5 Years Barrel Aged!
– Everyone Would Do This If They Could Afford It
– Most Can’t
– Takes the Wine to Another Level
2019 Gut Hermannsberg Kupfergube GG Reserve
– Qualitatively As Good As the Top Top Rieslings in Germany
– Think Molitor ***, Keller or Burklin Wolf
– 98 Points for Lesser 2017 If You Care (That’s Too Low)
– Nose: Utterly Spectacular
– One of the Greatest Rieslings I Have Ever Smelled in My Life
– The Most Incredible Florality and Smokey Minerals
– Vapor-Like Nose Like Raveneau Les Clos
– So Zen, Serene, Complete, Nimble and Preposterously Complex
– White Almond Dust
– Gorgeous Citrus
– Grace, Precision and Clarity
– A Hint of Honey
– Palate: Simply Dances
– Complex, Dense and Juicy
– Cerebral and Hedonistic
– Huge Mouthfeel and Stunning Purity
– Terrific Structure
– So Much Material
– But Not Massive or Heavy
– Elegant and Distinctive Minerality
5 Years Barrel Aged!
Last year we offered the 2018 Gut Hermannsberg Hermannsberg GG Reserve which is a wine that was recently delivered and the raves are coming in almost hourly from people who have loved that wine. We called it “German Corton Charlemagne” as it really has that aristocratic nature like Corton Charlemagne.
Why?
5 Years of Barrel Ageing.
Ask any winemaker – if they could afford the cash flow hit, they would do this for their top wines. Unfortunately, few can. Fortunately, Gut is owned by a wealthy investor.
I’m offering the second 5 year barrel aged wine today. The Kupfergube. It’s arguably even better.
German Francois Raveneau Grand Cru Les Clos
When I smelled, and hadn’t even tasted the 2019 Gut Hermannsberg Kupfergube GG Reserve for $92.99 a 3-pack, I knew I was in the presence of one of the greatest Rieslings I have ever smelled in my life. I immediately said this is the closest wine from anywhere I have had that smells like Raveneau Les Clos from a vintage like 2010/2014 or 2008. The nose was spectacular. Just this vapor of the most incredible florality and smokey minerals I have ever smelled in a Riesling. It was so glorious I smelled it for 5 minutes. It was heavenly and kept expanding and expanding until it was almost filling the room. I am not joking. I was in the presence of Riesling greatness. Raveneau Les Clos gets that vapor style nose and it’s based more on stones and pulverized Kimmeridgian complexity but it’s totally there in the Gut Hermannsberg Kupfegrube, but in the most profound floral sense. The taste did not let down as sometimes can happen when a nose is too good to be true. It was just so zen, serene, complete, nimble and preposterously complex and has that mineral “copper mine” thing that Kupfergrube has in spades. (“Kupfergrube” means copper mine.) The finish we must discuss as it never ends. I didn’t need a watch or a timer as it just didn’t end and I didn’t have all day. It also has stages like when a rocket launches from earth. It is so caressing, so delicate, so juicy, so clean, so long and exhilarating. I only gave this a 9.9 as it will be a 10.0 in around 5 years. I will struggle to find another Riesling as good as this in my life. I cannot recommend this enough. It takes the 18 Hermannsberg GG and takes it up 3-5 notches.
This is a cerebral wine but also a wine that is delicious because of how high quality it is and is one of my favorite GGs I’ve ever tasted.
It is the perfect balance between cerebral and hedonistic. Beauty and brains.
Super fine and mineral nose. Confectionery. Crushed rocks. The level of white flowers is more than in any wine I have ever had. It is a vapor of purity. Nose keeps changing with air. Vulcanized rubber, white almond dust and so much porphyr. The nose has huge fruit but it is only echoing fruit which hints of what to come with age and minerals that I challenge you to find a more detailed and delicate mineral nose. Gorgeous citrus, confectionary aromas that are stunning and layered and smells like complex fruit soup. Stunning. Even a bit of honey. Complex and mineral with such grace, precision and clarity. For me this is what perfection is in a nose. I gave this nose a 10.0.
This is dancing on the palate. Textured and rich but it’s also so fine. Juicy and concentrated and so sappy and so pure. Dense yet dancing. The most cerebral and hedonistic wine of the trip. Complex, dense and juicy. Powerful and concentrated with an insane finish that will never ever end. Just so complex. It’s so silky, delicate and elegant. It’s nimble. It pulls one in and pushes one away like that person we have a crush on during the flirtation stage. This is just brilliant. An almost tannic-like finish as so much material is here. Massive structure. Amazing finish. One of the best young wines from Gut Hermannsberg I’ve ever had. Just sick. This has a huge mouthfeel and stunning purity. Amazing wine. So serene. The palate is an exercise in precision, depth and complexity with gorgeous elegant and wake you up acidity woven throughout. There is also beautiful driving elegant and distinctive minerality that really is the star of this wine. The acid is off the charts and makes this wine so explosive. The length is very, very impressive. Below is the 98 point score by Stuart Piggott for the 2017 but for me the 2019 is so much better. This is 99.99999 today.
“An avalanche of smoky and stony minerality rolls over you, together with aromas of lemon curd and grilled lemon. Huge structure, but neither massive nor domineering, this has finesse that invites you to sit down and study it, if possible with a partner. Stunning finish, in which a hint grapefruit pith adds an extra burst of energy at the enormously mineral finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink or hold.” – 98 Points Stuart Piggott (2017)
Please call Cheryl at 949 378 5251 after emailing with your first order if you are a first time customer (we prefer not to receive credit card numbers over E-Mail).
OFFICE HOURS 4-7 PM
I love drinking and selecting wines – but my passion for teaching people about wine is almost as big. I’m happy to announce a block of time each day where people can call me just to chat about wine in general. These blocks are NOT intended to sell wine (I do that all day). This is to talk to me about wine pairings or great producers or how long to age wines or styles of wine making or the latest wine controversy. My goal is to help people learn more about wine and enjoy it more. Call me at 917-912-4355 from 4-7EST Monday – Friday.
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A Word about Fass Selections and Social Media
I am big into certain social media and I want people to take pictures of the wines they have received or will receive and tag me in them and share their thoughts. I a am on Instagram. Please tag me there. I also am on Delectable which I love a lot. It is Iphone/Ipad only, but it’s like Instagram meets Facebook for wine. Tag me there and find me there as well. I want to know if you liked the wine, were not moved by the wine, hated the wine or the wine gave you a religious experience. I want to know it all. Feedback is key and I will answer all feedback e-mails as quickly as I can.
For all billing and invoicing inquiries please contact Rick at refassselections@gmail.com.