When on a recent trip to the Ahr valley in Germany (a post on the great wines of the Ahr will follow shortly) I had a Saturday off and decided to nip over to the Mosel for some Riesling tasting. I heard many good reports about Weingut (estate) Knebel near Koblenz and decided to give them a call and arrange a tasting. Even though it was very short notice and the staff was very busy in the vineyards they did accommodate me, for which I am very grateful.
Weingut Knebel is located on the lower Mosel River, Germany, in the small village of Winningen. The lower Mosel, also known as the Unter- or Terrassenmosel, stretches from Pünderich to the confluence with the River Rhine in Koblenz.
The Riesling grape is the king of the Mosel and has been for centuries. You’ll also find small quantities of Müller-Thurgau, Kerner, Elbling, and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) in the area
The Knebel family are fortunate to own plots in the best vineyards around Winningen; Winninger Uhlen, Röttgen, Brückstück, and Hamm. Grapes from these vineyards form the basis of their top cuvees, with some parcels providing grapes for the Knebels’ Guts-Riesling (Estate-Riesling) named Von der Terrassen. Below this level is a basic Riesling and their only non-Riesling bottling made from Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc).
The Weingut Knebel tasting room is located in the family home in a residential street not far from Winningen train station. I was welcomed by Frau Beate Knebel, who led me through the wines of the exceptional 2015 vintage. The 2015 Riesling and Weissburgunder were pleasant every day drinking wines, providing freshness but offering little complexity. The step in quality between these base wines and the estate Riesling Von der Terrassen was very noticeable. This Riesling is dry, with aromas of citrus peel and herbs. It is complex, very well balanced, with flavours of grapefruit and citrus flowers, ending in a long and dry finish. The Knebels usually drink this wine with their dinner, and I can see why! Tremendous value at £10.00.
Next up were the single vineyard wines. Such wines are bottled separately to show off the differences in terroir. The 2015 Winninger Hamm had a nose of lemon, grapefruit, and white stone fruits. This had much more weight compared to the Von der Terrassen, and is almost medium bodied. The finish was long, dry, and with a pleasant minerality. A very good wine that will only improve with some bottle age. The 2015 Winninger Brückstück is almost dry with 13 gr. of residual sugar, but not quite. This amount of sugar can always be tasted in a wine, even if there is a lot of acid to balance it out. The finish however is dry, and the sugars are beautifully balanced by mouth-watering acidity, giving a sense of weight and roundness on the mid-palate. Aromas are of red apples and pears, followed by flavours of again ripe apple and pear with the addition of some herby (laurel), savoury, and mineral notes. I really like this wine. I only brought a few bottles back, but luckily I have been able to source a case from www.weine.de and I am looking forward to following the development of this wine over the next 10 or so years.
I was just a few months too early to taste the 2015 Winninger Uhlen and Röttgen they hadn’t been bottled yet. A shame as I was looking forward to tasting the dry wines from the two most famous vineyards in Winningen. I did however taste a 2015 Uhlen Auslese, and what a treat that was! Pineapple and some spice on the nose, with a taste of tropical fruits and thyme honey. Yet with all that power there is no heaviness; it is as light as a feather and so fresh. A great piece of winemaking.
Just when I thought I had tasted the best wine of the day with the 2015 Winninger Uhlen Auslese I was served the 2015 Winninger Röttgen Trockenberenauslese (TBA). This is one the best TBAs I have ever had, even though it is very young and its best years lie far into the future. Mango, pineapple, and some smokiness from the slate-y terroir, honeyed notes, and above all great purity, freshness, and length. This has it all, a triumph, very close to a perfect TBA.
To top off my very pleasant visit to the Knebel winery I was given a tour of their vineyards and dropped off by Beate Knebel at Winningen train station. I am was impressed by the quality throughout their range, with both dry and sweet styles equally strong. I am looking forward to following this exciting producer in the future. If you want to try these wines yourself Flint wines (www.flintwines.com) is the UK importer. They can also be ordered online at www.weine.de
Dutch Courage 