WEINGUT Wwe. D r. H .T H A N I S C H , ERBEN THANISCH 2019 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR
“2019 is a must-have vintage for top Mosel Riesling.” GUY SEDDON, FINE WINE BUYER
WEINGUT Wwe. Dr.H. THANISCH, ERBEN THANISCH
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2019 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANTS SINCE 1780
REASONS FOR RIESLING The longest lived, the most refreshing, the food friendliest, with low alcohol and zippy citrus flavours in youth, ageing gracefully into a honeyed, melded maturity. And still ridiculous value. The question is not how to pitch great Mosel Riesling, it is – seriously, why isn’t everyone drinking this?!
For too long, German Riesling has been bracketed in the ‘specialist’ aisle of wine lovers’ brains. It’s a bit sweet, it comes in funny shaped bottles, the names are long and complicated… Safer with a Chardonnay, right? Wrong! There is a whole world of wine out there, people. And this grape, from this corner of the world where it thrives, should be at the top of your white wine list. So having established that Mosel Riesling is a no-brainer, this estate should be your first port of call. Let’s start by simplifying the extremely long name – these are the wines of Sofia and Christina Thanisch (pronounced ‘Tan-ish’). Sofia and Christina, mother and daughter respectively, are the 11th and 12th generations making wine here. This is an estate with a long, venerable history (and I therefore hope they will forgive me this year’s flippant introduction). Most importantly though, and all flippancy aside, these wines are astonishingly good and 2019 is without doubt a vintage in which to buy Mosel Riesling. We are proud to mark our fourth year as exclusive UK agents for the Thanisch family.
Guy Seddon November 2020
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WEINGUT Wwe. Dr.H. THANISCH, ERBEN THANISCH
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2019 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANTS SINCE 1780
HISTORY Covid has temporarily put paid to the Mosel cruise liners which moor outside the grand neo-renaissance Thanisch house in the summer months. The estate, founded in 1636, is however no stranger to the turbulence of historical events. It was established during the Thirty Years’ War which ravaged central Europe. Over the following two centuries, its reputation grew steadily until, by the end of the nineteenth century, Dr Hugo Thanisch’s wines attained the highest auction prices in the region. The house, which faces the city of Bernkastel on the opposite bank, was built in 1884.
THE ESTATE TODAY As mentioned, Sofia Thanisch and her daughter Christina represent the 11th and 12th generations of the family. Christina returned to work alongside her mother some two years ago, following international wine business studies at Geisenheim University and stints in Austria and New Zealand. Sofia and Christina are also the fourth and fifth women respectively to manage the estate, Sofia having taken over from her aunt Mechtilde in 1996.
The name explained... The estate’s impressively long name – Weingut Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch, Erben Thanisch – means the winery of the widow (witwe, abbreviated to “Wwe.”) of Dr Hugo Thanisch, as passed down the Thanisch side of the family. It makes perfect sense - and nearly four centuries of history here, we can forgive a little complexity.
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WEINGUT Wwe. Dr.H. THANISCH, ERBEN THANISCH
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2019 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR
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THE VINEYARDS The estate has nine hectares of vines, sitting within a stretch of the Mosel which is relatively straight, a run of south-facing vineyards of world renown – Zeltingen, Wehlen, Graach and Bernkastel.
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANTS SINCE 1780
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BERNCASTELER DOCTOR
BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE
The Berncasteler Doctor, so called since the 14th century for the restorative effect of its wine, is a 3.21 hectare jewel overlooking the city of Bernkastel. It is the smallest by far of the Mosel’s Grosse Lagen, the top classified sites of the region.
Adjacent to the Doctor, Bernkasteler Badstube* is named after historic communal bathhouses, public bathing having been imported by returning crusaders. The fine slate soils make for wines of racy acidity and long ageing potential.
This includes parcels which the Thanisch family have owned for 200 years. In 1882, the family expanded their holding of the Doctor vineyard. The Doctor’s south-southwest aspect and vertiginous 60-70% gradient maximise sun exposure. Its vines average over 60 years of age.
The estate is sustainable, reserving the right to spray if needed. The vines are largely ungrafted.
* Note the different spellings – Bernkasteler Badstube and Berncasteler Doctor.
WEINGUT Wwe. Dr.H. THANISCH, ERBEN THANISCH
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The view from the slopes of the Doctor vineyard.
