Ok, sure, what the hell.
I’m not exactly sure what to think of what happened during the online media tasting from Wines of Germany that I attended a few weeks ago, as part of their German Wine from Home promotional program. They definitely get points for originality, though.
In this particular event, titled Vino Vinyasa Yoga & the Superwomen of Sekt, we attendees were treated to a 40-minute Yoga flow courtesy of Vino Vinyasa founder Morgan Perry, followed by a tasting of sparkling German Sekt wines made by women winemakers, curated by 2020 German Wine Queen Eva Lanzerath.
While this is an admittedly odd combination (especially for a media-focused event), the only thing potentially more impressive than the bubbles was how Morgan was able to read off facts about Sekt production while in the middle of a Yoga flow routine. I’m not being facetious here – I’m in good shape for a guy closing in on 50, and I wouldn’t be able to tell you my birthday or recite the alphabet while holding a couple of those poses.
The key factoid for you 1WD faithful (who might recall that I have a longstanding and dutiful love affair with German sparklers): while Sekt was long focused on producing high quantities of wine via the Charmat method, the new renaissance of Sekt has seen a quality focus and a push towards traditional/Champagne method production. Particularly, in the last decade there’s been a sharp increase in the number of small estates producing premium Sekt in Germany. Here are a small handful worth your time and hard-earned dollah billz…
2016 Peter Jakob Kühn Traditionelle Ohne Bioauslobung Riesling Sekt Brut (Rheingau, $28)
A 100% Riesling traditional method sparkler from a house that’s going on 230 years of history, and is now under the family’s 11th(!) generation. Fragrant, full of apple fruitiness, with white pear hints, quince, lemon peel, and blossom aromas, this has a lovely, balanced mouthfeel. It’s almost equal parts biscuity and fruity, with the toast eventually edging out everything else on a lengthy finish.
2014 Sekthaus Raumland Cuvée Katharina Brut Nature (Rheinhessen, $23)
A much younger producer, founded in 1990 and focused almost entirely on Sekt production from organically farmed vineyards, favoring the traditional production method (with this one spending a whopping 52 months on the lees). Aromatically, this is a lot like a quality Champers: baked yellow apples, brioche, lemons, white flowers, and a ton of yeasty wonderfulness for the money. The palate is fresh, almost aggressively so, with citrus, pith, under-ripe peaches, and flint. This is focused, overachieving stuff, clearly modeled on Blanc de Noirs Champagne (and even made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier).
2019 Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rosé Sparkling (Pfalz, $15)
From Germany’s warmer, drier region comes this 100% Pinot Noir, Charmat method bubbly that’s part of the Loosen Bros. portfolio. A slight red berry note kicks things off, with a ton of juicy citrus closely following. On the palate, the red berry action takes over in fresh, fun, and easy-to-like ways. This one is inviting, and will make itself a lot of friends.
Cheers!
