Weingut Geheimer Rat Dr. Von Bassermann-Jordan
Forster Ungeheuer-Ziegler Riesling
Pfalz, Germany
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"Bassermann-Jordan's 1811 Forster Ungeheuer isn't just one among many legendary "comet wines." It is preeminent among those from the German-speaking world, its rapturous reception by Goethe having been commemorated in the great man's West–östlicher Divan and by Bismarck in the pronouncement, "This Ungeheuer is ungeheuer" (meaning uncanny, prodigious), a meme avant l'Internet that guaranteed this wine and Weingut Bassermann-Jordan a second century of fame.
So how did it taste? Well, the first and most amazing thing to emphasize is that it was both enjoyable as wine and recognizable as a Forster. I once cited a 108-year-old Bassermann-Jordan Ruppertsberger to illustrate how such drinkability and typicity can accrue not just to a very old Riesling, but to one from a good rather than great site in a good but by no means great vintage. Their 1811 Forster Ungeheuer, though, reflected a signature site in a (shooting) star vintage. The aromas were high-toned but not attenuated. The flavors were still animating and juicy, and not at all dried out; the zesty and smoky black-tea-like bitter elements were a source of pleasing stimulation rather than blockage. Cooling hints of fennel and mint alternated with piquant citrus rind, while sappy, saline, site-typical savor set the salivary glands into motion. If that strikes you as "just another typical Schildknecht tasting note," in a way it should, because this wine's age was a cause for wonder in large part precisely because it did not taste at all old. And although you probably already guessed this was coming, it really did finish with a veritable comet's tail." (Extract from David Schildknecht's Memorable Moments from a Turbulent 2018, Vinous, January 2, 2019)
"Bassermann-Jordan's 1811 Forster Ungeheuer isn't just one among many legendary "comet wines." It is preeminent among those from the German-speaking world, its rapturous reception by Goethe having been commemorated in the great man's West–östlicher Divan and by Bismarck in the pronouncement, "This Ungeheuer is ungeheuer" (meaning uncanny, prodigious), a meme avant l'Internet that guaranteed this wine and Weingut Bassermann-Jordan a second century of fame.
So how did it taste? Well, the first and most amazing thing to emphasize is that it was both enjoyable as wine and recognizable as a Forster. I once cited a 108-year-old Bassermann-Jordan Ruppertsberger to illustrate how such drinkability and typicity can accrue not just to a very old Riesling, but to one from a good rather than great site in a good but by no means great vintage. Their 1811 Forster Ungeheuer, though, reflected a signature site in a (shooting) star vintage. The aromas were high-toned but not attenuated. The flavors were still animating and juicy, and not at all dried out; the zesty and smoky black-tea-like bitter elements were a source of pleasing stimulation rather than blockage. Cooling hints of fennel and mint alternated with piquant citrus rind, while sappy, saline, site-typical savor set the salivary glands into motion. If that strikes you as "just another typical Schildknecht tasting note," in a way it should, because this wine's age was a cause for wonder in large part precisely because it did not taste at all old. And although you probably already guessed this was coming, it really did finish with a veritable comet's tail." (Extract from David Schildknecht's Memorable Moments from a Turbulent 2018, Vinous, January 2, 2019)