7 Terroirs is well received

Since the March 2019 ProWein trade fair members of the wine trade have been tasting the new Estate Riesling from Gut hermannsberg (GHB), the 2018 7 Terroirs. And since the 5^th Frankfurt Riesling Day at the beginning of May 2019 many wine lovers have thrown a no less critical gaze at our new creation. Did we miss the target or hit the bull’s eye?

The most striking thing is how nearly all those tasters, professional and inexperienced alike, are in agreement: 7 Terroirs definitely doesn’t taste like a regular Estate Riesling. The revolutionary nature of the wine was often instantly recognized, or at least its remarkable expressiveness for this humble category praised. The descriptions “smoky”, “spicy” and “mineral” for its pronounced character were frequently made and agreed with. These notes come from the volcanic soils of GHB’s 7 CDP Grosse Lagen / “grand Cru” sites from which the wine comes. All those wines were wild fermented (with no yeast added) and spent a minimum of half a year maturing on the lees (the deposit of lees that settles to the bottom of the cask after fermentation).

Not surprisingly, some consumers prefer the fruit-driven charm of GHB’s other Estate Riesling named “Just Riesling!” but they also invariably showed their respect for 7 Terroirs. “It’s a bit too strong for me!” was a typical comment from members of this group. The 2018 “Just Riesling!” really is the lighter wine having one degree of alcohol less than the 2018 7 Terroirs – 11.5% as opposed to 12.5%. For some professional tasters who enountered the 2018 7 Terroirs during the spring and early summer of 2019 the wine had another problem, “it’s too young!” We agree with that and prefer it the way it now tastes. Sadly, it’s sold out at GHB, but thankfully not out there in the market. The 2019 7 Terroirs is set for 1^st May release and the price direct from us for private customers remains Euro 11.90.

Von Stuart Pigott