WTN: A new Rheingau for me: Graf von Kanitz

Weingut Graf von Kanitz Lorcher Pfaffenwies Riesling Kabinett Trocken 2007 12,5% abv; 8g/l RS; 7,7g/l acidity; 17,90€; organic.

A powerful scent, full of red fruit notes of a slightly bitter nature (lingonberry), but with a spicy/cinnamon warmth, very mineral. Medium bodied, quite dry and forceful, somewhat lacking in charm and tart, but certainly not a bad Trocken. Mineral water aftertaste. Nice stuff. Not something I am hugely excited about, but I am happy to see one more moderately priced (ok, so I understand that 18€ is not a bargain by any other standard than Finnish) German here even though it is a trocken. I don't remember seeing any other notes on the producer, but this wasn't bad, so why the neglect? (A possible answer to my question: probably other countries have access to producers that are brilliant so not much use spending time drinking the good but not great wines?)

-O

[David M. Bueker]

Neglect? I've never seen anything from this producer. It's hard to post notes without the wines.

Graf von Kanitz has always been considered the best producer in .... LORCH ... so you can guess my interest! I visited the estate many years ago but confess I haven't tasted from them recently. I remember that they were one of the early adopters of the really dry Rheingau style, and also when I visited were adopting organic viticulture - looking at their website, this seems to be a big thing for them.

The village of Lorch has often suffered from the confusion as to whether it is the Mittelrhein or the Rheingua - in Hugh Johnson's Wine Atlas, the first edition mistakenly put the village into the Mittelrhein, whereas it is - on the official wine map/regulations - in the Rheingu. Looking at the description of the village on their website, the confusion is hardly surprising. In any event, the Rieslings from Lorch have always been the leaner style, almost, but not quite veering towards Mosel style. Lorch as a village wine has also suffered from the fact that there was (still is?) a huge German wine company with the name Lorch (no relation, I assure you) who exported quite a bit to the UK and probably to the USA too - lots of Liebfraumilch and the like.

Anyway, Otto, I'm glad to see a Lorcher wine on the Finnish market, even if not elsewhere!

[David M. Bueker]

I'm pretty sure that August Kesseler still does a Lorcher. In fact I have tasted it in prior vintages. It's the Lorcher Schlossberg.

David, by neglect I didn't mean only this board. I searched four bb's and CT and only saw a couple mentions in total. And that is strange considering the sheer range I have usually expected of this combination of sites.

In any event, the Rieslings from Lorch have always been the leaner style, almost, but not quite veering towards Mosel style.

This sounds like I should have enjoyed this wine much more than I did, since I enjoy the racier Riesling growing areas (Ruwer especially). I think I really would have liked the wine more with less alcohol and more sugar - despite some truly lovable exceptions, I still find trockens a bit charmless.

[David M. Bueker]

David, by neglect I didn't mean only this board. I searched four bb's and CT and only saw a couple mentions in total. And that is strange considering the sheer range I have usually expected of this combination of sites.

Most of the notes on all the sites I frequent (most of which you frequent) are either US based or focusing on getting "the best" regardless of cost. I'm not shocked at all.