Tasting Notes: The Rivaner comes from the only Ratzenberger vineyards that don’t cling precariously to one of the dramatic, cliff-like walls of black slate that tower over the village of Bachara... ch. Instead, it grows on the gentle incline at the top of the hill above the Posten, just below the forest, where we sometimes picnic in the summer (and where I once damaged a neighbor’s trellis while driving Jochen’s old tractor in reverse). In the glass, the Rivaner has a limpid, pale lemon-yellow color, and a restrained, fresh floral and orchard fruit nose that evolves to include lime blossoms, freesia, Bosc pears, and lemongrass, alternating with aromas of cantaloupe rind, white grapefruit, fresh parsley, and mint. On the palate, the wine is dry, vibrant, and crisp, with flavors of white peaches, star fruit, green apples, and ginger cream, all seasoned with fine saline minerality and delicate, subtle bitterness, and while the wine’s medium acidity is vibrant and refreshing, the wine is softer than the Rieslings from the Posten just below. But when all is said and done, the aromatics of this lovely wine leave no doubt about its origin: the hill that the Romans named Bacchi Ara: the “Altar of Bacchus,” and the deepest, coldest cellar I know in Germany. Drink now–2029. Read More
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It was perfect timing that brought us to Weingut Ratzenberger on a rainy afternoon in July of 2000. Our old friend, Paolo De Marchi had recommended the wines, and the Ratzenbergers had just ended a testy relationship with their famous American importer. So we tasted the thrilling, mineral-infused Rieslings that Jochen poured knowing that they were actually available to buy. We believe that despite flying under the radar of “important” German wine pundits, the Ratzenbergers should be included among the very top producers of Riesling in the world.
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Viticulture in Germany is mentioned by the Stoic philosopher Posidonius of Rhodes (135-51 BC), who wrote, "...the (Germans) drink a lot of undiluted wine..." It's known that the Romans first planted many of Germany's finest vineyard sites. With the rise of the early Christian church, the vine had been intimately intertwined with religious and secular history. By the late 18th century, it was the Church which was responsible for quality controls such as laws against the adulteration of wines, replacement of lesser-known varietals with the noble Riesling grape, and the custom of distinguishing certain vineyard sites as being superior. Bacharach was one of the most important markets in Germany as far back as the 15th century when Pope Pius II had giant casks of Bacharach wine sent to Rome each year. The oldest and most famous vineyards include the Posten (named for the watchtower that was part of the town wall), Wolfshöhle (the wolf's den), and the Kloster Furstental, named for the ancient cloister to which the vineyard originally belonged.
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Also known as Müller-Thurgau, this grape is a cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royale, created by Hermann Müller. Despite being embraced by serious growers who recognized early on that this new vine would require careful farming to produce good wine, the vine is also blamed for ruining the reputation of German wine (think Liebfraumilch, Piesporter, Zeller-Schwarzkatz) due to it's propensity towards overproduction.
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Seafood chowders, baked ham, creamy cheeses, and simple roast chicken all go well with this wine.
