As we wrote nearly three years ago, a stunning, ancient amphitheater may be producing some of Germany’s most elegant reds.
The irony is that very few people know anything about this area.
About a half-hour north of Stuttgart, in Germany’s south, lies the tiny village of Rosswag. A few dozen homes are tucked together in a valley surrounded by a massive fortress of terraced vineyards.
 |
The landscape might look familiar to those who know the aesthetics of Cornas or Hermitage. Yet we are some 400 miles north, and these terraces are limestone.
Here, a tiny estate called Roterfaden is shaping a Lemberger (Blaufränkisch in Austria) that easily reaches some sort of cool-climate apogee for this grape.
The wine is delicate with a sinewy persistence, a live wire of acidity and tannin runs through a red of shocking clarity, layers and layers of dark red and purple fruit, fine herbal details, leather, and a simply soaring florality.
This wine crackles with something primary, something essential. The soul and feel of this wine will be familiar to the collector who appreciates the aesthetics of Cornas or Hermitage.
Yet Roterfaden's soulful red retails today at as low as $27 a bottle on the four-pack and the reason, so far as we can guess, is that no one knows this place.
We think the Cornas comparison is a fascinating lens through which to view this place and these wines. Yet people who are thrilled by the high-altitude wines of the Alto Piemonte or the more delicate and savory wines of the Savoie will also find Roterfaden's red of great interest.
This Lemberger is a jaw-dropping showcase of what German reds are capable of. It rewards, handsomely, the leap of faith.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
Special 4-pack pricing for a limited time. Use Code: LEMBERGER-19