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2019 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANTS SINCE 1780
THE 2019 VINTAGE “A really attractive Riesling year!” SOFIA THANISCH October 2020
The 2019 weather was something of a rollercoaster, which presented growers with a challenge. Frost in spring – although luckily not at the Thanisch holdings – was followed by a sunny spring that seamlessly turned into a warm and dry June and July. Then the weather turned. August was rainy, which at least removed the previous risk of sunburnt grapes. It also slowed down the ripening process and topped up the soil water reserves. In retrospect, both were welcome, as September then became sunny again, with relatively high temperatures. Harvest started on 30th September, in clear weather. This was two weeks later than in 2018, but still earlier than the long-term average. As Sofia put it, “Greetings from climate change.” After the first day’s picking, the fine weather came to an abrupt end, meaning the rest of the 2019 harvest took place under rainy skies. The estate started in the
vineyards in Kues, with the Estate Riesling and the old vines Bernkastel-Kues Riesling. Bernkasteler Badstube, Bernkasteler Graben and the Doctor were picked in the last ten days of the harvest. During this period, the golden October sun reappeared for two full days, accompanied by a return of summer temperatures. As per tradition, the estate’s experienced female employees in the Doctor vineyard used this small time window to select a tiny amount of fine botrytic grapes for Beerenauslese. The vineyard work finally finished on 18th October. The 2019 yield was significantly smaller than in 2018, but these are fine, elegant wines with – Sofia’s words again – “an animating acidity” (a lovely term). As she says in the quote above, this was a really attractive year for Riesling and, I would add, one which you would be crazy to miss out on!
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WEINGUT Wwe. Dr.H. THANISCH, ERBEN THANISCH
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2019 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR
TASTING NOTES THANISCH ESTATE RIESLING KABINETT The Estate Riesling comes mainly from vineyards around Kues, on the left bank of the Mosel. Intensely lemony on the nose, with lime zest and sherbet, this gets your saliva glands working before you have even tasted it. The palate is softly cushioned, with little pops of quince and lime cordial, lifted by taut acidity. A good start!
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Corney & Barrow Score 17 Recommended drinking from 2021 – 2025 £85/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
BERNKASTELER-KUES RIESLING ALTE REBEN The alte reben (old vines) here are over 40 years old. This ranks between the previous estate wine and the single vineyards (below). A slaty mineral nose with fine white flower perfume. The palate is strikingly intense, the zinging green citrus fruit backed up beautifully by wet-stone minerality. A twist of grapefruit and brine add shape to the finish. Corney & Barrow Score 17+ Recommended drinking from 2021 – 2027 £95/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
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BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE RIESLING KABINETT
BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE RIESLING SPÄTLESE
Think of this as the slightly broader-shouldered sibling of the Feinherb (below). The only difference is the length of fermentation, which here is halted earlier, making this a touch richer. Whether you prefer this or the Feinherb is down to individual taste. This is flinty and with a delicate crushed rock minerality on the nose, opening onto a more expansively fruited palate of apricot and cool, tangy lime.
Ripe apricot on the nose, with a promise of extract (which hopefully makes sense) and a line of dry-earth minerality. The palate is weighty, with expressive stone-fruits. Continuing the 2019 vintage theme, this has cut-glass precision (whilst 2018 was more hedonistic). A buttoneddown, classical delight and a masterclass in the softly textured loveliness of Badstube.
Corney & Barrow Score 17 Recommended drinking from 2020 – 2030
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 Recommended drinking from 2023 – 2027
£95/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
£115/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE RIESLING KABINETT FEINHERB
BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE RIESLING AUSLESE
This ferments for slightly longer than the ‘straight’ Kabinett (above), resulting in a marginally drier, tauter style. Apricot meets citric rigour on the nose, making for pleasingly giving, ample aromas. The palate is juicy, with a clipped precision, focused and more classically proportioned than the exuberant 2018 last year. Bottled in screwcap, as always, at the end of April. A no-brainer for early drinking.
Badstube is a huge vineyard, running north to Graacher Himmelreich. The Thanisch holdings are all at the southern Bernkastel end however. Rich, assertive lemon and lime fruit aromas announce this as a substantial wine which demands to be taken seriously. The concentrated palate has fabulous drive, tinned peach and pear flavours in abundance. Lots of fabulous ageing potential here.
Corney & Barrow Score 17+ Recommended drinking from 2021 – 2027
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 18 Recommended drinking from 2027 – 2036+ £160/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
£95/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
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WEINGUT Wwe. Dr.H. THANISCH, ERBEN THANISCH
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2019 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR
BERNCASTELER DOCTOR RIESLING KABINETT
BERNCASTELER DOCTOR RIESLING AUSLESE
The nose here is an aromatic delight – green apples, white flowers and honeysuckle. The palate is reassuringly plump – or cushioned is perhaps more accurate, as it sacrifices nothing in linear precision and laser-like acidity. You can feel the added warmth of the Doctor’s steep slope, turned like a solar panel to the afternoon sun. A reference Kabinett.
