2018 Weingut Salwey Oberrotweiler Eichberg Grauburgunder Großes Gewächs

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 90.7 points

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  2/18/2022 - MQuentel@web.de Likes this wine: 94 Points

  That after 25 years of wine drinking you can still be so touched that you get monster goose bumps. For me, pretty much the finest, most animating, freshest and most vital Pinot Gris I have ever drunk from the grape variety Pinot Gris. A wonderfully coordinated orchestra of blossoms, citrus fruits and notes of cantaloupe melons; amazingly invigorating acidity and very tolerable 12.5% alc. Lingers for a long time. A "Großes Gewächs" that truly deserves its name. 94/100 2021-2028

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  12/9/2021 - glimmervoid Likes this wine:

  Weingut Salwey is one of the stalwarts in Oberrotweil, in the heart of the Kaiserstuhl region. Konrad is the third generation of Salwey to run the winery, which focuses on Burgundian varieties as is typical for wineries in the region. The estate is renowned for its enviable collection of vineyard sites, when benchmarked against its peers. Under the direction of Konrad’s father, Weingut Salwey became the first Baden member of the Verband der Deutschen Prädikatsweingüter (VDP). He groomed his son from an early age. After graduating from Geisenheim, Konrad spent harvests in Burgundy and neighbouring Alsace. These experiences were the foundation for the direction taken on by Salwey.
  
  Unfortunately, I could not meet Konrad himself as he was on COVID quarantine while I was there. In his absence however, the tasting room was very professionally run by Philipp and Leila. The Zalto glasses were a nice touch of classiness, but as impressive as the setup was, it was the wine that delivered the true knockout. The hospitality of Philippe was top notch - his patience is only matched by his knowledge of all the wines (he is involved in the winemaking as well).
  
  While it is difficult to pick a wine to highlight from the superlative lineup in the portfolio, my pick of the bunch and most memorable standout from the tasting, was the Eichberg Grauburgunder GG 2018 (€39). This is not to say that the Spätburgunders were slouches (they were, in fact, very intellectual, thought provoking expressions of the various terroirs - I have a particular fondness for the Kirchberg), the Eichberg Brauburgunder is such a tour de force of a pinot gris that makes it difficult to not single out for mention.
  
  The Eichberg, which means 'oak mountain' in English, was populated with oak trees historically (really!). The first vines were planted there in 1820, making this plot more than 200 years old. The Eichberg has an aspect ranging from south-east to south-west (depending on the sub-plots), characterized by steep slopes with gradients of up to 50%. The soil consists of weathered volcanic rock and volcanic ash, with a small deposit of loess on the surface that contributes to the wet stone and ash-esque minerality that is ever present in many of the top regional expressions of both the red and white varietals.
  
  The Salwey-owned vineyard plots on the Eichberg face mostly south-east. This more or less guarantees that the morning sun kisses the grapes often, and that the vines are protected from the hot midday sun in what is already one of the hottest plots in the region.
  
  This fruit undergoes a cooled maceration with some stems on, before being pressed gently. Fermentation takes place in 1200-litre oak barrels without any fining or filtering. The oak for these barrels comes from trees in the Kaiserstuhl, that were shipped off to Burgundy for processing.
  
  Alcoholic fermentation with native yeasts takes place in the barrels at high temperatures, without any strict temperature control but under the watchful eyes of the winemaking team. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged in the oak sur-lie for at least 18 months before it is finally bottled without filtration.
  
  The Eichberg Grauburgunder GG 2018 shows a lot of character on the nose, the slight reductiveness functioning as a curtain behind which a supporting cast of leesy undertones, and tropical and stone fruit impressions, curiously peek out. The wine really shines on the mid palate, gliding through with this etherealness, before cascading effortlessly with impressive structure and depth. The grip is wonderful and I particularly appreciated the careful use of wood, present but not overtly so. Finesse is the word that comes to mind.
  
  This is very much a delight that deserves some time in the cellar, but would show well with some hours of decanting. An exquisite pleasure that doesn't betray any hint of what is an unusually hot vintage for the region in 2018. A snap recommend in my book.

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