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2017 Schafer-Frohlich Stromberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs
97 JS
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It's hard to imagine how a riesling could have a more northerly personality than this cool, delicate and very elegant wine. Great balance and very long, saline finish. From a forgotten, top site that Tim Fröhlich reactivated in 2012. Drink or hold.
James Suckling | 97 JS
(Stromberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs- Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich) The Stromberg GG here is often not quite as elegant as the very top grand cru bottlings, but this is not the case in 2017, as the lower yields from the frosts have given this wine a precision I can seldom recall in previous young vintages. The bouquet is pure and complex, wafting from the glass in a superb blend of grapefruit, tart orange, lime zest, ocean-like salinity, white flowers and a great base of minerality. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and racy, with outstanding mid-palate intensity, seamless balance and a very long, focused and superbly complex finish. This is the finest young vintage of Stromberg I have ever tasted from Tim Fröhlich! (Drink between 2025-2085)
John Gilman | 96+ JG
White peach, gooseberry and lime are laced in the nose with chamomile, peppermint and pennyroyal. Those juxtapositions anticipate the dynamic of ripeness and citricity as well as of soothing and pungently invigorating elements that characterize this entire amazing performance. There is remarkable sheer succulence and intensity of glowingly pit-tinged white peach, zesty lime and crunchy, seedy gooseberry on the surprisingly silken palate. It’s as if concentration of fruit flavors were inversely proportional to the Stromberg’s rocky, virtually topsoil-free surface. But this is not to suggest that mineral flavor elements are short-changed. Far from it! That “dark minerality” that Fröhlich deems can be unpacked as some combination of smoky peat and black tea with stone suffusion and alkaline accents. “As ripe as they might get,” notes Fröhlich, “the berries on these old vines never lose their greenish tint or make the transition to deep gold,” and that is reflected in the vivid freshness and juicy animation of a long, fugal finish that tingles the tongue and tugs at the cheeks. If Bockenau’s virtues went virtually unnoticed until the 21st century, those of today’s Stromberg sites were almost completely unknown until Schäfer-Fröhlich produced their first, vintage 2012 Grosses Gewächs showcasing them. “When we had to demonstrate to the VDP with historical evidence that this site was Grosses Gewächs-worthy,” relates Fröhlich, “we uncorked a [nearly-dry] 1957 Spätlese from my grandfather that was unbelievably fresh and fine.”
Vinous Media | 96 VM
The customary reduction resulting from a spontaneous, slow ferment still clouds the nose of this Riesling. From porphyry soils on a rocky, elevated site we get almost piercing freshness that presses all of the pleasure buttons of dry Riesling fans. Bundled around a central, bright shaft of acid are alluring notes of citrus and juicy passion fruit. A most wonderful, stony, precise juxtaposition of exactitude and juiciness. Drinking Window 2020 - 2050.
Decanter | 95 DEC
The nose is closed here initially, suggesting bold tones of smoke and steel rather than fruit. With time and air, layers of pristine lemon, lime and tart tangerine extend from nose to finish. Dry and moderately full in body, it's a refreshing but silk-edged wine with a steely finish. Delightful already but will improve for decades.
Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE
The 2017 Stromberg Riesling GG is from porphyry soils and opens with a clear, super ripe and intense, well-concentrated and aromatic bouquet of yellow-fleshed stone fruits. Lush and round on the palate, this is a powerful and rich, persistently salty dry Riesling with a very long and intense but somewhat sweet finish. Needs time. Tasted in July 2019.
Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP
Notes of lime and lemon introduce this firmly built white, while kiwifruit and bergamot flavors mingle at the core. Powerful acidity meets intense minerality here, creating lively energy. A bit tight now, but this will be a party when it unravels. Best from 2022 through 2031. 15 cases imported.
