Graf von Schonborn Hattenheim Pfaffenberg Auslese Riesling 2003
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
664 years of wine cultivation by the Counts of Schönborn from 1349-2013.
The roots of the von Schönborn family can be traced back to the crusades and the first mention with respect to viticulture was in the year 1349. Schloss Schönborn is the oldest estate in Germany and one of the oldest in the world, continuously owned by the same family, (27 generations). Over the years the estate was steadily enlarged especially in the 17th century with acquisitions of the famous Erbacher Marcobrunn. With almost 50% ownership, the Schönborn’s have by far the largest ownership in this great vineyard. Historic invoices document the purchase of hand blown glass bottles in 1725, acknowledging that the Schönborn’s were among the first to bottle their wines. The oldest known still drinkable wine is in fact the 1735 Johannisberger, a bottle from the rarities cellar that was auctioned in 1987. As a point of interest, in the old days, wines were matured in cask for 10-15 years. The Schönborn’s have one of the deepest rarities cellars in the world with a number of bottles from three vintages from the 1700’s remaining.
For over 660 years the Schönborn’s have practiced sustainable vineyard practices, in parallel with a philosophy of producing great wines continuously. The estate owns over 50 hectares, (125 acres), of vineyards throughout the Rheingau. It is the only estate in the region with 38 single vineyard holdings in the best parts of the region.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Practically one long and bucolic hillside along the northern bank of the Rhein River, the Rheingau stretches the entirety of the river’s east to west spread from Hocheim to Rüdesheim.
Variations in elevation, soil types, and proximity to the Rhine cause great diversity in Rheingau Riesling. Some of the better Rieslings in warmer years come from the cooler and breezier sites at higher elevations. In cooler years, sites closer to the river may perform better.
In the village of Rüdesheim, slopes are steep and soils are stony slate with quartzite; Rieslings are rich and spicy, intense in stone fruit and show depth and character with age. World class Rieslings come from farther east on the river through Geisenheim, Johannisberg, Winkel, Oestrich and past Erbach as well, where soils of loess, sand, and marl alternate. Long-living, floral-driven and mineral-rich Rieslings come from the best of these sites.
Rheingau growers became early activists in promoting the dry style of Riesling, low yields and the classification of top vineyards, or Erstes Gewächs (first growths). Proximity to the metropolitan markets of Mainz, Wiesbaden, and Frankfurt keeps Rheingau in high reputation. While dry wines are the style here, Rheingau isn’t short of some amazing Auslesen, Beerenauslesen, and Trockenbeerenauslesen.
Rheingau doesn’t mess with many other grapes—in fact 79% of its total area is dedicated to Riesling. But it produces some fine Pinot noir, especially concentrated in Assmannshausen, a bit farther west from Rüdesheim.