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Hanno Rothweiler steigt in die Burgundersorten ein und serviert eines seiner Lieblingskinder, die er bereits seit elf Jahren p egt, den Auxerrois. „Erwarten Sie keinen säurearmen, runden, weichen Burgunder“, schickt er quasi als Warnung an den Gaumen voraus. Der Auxerrois entpuppt sich als Knaller. Zum Goldgelb neigende Farbe, 7,8 Promille Säure; der An ug von gelben Früchten erfreut den Gaumen. Winzermeister Rothweiler liebt es, immer wieder aus den Weinen das Besondere herauszuholen und das ist ihm auch mit dem folgenden Auerbacher Grauburgunder gelungen. 90 Prozent des Mostes wurden im Stahltank vergoren, zehn Prozent reiften im neuen Barrique. Die Vermählung beider Weine, absolut gelungen. Sanfte Eichen-Röstaromen trägt der Grauburgunder vor sich her, sie geben dem Wein die prägende Würze und nehmen ihm die bislang anzutreffende Langeweile.
Winzermeister Hanno Rothweiler.
Winemaker Hanno Rothweiler.
years. „Don‘t expect a low-acid, round, soft burgundy,“ he warns us. The Auxerrois turns out to have quite a kick. With a colour tending to a golden yellow and 0.78% acidity, its yellow fruits please the palate. Rothweiler loves making something special out of his wines, as demonstrated in the Auerbacher Pinot Gris that follows. 90% of the must was fermented in steel tanks, while 10% was matured in the new barrel. The marriage of the two was absolutely successful. Gentle oak, roasted aromas are the result, giving the Pinot Gris its distinctive spiciness that eliminates any trace of the ho- hum. Rothweiler thank offers the Auerbacher Chardonnay as the nal stop on this journey through the world of the Pinots. This, too, has a touch of the barrel, paired with a strong body.
A rich red
We look forward with anticipation to the reds Rothweiler will bring forth from the cellar. Our expectations were far exceeded. These are reds that have no reason to shy away from comparisons with the best in the world. When he brings out his Sankt Laurent, a venerable red wine he has rediscovered, he is serving us a top-notch wine, even if it remains moderately priced. The rich black cherry that is so distinctive of the Sankt Laurent is re ned by the soft wood. At 13% alcohol, de nitely not a lightweight even among the reds. „Sankt Laurent is quite the challenge. The strong vine growth must be kept in check, the berries grow so densely that they threaten to rot as they ripen, and it insists on good locations with lots of lime and deep soils.“ For all the work, the Sankt Laurent‘s yield is uncertain.
Dakapo: full fruitiness
With the rarely grown variety Dakapo, only one 1 ha plot of it is grown on the entire Hessische Bergstraße and only 40 in all of Germany, the vintner serves us a wine with high density, deep red colour, perfect fruitiness and ripeness, paired with strong tannins. Bred in 1972 at the Geisenheim Research Institute from a cross between Deckrot and the Blauer Portugieser, it is an excellent red wine alternative with a very strong content, a rare quality indeed.
The top location in the Auerbach cellar goes to the 2015 Syrah, which Rothweiler has
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