This bears the classic Doctor label, which the estate has used since 1901. Amber-gold in colour. Citrus rind and apricot, with wet-stone mineral notes and slate on the nose. The palate is intense and powerful, with flavours of fresh lime, quince, yellow flowers and slaty minerality. This is all about the flow, in Sofia Thanisch’s words. I would only add that it’s also about the length – it just goes on and on, a seemingly endless wine of supreme refinement and nuance.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+ Recommended drinking from 2025 – 2037 £155/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
Corney & Barrow Score 18 - 18.5 Recommended drinking from 2027 – 2047 £335/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
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BERNCASTELER DOCTOR RIESLING SPÄTLESE
BERNCASTELER DOCTOR RIESLING AUSLESE SELECTION
This may well be the sweet spot of the estate. Spätlesen have the great advantage of being versatile enough to pair with food or serve on their own, before or after a meal. And the Doctor vineyard is, of course, the pinnacle of the Thanisch holdings. Classic aromas of apricot and peach lead seamlessly into pliant, intense flavours of lime zest and imposing slaty minerality. My score is intentionally enthusiastic – I loved this.
This is a special selection of Auslese grapes reaching the ripeness level of a Beerenauslese. In Sofia’s words, it is a “kind of 3-star Auslese” (where 3 stars is the maximum, I presume!) The bottle has a wonderful label used by Sofia’s great-grandfather, described by her as “a romantic label from 1880 showing a knight with a cup of wine, which is supposed to remind of the healing powers of the Berncasteler Doctor”. Similar to the regular bottling above, there are intense wet-stone mineral aromas, lemon and peach. The palate is intense and powerful, even more expansive and with a beautifully soft cushioned structure. Even more power and energy. Only 330 bottles have been produced!
Corney & Barrow Score 18.5 Recommended drinking from 2024 – 2035 £200/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK £215/CASE OF 3 MAGNUMS, IN BOND UK
Corney & Barrow Score 18.5 - 19 Recommended drinking from 2027 – 2047 £595/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
Tasting Guide Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have also introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection. For the benefit of simplicity, wines are scored out of 20. We will often use a range of scores (e.g. 16.5 to 17) to indicate the potential to achieve a higher mark. When a ‘+’ is shown it adds further to that potential. Wines from lesser vintages will, inevitably, show a lower overall score. Wines are judged, in a very broad sense, against their peers. Why? Well, you cannot easily compare a Ford with an Aston Martin, other than they are both cars and have wheels. It is not that different with wine. A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes and, as always, speak to our sales team.
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sales@corneyandbarrow.com PLEASE NOTE These wines are released en primeur. Delivery dates to be confirmed. All prices are quoted in bond UK.
To find out more about Corney & Barrow visit www.corneyandbarrow.com
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANTS SINCE 1780
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WEINGUT Wwe. Dr.H. THANISCH, ERBEN THANISCH
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2019 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR
To find out more about Corney & Barrow visit www.corneyandbarrow.com
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INDEPENDENT WINE MERCHANTS SINCE 1780
GROSSES GEWÄCHS These two wines sit apart from the rest of the Thanisch line-up in that they are totally dry. As such, they are labelled Grosses Gewächs, or ‘GG’s, a pan-German term for the highest quality tier of dry wines, which come from Grosse Lage sites (similar to Burgundy’s Grands Crus). Some producers, including Thanisch, choose to use the word trocken on the label also, to underscore that these are bone dry wines.
BERNKASTELER GRABEN RIESLING GROSSES GEWÄCHS (TROCKEN) Bernkasteler Graben is adjacent to the Doctor vineyard. A very pure, citric nose, with green apple and white flower aromas. The palate pivots around a bracing skewer of lemony acidity. This will benefit from a couple of years to meld and for the fruit to come fully out of its shell. It will be a fantastically long-lived wine, but don’t be afraid to try a bottle or two in its first flush of youth. Textured slaty extract on the finish points to the complexity to come. Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 18 Recommended drinking from 2024 – 2040 £160/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
BERNCASTELER DOCTOR RIESLING GROSSES GEWÄCHS (TROCKEN) This is a step-up in aromatic intensity, announcing the more powerful Doctor style. It exudes that quintessential stony mineral focus which Riesling from this part of Germany does so well. Lemon rind and quince play second fiddle, rounding out what would otherwise verge on austere in this first flush of youth and making for a stunningly complete wine. Again, this is a wine just setting out on a long journey – so squirrel some away safely now. Corney & Barrow Score 18.5 Recommended drinking from 2024 – 2040 £205/CASE OF 6 BOTTLES, IN BOND UK
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WEINGUT Wwe. Dr.H. THANISCH, ERBEN THANISCH
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2019 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR
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