Friday, July 29, 2016

Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2016 - Rating Dry Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers

Picture: BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2016 Runner-up Johannes Jülg, Weingut Jülg, Pfalz

The BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2016 took place in Berlin, Germany, a few weeks ago, orchestrated by Martin Zwick. 45 wines were included in the tasting. They were blind-tasted by a group of sommeliers, wine writers and wine retailers.


“Gutsriesling” is a combination of Gutswein (Estate Wine) and Riesling: Rated were wines that fulfilled the two criteria – being a Gutswein and a Riesling (from Germany).

This was the 5th BerlinGutsrieslingCup. See here for the previous years’s results:

Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2015 - Rating Dry Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsweinrieslingCup 2014 - Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2013 – Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany
Berlin Gutsriesling Cup 2012, Germany

Picture: Winner (Photo: Facebook)

Gutswein

What is a Gutswein – Estate Wine? Gutswein is a term introduced and used by the members of the VDP association, Germany’s elite winemakers. A Gutswein is an entry level wine of a VDP member.

Picture: Top 3 (Photo: Facebook)

In sharp contrast with the standard classification system of the Law of 1971, the VDP classification system is based on the terroir principle. The pyramid of ripeness of the grapes at harvest (which dominates the standard German wine classification of 1971) has moved to the backburner in the VDP system. Instead, following Bourgogne, the terroir principle has taken center stage. Effective with the 2012 harvest, the VDP classification system consists of 4 layers. (In brackets, the equivalent quality classes in the classification system of the Bourgogne):

• VDP.Grosse Lage (Grand Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Erste Lage (Premier Cru in Burgundy)
• VDP.Ortswein (Village level in Burgundy)
• VDP.Gutswein (Bourgogne régional in Burgundy)

Note that for some legal reasons, the VDP has started to use the terms Grosse Lage, Erste Lage, Ortswein and Gutswein with the pre-fix VDP.

For more background information, see:
Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany
German Wine Basics: Grosse Lage and Grosslage (and Grosses Gewaechs)
VDP.Grosses Gewaechs, Erstes Gewaechs, Spaetlese/Auslese Trocken, … Labeling Dry Ultra-Premium Wines in Germany
Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach

Picture: Top 5 (Photo: Facebook)

Riesling

There are about 47000 hectares planted with Riesling worldwide. Germany – with 22500 hectares – accounts for about half of the total. The second and third largest Riesling producer are the US (mainly Washington State and Finger Lakes Region) with 4800 hectares and Australia with 4100 hectares. But this is only about 1/10 of the total. Alsace follows with 3500 hectares. Alsace, Ukraine and Austria follow with 3500 hectares, 2700 hectares and 1900 hectares, respectively.

Overall, Riesling is really a niche wine, accounting for less than 1 percent of total wine production in the world - but a very special niche wine. In terms of quality wines, Riesling is usually included in the top three white wine varieties, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Riesling is highly terroir-expressive, meaning that the character of Riesling wines is clearly influenced by the wine’s place of origin.

Pictures: Wine Lunch with Johannes Jülg at Weingut Jülg, see: Wine Lunch at Weingut Jülg with Johannes Jülg – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Martin Zwick and his Berlin Cups

Martin Zwick was initially known for organizing the BerlinRieslingCup every year. The BerlinRieslingCup is about Germany’s ultra-premium dry grand cru (Grosses Gewaechs) Rieslings from Grosse Lage vineyards. It typically takes place in the second half of September, following the release of the Grosses Gewaechs wines of the previous year.

In the following years, he added 3 other Berlin Cups: The BerlinGutsrieslingCup, which reviews and rates entry-level Rieslings. The BerlinKabinettCup: A ranking of off-dry, light Rieslings that carry the Kabinett predicate. Finally, the BerlinSpätburgunderCup, a ranking of German Pinot Noirs.

Thus, there are now 4 BerlinCups: BerlinRieslingCup, BerlinGutsRieslingCup, BerlinKabinettCup and BerlinSpätburgunderCup.

Pictures: Weingut Rings came in as #3. Here: Annette and Christian Schiller with Andreas Rings and his 2013 Weingut Rings, Kallstadter "Saumagen", Spätburgunder, in Frankfurt. The 2013 Weingut Rings, Kallstadter "Saumagen", Spätburgunder was #1 in the BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015, see: Germany's Best Pinot Noir Wines - BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015

The Ranking

Karl Schaefer 88
Jülg 87
Rings 87
Keller PdP Edition 87
Langwerth von Simmern 86
Laible 86
Adam 86
Johannisberg 86
Huff 86
Y-Sommelier 85
Weegmüller Literriesling 85
Wagner-Stempel 85
Koenen „Wirewalker“ 85
Siener 85
Maximin Grünhäuser 85
Emrich Schönleber 85
J. Baptist Schaefer 85
Wageck 85
Schwedhelm 85
Battenfeld-Spanier 85
Bunn „Fleißges Lieschen“ 85
Gold 85
Knebel 85
Brand 85
Gabel 85
Wittmann 85
Michel 84
Künstler 84
Schäfer-Fröhlich 84
Diel 84
Kühling-Gillot 83
Fußer 83
Bürklin-Wolf 83
Toni Jost 83
Walter 83
Ress 83
Gunderloch 83
Rebholz 83
K.H. Schneider 82
Zilliken 82
Werther-Windisch 82
von Buhl 81
Knewitz 81
St. Antony Rotschiefer 81
Schätzel 80

schiller-wine: Related Postings (Berlin Cups)

Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2015, Germany
Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2014, Germany
Germany’s Best Ultra-premium Dry Riesling Wines - BerlinRieslingCup 2013, Germany
Germany’s Ultra Premium Dry Riesling Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2012
Germany’s Top Wines – The Berlin Riesling Cup 2011 Ranking

Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2016 - Rating Dry Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2015 - Rating Dry Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
Martin Zwick’s BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2014 - Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany's Best Producers
BerlinGutsrieslingCup 2013 – Rating Entry-level Rieslings from Germany
Berlin Gutsriesling Cup 2012, Germany

Martin Zwick's BerlinKabinettCup 2016: Germany's Best 2015 Riesling Kabinett Wines
Martin Zwick's BerlinKabinettCup 2015: Germany's Best 2014 Riesling Kabinett Wines
Martin Zwick's BerlinKabinettCup 2014, Germany
BerlinKabinettCup 2013 - Kabinett 2012, Germany

Germany's Best Pinot Noir Wines - BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015
Germany's Best Pinot Noir Wines - BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2012/2014
BerlinSpaetburgunderCup 2011/2013, Germany

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History

Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir

Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Reims - Wine, Food, Culture and History

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Steffen Christmann (Weingut A. Christmann) and Wilhelm Weil (Weingut Robert Weil) Presented the New Wine Classification of the VDP, Germany

Approaches to Classifying German Wine: The Standard Approach (the Law of 1971), the VDP Approach and the Zero Classification Approach

Germany's Best Pinot Noir Wines - BerlinSpätburgunderCup 2013/2015

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