A weightless monument, cut from slate.
“2020 is all about filigreed ripeness with some stunning wines with a lightness and finesse not seen in a decade.”
The line above is from Mosel Fine Wines' summary of the 2020 vintage. They continue, writing, "at their best, they have a lightness which we have not seen in the region since 2008, 2004, and 2002."
For purists, just the mention of those three hallowed vintages should make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. While 2019 was the blockbuster vintage across the board, 2020 is the specialist. Make no mistake, this is a Kabinett vintage of unparalleled electricity; the top Kabinetts of 2020 are do-not-miss wines, period.
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This week, our first ever "Kabinett Week," we focus on this absolutely magical vintage-and-genre combination, presenting three of our top picks. Each and every bottle is a must-have for the beginner to the collector.
We begin with one of the most respected vignerons of the Mosel, Daniel Vollenweider. His 2020 Goldgrube Kabinett, sourced from ungrafted vines well over 70 years old, from one of the more impressive Grand Cru sites in the Mosel, represents a simply monumental style of Kabinett.
This truly is the most captivating Vollenweider Goldgrube Kabinett since the 2008er and one of the masterpieces of the 2020 vintage.
What is so impressive is that somehow Daniel fits all of these aspects into a form that is dense, compact, and serpentine. There is a glycerin-rich density, a glaze to Daniel's top wines, which is evocative of slate being pulverized into weightlessness.
Goldgrube, however, is also Daniel's most structured Kabinett, with a gripping, tautness. This is a wine that can easily be drunk now over three days to a few weeks - it is a wine that will cellar effortlessly for decades.
The Kabinett has without question finally been acknowledged for what it truly is - one of the most singular wines on earth. While Keller's top Kabinetts have blown the roof off of expectations, trading at close to and over $1,000 a bottle, nearly all growers are beginning to raise prices.
They simply have to - in our new, warmer world, these wines are getting harder and harder to make. These may soon be the true rarities of German wine.
Either way, this is a perfect moment to go long on the Kabinett. Vintage 2020 has given us some of the most singular and finessed Kabinetts of the decade and they come to us, with the tariffs recently removed, at prices that will seem, in the very near future, absolutely crazy.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
