Head for the hills
When Ernie Loosen, one of Mosel's most dynamic wine-makers, decided to expand his empire, he could have gone anywhere. Australia's Clare Valley, New Zealand's Martinborough, even Austria's Wachau - all exciting areas for a classic, dry Riesling. Instead, he headed two hours south-east of his home, to the Rheinpfalz, or Pfalz as it's known. "This region has the greatest potential for dry whites and reds in Germany," Loosen declares.
For the past few years, Pfalz has been Germany's rising star. While Rheingau - its more famous Rhine rival - languishes on its own merits, a new generation of wine-makers has emerged. Step into any of the cellars of Lingenfelder, Brklin-Wolf, von Buhl or Bassermann-Jordan and you sense an air of excitement and change.
Compared with Mosel's dramatic steep valleys, Pfalz looks more like Burgundy with its gentle undulating slopes. The climate seems French, too. It is much warmer than in Mosel or Rheingau, reflected in the fuller, spicier wines. These styles remind one of Alsace, only a stone's throw across the border, as do the figs, almond trees, tobacco and kiwis growing effortlessly alongside vines. Soils are mixed, offering individuality among sites, and wine styles are different from anywhere else in Germany.
"We have softer acid, riper fruit and more consistency with vintages," explains wine-maker Rainer Lingenfelder. This is the Pfalz secret. In lean years, when acidity in Mosel can be rapier-like, Pfalz produces full-bodied, ripe, spicy wines. The Trocken (dry) style works particularly well here. When Mosel Trockens are thin, tart and angular, Pfalz's explosively fruity ripeness and spicy lychee flavours fill in the gaps to make delicious aromatic, dry aperitifs.
Riesling is a popular grape, but it covers only one-fifth of Pfalz. In northerly Mittelhaardt, Forst, Deidesheim and Wachenheim, it produces fruity, spicy, moderate to high alcohol (from 10-13%) and very extrovertly flavoured Rieslings. There is also plenty of experimentation with other grapes, such as Scheurebe and Silvaner. With these, Lingenfelder is king. This energetic wine-maker, who took over from his father after working in Australia for Penfolds and New Zealand for Montana, coaxes excellent flavours from his Scheurebes, best in Kabinett and Sp„tlese styles. He also produces good Silvaners.
"Having been exposed to reds in Australia, I returned keen to revive Sp„tburgunder's (Pinot Noir) tradition and replant the vines my father grubbed up in 1960." Today a quarter of Pfalz vines are red and Lingenfelder's are a match for Burgundy with their fine aromas and balanced acid.
Other producers, such as Basserman-Jordan, are concentrating on Riesling. Its styles are mainly dry, steely, fragrant and exotic with long mineral length - good food wines. Von Buhl is popular for its dynamic, big-boned Rieslings, even its basic QbA Rieslings make stunning, intense aperitifs.
The greatest changes, however, have emerged at Germany's largest estate owner, Dr Brklin-Wolf. A new generation now concentrates on drier styles, highlighting its top sites Gaisbohl and Rechbachel with simpler, minimalist labelling.
Loosen's JL Wolf estate produces promising Rieslings from top sites such as Forster Stift and Wachenheimer Belz. And Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are showing great potential, soon to be available in the UK.
Despite this innovation, sommeliers still complain that Germany is unknown territory for British drinkers. Many are baffled by illegible labels, unsure of sweetness levels and don't know whether to offer the wines as aperitifs, with food or after a meal. Pfalz, however, makes a good starting point for new drinkers with its full, ripe, spicy, sunny flavours - almost New World-like in weight.
"Pfalz wines are difficult to sell," confirms Gerard Basset of Hotel du Vin & Bistro, Winchester, Hampshire, "but they offer great value, particularly Sp„tleses. Trockens have a good slot as aromatic aperitifs or with light-flavoured fish."
He lists Dr Brklin-Wolf Sp„tlese 1985 and Kabinett 1986 at about £20 per bottle. "Incredible value for 20-year-old Rieslings, but I am lucky if I sell one or two bottles a month," he says. He is impressed by Lingenfelder's Sp„tburgunder, hoping to list this soon.
David Harvey of Restaurant Number One, The Balmoral, Edinburgh, loves Pfalz wines. "Lingenfelder's Scheurebes are concentrated and balanced Trockens, which don't have the cool-climate dry Riesling tendency towards rapier-like acidity," he says.
James Sankey of the Atrium in London admits to preferring Mosel. "But there are a handful of serious and dedicated producers who will feature on our list before too long, like von Buhl's elegant, well-integrated, minerally wine styles," he says.
After years of neglect, Pfalz wines are becoming available on restaurant lists. The secret for anyone who has not tried them is to buy these classic dry whites and reds now. They offer great value from vintages such as 1996 and 1997, and their Sp„tleses cellar beautifully for five years. But don't hang around, as Robert Parker has his sights on Germany (and Pfalz in particular). It won't take him long to figure out why Loosen has gone there. n
