June 1, 2010 | News | Wines of the Month
The 2008 vintage also delivered fine off-dry wines, including this Brückstück by the up and coming Weingut Knebel.
Besides superb fruity-styled Kabinett and Spätlese bottlings, 2008 also generated some (not many) great dry and off-dry wines.
The mother and son tandem Beate and Matthias Knebel at Weingut Knebel really outdid themselves in 2008, by producing great fruity-styled wines and offering a great collection of dry and off-dry wines. We particularly enjoyed the zesty and playful acidity of the vintage captured in this "Feinherb" bottling made out of old vines from the classical part of the under-rated Brückstück vineyard in Winningen.
The "Feinherb" category stands for just off-dry or dry-tasting wines (usually anything between 10 and 30 g/l of residual sugar, depending on the acidity). The concept is nearly impossible to convey into English: Literally translated, it means "harsh in a fine way" or "delicately harsh", which are not descriptors one would immediately associate with positive feelings...
However, its use has been increasingly widespread in Germany. It allowed to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional descriptor "Halbtrocken" (half dry) for these wines, which many consumers interpreted negatively as "half wine" or "not dry enough."
The beautiful 2008 Knebel collection
was reviewed in Mosel Fine Wines Issue No 9 (Oct 2009).
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2008er
Knebel
Winninger Brückstück Riesling Feinherb Alte Reben
07 09
90
Made from the Sternberg parcel situated in the center of the vineyard, this comes over as very fruity with good aromatic precisions and surprising freshness. Despite boasting nearly 30 g/l of residual acidity, this wine is dry-tasting on the palate with nice spices and concentration. The finish conveys a joyful sense of lightness and finesse. This is very nice to drink now with food. Now-2015
© Text by Mosel Fine Wines "The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling ... and beyond!"
Disclaimer: Mosel Fine Wines is an independent publication and has no commercial relationship with any Estate, association or organization featured in this article.
