The Berlin master class held by the von Hövel winery was made possible by a surprising personnel change. After it became known that Paul Truszkowski had bid farewell to the Berlin wine trade to join von Hövel as estate director, it was only a matter of time before Rieslings from the Saar would finally make their mark in Berlin. The big stage belonged, of course, to owner and winemaker Max von Kunow and his 24 wines.
Von Kunow is the seventh generation to run the Oberemmeler winery, which was established in 1803 from the St. Maximin monastery estate. At the heart of the portfolio are 5.8 hectares of the monopole Oberemmeler Hütte and 2.85 hectares in the legendary Scharzhofberger, one kilometer away. Naturally, these wines formed the core of the master class. But von Kunow’s presentation went far beyond that. His insights into wine history, for example, would be worth an article in their own right, as would his reflections on the microbiology of vines.
The dry and semi-dry range
The presentation began with two Riesling sparkling wines, with the Cremant Brut (Pinot Blanc and Riesling from old vines) clearly outshining the Riesling Brut. There is still a lot of untapped potential here; after all, von Kunow learned his craft in Reims and has perfect limestone caves as aging cellars. In addition, Saar sparkling wines were once at the top of German sparkling wine production in terms of quality. In any case, the dry estate wines have long since reached the top of their category. The “simple” Saar Rieslings are delightful both young (here 2023) and as the still available “Library Release Vintage” 2016. The nice word “spring water” is appropriate here, as these are delicate, very pure wines with bright, fresh acidity. And that with just 10 to 11 percent alcohol! The 2023 village wines from Oberemmel and Krettnach are more distinctive in terms of their terroir. The Oberemmeler from blue slate is herbaceous, acidic, and still somewhat restrained. The Krettnacher is darker and more mellow, with gray slate mingling with volcanic rock.
The two Große Gewächse Hütte and Scharzhofberger, both from the 2022 vintage, were a fascinating flight. It was Max von Kunow who, after taking over the winery from his father in 2010, made it his mission to consistently produce dry top-quality wines. Today, no other winery in the Saar region can match them in this category – at least not in 2022. The Hütte often has the edge here, but this year the Scharzhofberger is at the top. So clear and precise, yet complex and endowed with enormous inner reserves. It is a testament to the quality of the range that it makes the leap to the most popular wine in the range with ease. The Saar Riesling feinherb from 2023 is enormously harmonious and the perfect summer wine. The off-dry Wiltinger 2023 (from the Klosterberg vineyard) has considerably more depth. On the other hand, I don’t understand the point of the 2020 Weißburgunder feinherb.
The classics: Hütte versus Scharzhofberg
Two exceptionally fine Saar Kabinett wines from 2021 and 2023 introduce the range of wines with residual sweetness. Although “delicately fruity” is actually a better description, as there is hardly any sweetness to be detected here. These are followed by the Kabinett single-vineyard verticals from Hütte and Scharzhofberg. Kunow is convinced that producing Kabinett is an art form. This is because there is no other quality level in German wine that reveals the terroir of a wine so well. Four vintages of the Hütte Kabinett were available for tasting. Starting with 2016, followed by 2017 and 2021, and ending with 2022. The origin of the blue slate is very evident here, with the cool herbal spice of the well-ventilated and very steep elevation (up to 280 meters). Even the oldest wine of the quartet tastes almost ageless, while 2022 still has noticeable baby fat. Of course, you can drink something like this young. But if you like mature “Kabis”, you should definitely stock up on some of Hövel/Kunow’s Hütte Rieslings and forget about them for a while.
The following flight of three Scharzhofberger Kabinetts from 2023, 2021 and 2018 was hardly less fascinating. But it shows that hot years like 2018 can lead to residual sugar levels that can be a challenge for the balance of a Saar Kabinett. And on the other hand, the 2021 auction wine shows that the Scharzhofberg can produce absolute world-class wines under the right circumstances. With its combination of aromatic density and delicate structure, this was the wine of the day. In a direct comparison between the Scharzhofberger and the Hütte Spätlese from 2022, the latter impressed with its classic style, while the former stood out with its unusually powerful presence. The 2010 Scharzhofberger Auslese showed unusual maturity in color and aroma. The wine from a private cellar was probably not perfectly matured. The 2023 Hütte Auslese, on the other hand, is extremely promising. It is produced according to the house style without botrytis grapes, which is why there are no noble sweet wines here. This allows the wine to remain exciting and transparent despite its opulence.
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