Wine Spectator | 93 WS
James Suckling | 97 JS
(Stromberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs- Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich) The Stromberg GG here is often not quite as elegant as the very top grand cru bottlings, but this is not the case in 2017, as the lower yields from the frosts have given this wine a precision I can seldom recall in previous young vintages. The bouquet is pure and complex, wafting from the glass in a superb blend of grapefruit, tart orange, lime zest, ocean-like salinity, white flowers and a great base of minerality. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and racy, with outstanding mid-palate intensity, seamless balance and a very long, focused and superbly complex finish. This is the finest young vintage of Stromberg I have ever tasted from Tim Fröhlich! (Drink between 2025-2085)
John Gilman | 96+ JG
White peach, gooseberry and lime are laced in the nose with chamomile, peppermint and pennyroyal. Those juxtapositions anticipate the dynamic of ripeness and citricity as well as of soothing and pungently invigorating elements that characterize this entire amazing performance. There is remarkable sheer succulence and intensity of glowingly pit-tinged white peach, zesty lime and crunchy, seedy gooseberry on the surprisingly silken palate. It’s as if concentration of fruit flavors were inversely proportional to the Stromberg’s rocky, virtually topsoil-free surface. But this is not to suggest that mineral flavor elements are short-changed. Far from it! That “dark minerality” that Fröhlich deems can be unpacked as some combination of smoky peat and black tea with stone suffusion and alkaline accents. “As ripe as they might get,” notes Fröhlich, “the berries on these old vines never lose their greenish tint or make the transition to deep gold,” and that is reflected in the vivid freshness and juicy animation of a long, fugal finish that tingles the tongue and tugs at the cheeks. If Bockenau’s virtues went virtually unnoticed until the 21st century, those of today’s Stromberg sites were almost completely unknown until Schäfer-Fröhlich produced their first, vintage 2012 Grosses Gewächs showcasing them. “When we had to demonstrate to the VDP with historical evidence that this site was Grosses Gewächs-worthy,” relates Fröhlich, “we uncorked a [nearly-dry] 1957 Spätlese from my grandfather that was unbelievably fresh and fine.”
Vinous Media | 96 VM
The customary reduction resulting from a spontaneous, slow ferment still clouds the nose of this Riesling. From porphyry soils on a rocky, elevated site we get almost piercing freshness that presses all of the pleasure buttons of dry Riesling fans. Bundled around a central, bright shaft of acid are alluring notes of citrus and juicy passion fruit. A most wonderful, stony, precise juxtaposition of exactitude and juiciness. Drinking Window 2020 - 2050.
Decanter | 95 DEC
The nose is closed here initially, suggesting bold tones of smoke and steel rather than fruit. With time and air, layers of pristine lemon, lime and tart tangerine extend from nose to finish. Dry and moderately full in body, it's a refreshing but silk-edged wine with a steely finish. Delightful already but will improve for decades.
Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE
The 2017 Stromberg Riesling GG is from porphyry soils and opens with a clear, super ripe and intense, well-concentrated and aromatic bouquet of yellow-fleshed stone fruits. Lush and round on the palate, this is a powerful and rich, persistently salty dry Riesling with a very long and intense but somewhat sweet finish. Needs time. Tasted in July 2019.
Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP
Notes of lime and lemon introduce this firmly built white, while kiwifruit and bergamot flavors mingle at the core. Powerful acidity meets intense minerality here, creating lively energy. A bit tight now, but this will be a party when it unravels. Best from 2022 through 2031. 15 cases imported.
Wine Spectator | 93 WS
Wine Details for 2017 Schafer-Frohlich Stromberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs
| Type of Wine |
German White
: German Riesling, grown along the Rhine, is one of the most famous white grape varieties worldwide. Winemakers rarely blend this highly acidic varietal with other grapes. A bit behind Riesling, Muller-Thurgau is another popular varietal in Germany, obtained from a crossing of Riesling and Silvaner. Silvaner is the third-most cultivated white varietal in Germany. |
|---|---|
| Varietal |
Riesling
: It has been 587 years since the official “birth” of Riesling, the Noble grape variety of Germany. In that time, this white grape has seen exponential growth and popularity worldwide. Riesling has traveled beyond the Rhine River, where it is thought to have originated, spreading throughout Germany, Austria and Alsace, Australia, New Zealand and California. New World adaptations may have helped bring the varietal into the global spotlight, but its ancestral home and greatest reflection of terroir remains in Germany. As aforementioned, the first recorded mention of the varietal appeared in the 1435 sale of several Riesling vines to German Count, John IV of Katzenelnbogen. Prior this transaction, the history of Riesling remains unclear, other than it first inhabiting the Rhine River region, which runs throughout parts of Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland. In 1998, scientists in Austria, using DNA technology, were able to determine that Riesling is the progeny of Heunisch Weiss, otherwise known as Gouais Blanc. Said to be a commoner among superior grape varietals, Gouais Blanc is ancient, originated in Germany and has sired some of the greatest varietals in the world, including Chardonnay, Semillon, Gamay