Find out who won the regional trophy for over £10. And the winner is...
Fritz Allendorf, Winkeler Hasensprung, Riesling Spätlese, Rheingau 2009.
Uli Allendorf is also not new to the DWWA: in recent years he has won a string of silvers, following a gold back in 2007.
‘Fritz Allendorf’ is a large (60 plus hectare) estate in Oestrich-Winkel belonging to the children of the late Fritz: Ulrich Allendorf and his sister Christel Schönleber.
The wines are made by Christel’s husband Josef. Fritz created the domaine in 1955, but the Allendorfs have been in the Rheingau for quite a while: since 1292, to be exact.
The Allendorf estate has been criticised before because it is large and because of its size, necessarily commercial. It does, however, make sure it produces top wines too, not only the dry wines associated with Charta and Erstes Gewächs, but also traditional Kabinetts and Spätlesen.
It has been a member of the elite VdP body since 1999. Uli Allendorf admits that there has been a bit of change recently, and a ‘stronger concentration on the top wines, in recent years, meaning fewer wines made in smaller quantities.’
It was a traditional Spätlese with just over fifty grams of residual sugar that won the trophy: a Winkeler Hasensprung from the deep loess soils of one of the Rheingau’s best sites. The year – 2009 – was the most exciting for some time.
The Allendorfs strongly recommend coming to the estate to try the ‘Wine Experience World’ they created in 2003. The ‘experience’ naturally includes a tasting.
€19 ex cellars. Not available in the UK or the US. Weingut Fritz Allendorf www.allendorf.de +49 6723 9 18 50.
Written by Giles MacDonogh
