September 2022 Tasting Report: Perfect Rieslings, the New Classics of Rioja and California Cool

We tasted a whopping 2,802 wines during September from 15 countries, and right at the top of our ratings were some outstanding 2021 German rieslings from the Mosel and Rheingau regions of the country. In fact, five of the rieslings we rated from these two places received scores of 100.

Although yields in Germany’s 2021 vintage were well down on the long-term average because of the soggy weather that year, some spectacular bottles came from the final product. Two “masterpieces of aromatic and mineral brilliance” came from Oliver Haag of the Fritz Haag estate in Brauneberg, on the Middle Mosel, namely the Fritz Haag Riesling Mosel Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Trockenbeerenauslese 2021 and Fritz Haag Riesling Mosel Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Beerenauslese 2021.

The riesling Kabinett wines from Julian Haart, meanwhile, showed incredible ripeness, including the perfect-scoring Julian Haart Riesling Mosel Ohligsberg Kabinett (White Label) 2021, which Stuart called “only the most amazing Mosel Riesling Kabinett from a year that was ideal for the category.”

And the legendary Marcobrunn vineyard site in the Rheingau gave us another 100-pointer, this one coming from the Kunstler estate. Stuart said the intensely exotic Künstler Riesling Rheingau Marcorbunn Auslese 2021 is a “totally amazing” wine, with “a very exciting interplay of luscious sweetness and vibrant acidity.” Another Kunstler offering, the Künstler Riesling Rheingau Rüdesheim Berg Schlossberg Beerenauslese 2021, was the fifth 100-point German riesling we rated during the month.

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And if German rieslings aren’t your thing but you’d like to stay in both the 2021 vintage and the same neighborhood, Austria delivered two more 100-point rieslings in September. Dry riesling, after all, was the most consistent category for Austria in 2021, with a slew of great wines plus the two perfect ones.

The Nigl Riesling Kremstal Ried Hochäcker Privat 2021 is “a breathtaking combination of enormous concentration and raciness,” which Stuart said reminded him of the excellent 2001 vintage except that “it’s ever finer and more mineral.” The other shining star of Austria’s 2021 vintage is the F.X. Pichler Riesling Wachau Ried Kellerberg – a wine that combines enormous power with dazzling precision, as well as moderate alcohol content of 13 percent.

Stuart also traveled into the Austrian region of Styria to try some sauvignon blancs, which the winemakers there are masters of, and found the “best dry white from this grape” he said he had ever tasted from Austria, the Tement Sauvignon Blanc Südsteiermark Ried Zieregg Vinothek Reserve 2019.

Staying in Europe, Spain gave us some beautiful bottles during our month of tastings, including a stunning tasting of Artadi wines – the new classics of Rioja that are a departure from the old, “traditional” image of Rioja and its light but coconutty and vanilla-scented wines.

Artadi’s singular tempranillos are anything but traditional, and “new classic” may be the best way to describe them. They come with deep color, compact fresh fruit and powerful yet fine structure, with the expressiveness of each vineyard fully on display. For the 2019 vintage, the harmony between glossy fruit and mineral allure makes them enjoyable now, even though they’re really built for the cellar.

One of the best and the most stunning Artadi bottlings that can be enjoyed either now or much later is the Viña El Pisón Alava 2019, which shows well-rounded complexity with concentration, mineral elegance and fluidity. The Artadi Alava El Carretil 2019 is another one that stands out with its well-rounded complexity and harmony. It comes from a 5.6-hectare plot rich in limestone clay, delivering a tense tempranillo with chalky tannins and showing incredible depth and mineral finesse.

We also tapped into a few samples from Ribera del Duero’s 2020 vintage, with Bertrand Sourdais’ Dominio de Es offerings showing off unique expressions of old-vine terroirs typical to the region. The Dominio de Es wines, like the Dominio de Es Ribera del Duero La Diva 2020, come with a beautiful, ethereal nose – a rare quality for Ribera del Duero and one more associated with pinot noir and, of course, great Burgundy. Another standout from Ribera del Duero is the Bodegas Aalto Ribera del Duero PS 2020 – a typical expression of the region, with impressive ripeness and concentration from the low-yielding 60- to 90-year-old vines.

In neighboring Portugal, a late-released wine and icon of the country caught James attention. He said the Barca Velha 2011, an extremely deep red from the Douro, is “full-bodied with deep intensity, power and finesse,” and he called it “a tribute to the first great Barca Velhas of the 1960s.” And of course, no monthly tasting report would be complete without at least one tempting Italian wine from a global rockstar. In this case, Il Palagio Toscana Sacred Love 2020, from the wine estate of Sting, proves that Valdarno di Sopra, Italy, which also boasts Sette Ponti and Petrolo, is a great region for merlot.

NAPA'S STERLING 2019 REDS

Finally, we tasted an abundance of wines from California during September, with many Napa Valley producers sharing with us their sterling reds from 2019, which was the second great vintage in a row following the exquisitely formidable 2018. Andy Erickson’s Favia Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Coombsville 2019 is a great example of the fabulous bounty that came out of 2019. It’s an extraordinary young cabernet with such purity and freshness at the same time, and highlights the growing popularity of Coombsville in recent vintages, which is one of the coolest in Napa due to its southern location and nearness to the bay.

And Erickson really hit it out of the park with his To Kalon Vineyard Co. Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Oakville H.W.C. To Kalon Vineyard 2019, made for Constellation Brands, which is the biggest owner of what some consider the best vineyards of Napa Valley, including much of the To Kalon vineyard. This wine, a small-production bottling, is the essence of Napa cabernet and has a balance and purity with an endless finish that makes it wholly unique.

Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown also made a perfect wine with the second release from Schrader that comes from a heritage clone of To Kalon cabernet sauvignon and is produced in tiny quantities. James said he “couldn’t remember tasting anything like this single-parcel offering, which has incredible depth and seamless tannins as well as seductive aromas of exotic fruits.”

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We also uncovered several excellent 2019 and 2021 chardonnays and pinot noirs from Sonoma’s newest AVA, West Sonoma Coast. Flowers Vineyards’ 2021 chardonnay from Camp Meeting Ridge Almar and pinot noir from Sea View Ridge Cielo are both outstanding examples of the quality and purity that the Sonoma Coast is capable of producing and showcase the distinctive character and verve of the Sonoma Coast. And as usual, winemaker Paul Hobbs displayed his prowess in 2021 with some fantastic pinot noirs and chardonnays. Hirsch Vineyards also showed that great wine was possible in West Sonoma Coast’s 2020 vintage with their Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Reserve 2020, a blend that James felt was a triumph for the vintage.

There were so many great wines to enjoy from our September tastings – not only the nine 100-point bottles but a so many other high-quality offerings from such countries as China, Cyprus, Greece and South Africa, among others. Just scroll down below to find your favorites…

– Vince Morkri, Managing Editor