noir, Melon and Aligote. The small, round white-green berries of Riesling turn a pretty gold color, often with lenticels (pore-like structures, resembling freckles) when ripe. Vines can vary significantly from weak to moderately vigorous depending on the climatic region, soil characteristics and moisture availability. They are adaptable to a wide range of soil types making it quite dynamic and versatile. One of Riesling’s most unique and celebrated qualities is its vibrant expression of terroir. This “sense of place” enables the particular elements of the soil and microclimate to be uniquely expressed through the wine itself, allowing this globetrotting varietal to flourish in similar winegrowing conditions around the world. Riesling has found success and popularity in California and the Finger Lakes of New York, Australia, New Zealand, France, Hungary and South Africa. However, it reaches its true zenith in the Rhine River Valley. Mosel, Pfalz and Rheingau are the key winegrowing locations in Germany, where the climates are cool with low average temperatures and with the bulk of rainfall occurring during the summer. The vines of Riesling thrive here, in heat-retaining, stony soils on steep, south-facing slopes along the river valleys where they find optimal sunlight and natural growing conditions. Austria and Alsace (France) share similar climatic influences and terroir due to the proximity of the Rhine River. Their winegrowing industries have been greatly impacted by the Riesling grape varietal. The commonly misunderstood Riesling grape varietal produces wines that are quite austere when young, making many wine drinkers wary of them. A fine Riesling almost demands time in the bottle. In good vintages, Riesling can last several decades and rival the finest whites in the world. At a glimpse Riesling may seem simple, but is actually rather complex. Riesling can be harvested early or late, vinified in many ways and can range from dry to very sweet. The five types of Riesling are Kabinett (bone dry to off-dry) Spatlese (sweet) Auslese (sweeter) Beerenauslese (very sweet) Trockenbeerenauslese (sweetest). Thanks to its naturally high acidity, it is a supremely agreeable drinker that will please just about any palate. From tingly-dry, steely-lemon to refreshingly green apple, peach, pear and grapefruit to honeyed and luscious apricot; the myriad of flavor profiles of Riesling is impressive. The Noble Riesling grape may be complex, might be misunderstood and may be more obscure than other white varietals, but is one that produces some of the most fascinating, multifaceted and unique wines in the world. |
| Country |
Germany
: Germany has a long and illustrious history of winemaking, dating back to the time of the ancient Romans. Its rich viticultural past began with the establishment of the country’s first vineyards along the banks of the Mosel, near what is now the town of Trier. By the third century AD, most of the neighboring valleys and areas cut by the Mosel River and its tributaries were being cultivated to wine grapes. Today, this tradition remains, assembling not only a long tradition of viticulture, but one that is globally recognized for its signature grape, Riesling. Though the German wine industry is most famous for its world-class Riesling produced in the Rhine River Valley, the country is also known for Gewurztraminer, Muller-Thurgau and Pinot Gris. These wines are not only considered some of the greatest examples of said varietals, but also considered some of the greatest whites in the world. In fact, by the 19th Century, Rhine wines were selling for prices above those of the famous first-growth of Bordeaux. The incredibly diverse and precipitous German landscape is one of the most northerly wine regions in Europe, making it one of the largest producers of “cool climate” varietals. The Jet Stream helps temper the cooler weather, making it possible for viticulture. Mosel, Pfalz and Rheingau are the key winegrowing locations in Germany, where the climates are cool with low average temperatures and with the bulk of rainfall occurring during the summer. The vines of Riesling thrive here, in heat-retaining, stony soils on steep, south-facing slopes along the river valleys where they find optimal sunlight and natural growing conditions. Austria and Alsace (France) share similar climatic influences and terroir due to the proximity of the Rhine River. One of Riesling’s most unique and celebrated qualities is its vibrant expression of terroir. This “sense of place” enables the particular elements of the soil and microclimate to be uniquely expressed through the wine itself, allowing this globetrotting varietal to flourish in similar winegrowing conditions around the world. However, it reaches its true zenith in the Rhine River Valley. In more recent years, an influx of regions within Germany have begun producing varieties such as Pinot Noir (known as Spatburgunder in Germany), Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. German producers are becoming increasingly convincing that they are able to produce great wine from other varieties. For example: German Spatburgunder is now emerging from various regions, particularly Baden, Pfalz and even the tiny Ahr Valley. Germany boasts 103,000 hectares under vine, with an annual wine output of 10 million hectoliters. The exact numbers have fluctuated over the past five years, but the country has been able to remain in the top ten, as well as the leading exporter of Riesling. Germany is one of the most prominent wine producing countries in the world, with white wine accounting for two-thirds of its production. |
| Subregion | Bockenauer |
| Appellation | Bockenauer |
| Climat/Vineyard | Stromberg |
| Cru | Grosses Gewachs |
Overview
| Producer | Schafer-Frohlich |
|---|