For the uninitiated, sporting the “Grosses Gewächs” label in Germany is tantamount to a Grand Cru label in Burgundy—and just like the former, entry-level prices aren’t too inviting here either. Still, the best ‘GG’ producers can go head-to-head with the best white wines of the world any day. In order to qualify for this much-desired status, grapes must be from a Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) site; harvested at a Spätlese ripeness level or higher; crafted at the estate; and the final wine must be dry. So why so much gushing about this revered ‘GG’ status when it’s nowhere to be found on today’s label?
Well, Georg Albrecht Schneider isn’t a member of the governing board (VDP) behind it all—that’s it! Other than that, this wine meets every requirement. But, you may be asking, does the wine taste like one of these rarefied Grosses Gewächs? Most certainly. It displays unfathomable layers of minerality and erupts with high-toned aromatics and compact, bone-dry tension that catapults this $28 bottle into the upper echelons of white wine. And our first experience with Schneider’s “Hummerthal” only elevated this seriously high-level Riesling: During our German trip in April, the Schneiders invited us into their home and prepared a classic German dish (more on that below) alongside dozens of special wines. We became completely transfixed by the magic of fresh homemade food in a foreign country and, while every wine we tasted piqued my interest, today’s bottle seemed to have a magnetic attraction to my palate. It’s this simple: You won’t find a more prestigious bottle of dry, Grand Cru-level Riesling at this price.
The Schneiders can directly link their wine heritage to a French military legend. In the late 1800s, Napoléon Bonaparte came galavanting up the Rhine, taking in the sun-drenched slopes and stopping in river towns along the way. In order to sustain his expenditures, he began selling off properties he previously inherited through old nobility courts. When Napoléon ventured into Nierstein and put his land up for sale, Kaspar Schneider seized the opportunity and immediately purchased several vineyards. These vineyards formed the base of the Schneider’s land ownership today. Now on generation seven (several generations are at work come harvest, even the up-and-coming eighth!), this is a true family business that wants nothing more than to share the fruits of their labors with the outside world. In 2012, after 40 years of winemaking, Albrecht Schneider passed the torch to his daughter and her husband—though you will still find him ‘in the mix’ on a daily basis.
Now, on to decoding the wine label: Located in Nierstein, a respected Rheinhessen town that hugs the west side of the Rhine River, “Hummerthal” is a special
Grosse Lage (i.e. Grand Cru) vineyard similar to a French
lieu-dit. This exclusive plot lies in the heart of the larger Paterberg vineyard, a sprawling site that hugs Nierstein proper from the south. Quality in Paterberg varies greatly, but Schneider’s 30-year-old vines in the exclusive “Hummerthal” plot are the cream of the crop, which is why it holds the coveted ‘
Grosse Lage’ status. The Schneiders farm their vines sustainably and they harvested their Spätlese-level Riesling by hand—just like
their ancestors in 1921. In the winery, the juice fermented completely dry (
trocken) in stainless steel tanks and the wine then aged further in stainless steel—this ‘16 had just been bottled when we enjoyed it back in April.
The 2016 “Hummerthal” from Georg Albrecht Schneider is a mind-blowing wine right out of the bottle, though it could certainly benefit from a 30 minute decant. We, however, couldn’t wait after catching the tension-filled aromas wafting out of the bottle. The wine pours a bright straw-yellow with a heavy presence of neon green and silver hues leading out to a clear rim. Not only does this have the qualifications for a “Grosses Gewächs,” it performs like one too, exploding with Meyer lemon, crisp Anjou pear, white peach skin, tangerine, candied lime peel, citrus blossoms, spearmint, crushed rocks, petrol, and fresh white flowers. Its stunningly bone-dry palate is juxtaposed by massive waves of minerals, acidity, and mouth-prickling fruits. It finishes long and harmoniously dry with every above-listed note lingering, making it nearly impossible not to salivate. I expect this to go the distance—easily 10 years—but it will be brightest and most inviting over the next 2-5, so stock up and open whenever curiosity strikes you. And you absolutely must pair it with the dish that accompanied this unbelievable Riesling in the first place: spargel—a white asparagus with a tarragon cream sauce. The delicious simplicity of the dish, the homey ambiance, the dazzling Riesling in our hand—all of it blended into an everlasting experience. Invite over some good company and follow the attached recipe in order to recreate it for yourselves. Cheers!
