A stunning, ancient amphitheater may be producing some of Germany’s most elegant reds. And no one knows anything about this place.
About a half-hour north of Stuttgart, in Germany’s south, lays the tiny village of Rosswag. A few dozen homes are tucked together in a valley with a tiny population of about 1,000, surrounded by a massive fortress of vines.
Here, under the husband-and-wife team that makes Weingut Roterfaden, Lemberger (Blaufränkisch in Austria) reaches perhaps its cool-climate apogee; Pinot Noir becomes something deep, yet brisk and energized.
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For people who are thrilled by the high-altitude wines of the Alto Piemonte, or the more nervous reds of Marsannay or of the Coteaux de Champenois even further North, these wines are a jaw-dropping showcase of what German reds are capable of.
At less than $30 a bottle when you buy the 4-pack (two bottles of each wine), this is another lesson in the absurd value of German wine.
The fact that this place doesn’t really register on the “wine map” of Germany would be startling for no other reason than the in-your-face beauty and drama of this landscape. When you taste Roterfaden's wines, you’re even more confused as to why more people don’t know this place. (Though people are beginning to notice: Just this week Eric Asimov of The New York Times wrote up a piece on the unknown Germany, which includes Roterfaden).
2018 is one of the greatest red-wine vintages of Germany and the Lemberger flaunts complex dark-berry fruits, fine layers of spice, and dried herbs. The wine's true magic is its delicacy - the wine levitates.
The Pinot Noir is more stylish, the finer thread, with a brightness and purity that is stunning. It is focused, yet still has a polished saturation and immediacy; it crackles with a mineral-driven electricity.
Both wines reward, handsomely, the leap of faith. It’s also worth noting that both wines are in short supply. Roterfaden farms only four hectares. Please give us your ideal order, and we'll try our best.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
