the wines are here and we're thrilled to be the first to offer these intricate, electric, and powerful Rieslings. The full name of the estate, Herrenberg-Loch combines the name of their most famous site, the Schodener Herrenberg, with their family surname.
The Lochs are among the first growers in the Saar to convert completely to organic viticulture and to go through the headaches of actually getting certified. Their focused and passionate work in the vineyard is complemented by detail-oriented, hands-off cellar work; a whole-cluster pressing is followed by fermentation in stainless steel with no added yeasts. The wines generally fall into what we think of as the golden mean for Saar Riesling, wherein the wine tastes dry but has too much residual sugar to be legally described as such. We keep beating this same drum, but Rieslings that inhabit this classificatory limbo are quite versatile with food, easily drinkable, will prove to be long-lived, and are, above all, extremely well-balanced (this is also the most traditional and historic of styles which first put Germany on the vinous map so many decades ago).
The Herrenberg is a hill of slate that's essentially in Saar Holy Land (at least for those of us who believe there's life outside of the Scharzhofberg), situated directly across the river from the Ayler Kupp and across the estuary from the Saarfeilser; these three famous vineyards all form a triangle of vinous greatness on either side of the Saar. If the stylistic descriptions above haven't yet brought to mind the superb work of Florian Lauer, hopefully the locale will drive the point home. Although they're certainly in the same stylistic and qualitative ballpark, the wines of Loch are different enough from Lauer to warrant exploration and a place on your table. Finally, we want to point out how lucky we are to be opening up this offer with some of the Loch's superb 2010s. This wild vintage has developed an intense following among many lovers of German wine and the '10s from our other favorites in the region have been long sold-out. The Saar is a hotbed of fascinating activity among Riesling growers of diverse mindsets and we hope you'll be as happy as we are to welcome Herrenberg-Loch to the party. -jfr
*Thanks to David Schildknecht's terrific write-ups for many of the details related here.
