Vinopolis Tuesday Newsletter 4-13-2021

“Tim Fröhlich has made breathtakingly beautiful wines in 2018. As I mentioned in the introductory section on the vintage, Tim’s approach to the heat and drought of 2018 was quite similar to that of Klaus-Peter Keller, Julian Haart and others who realized brilliant success in this vintage, as he approached his farming in 2018 with an eye towards slowing down the accumulation of sugars in the grapes….Tim also did not use grapes from his youngest vines in any of the estate wines this year, and in general, each of his bottlings has a higher average age of vines in 2018 than in any previous vintage. The results of such a meticulous approach are utterly brilliant and the collection at Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich is as magical as any collection to be found in Germany in this vintage…”There is a precision of minerality, a purity of fruit and a lift and cut from the excellent acidities that make these GGs amongst the very best examples to be found in all of Germany in 2018. The dry Rieslings here have great purity to the beautiful fruit tones of the vintage, but in almost every case, this plays a secondary role to the stunning mineral signatures of the wines. And overall, it is the extraordinary degree of elegance and refinement to these dry bottlings in 2018 from Tim Fröhlich that really stands out in this vintage” –John Gilman, A View from the Cellar

New Arrivals, in Stock Now:

Schäfer-Fröhlich Felsenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($99.95) $89 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2018 Felsenberg Riesling GG opens with a deep, intense and rich, concentrated and aromatic but also flinty bouquet full of ripe Riesling fruits and coolish herbal/vegetal as well gooseberry aromas. On the palate, this is a lush, intense, very mineral, salty-piquant and tightly structured dry Riesling from volcanic rocks. It’s a powerful but elegant, fresh and precise Riesling with great complexity and lingering salinity. A fabulous Felsenberg with lots of vitality and youthful grip. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in August and October 2019.”
John Gilman 94+ points “By picking early in the Felsenberg, Tim Fröhlich was able to keep around 7.5 grams of acidity in his GG here this year, and he estimates that the wine will end up just about 12.5 percent octane. It is an absolutely superb bottle in the making, with the nose delivering a beautiful young constellation of tart orange, pink grapefruit, flint, smoke, lemongrass, wild yeasts, citrus peel and a delicate topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is pure, fullbodied and very elegant and seamless in balance, with a superb core of fruit, lovely backend mineral lift, bright acids and a very long, complex and extremely promising finish. Great juice. 2024-2065.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Kabinett, Nahe 2018 750ML ($39.95) $34.50 special, 14 bottles in stock now
No reviews for the 2018. 2017 review provided for reference.
Aleks Zecevic – Wine Spectator 93 points “A light-weight, zesty style, evoking notes of yeast, lime, violet and wet stone. The moderately firm structure is beautifully integrated. Delicious now, but the pastry element and high acidity suggest this will improve. Best from 2020 through 2030. 250 cases made, 56 cases imported.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next lowest listed price is $40.97

Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese, Nahe 2018 750ML ($49.95) $44.50 special, 20 bottles in stock now
No reviews for the 2018. 2017 review provided for reference
Aleks Zecevic – Wine Spectator 94 points “Sweet sourdough notes open up to flavors of guava, melon and roasted pineapple, all linked by piercing acidity. Jasmine and custard details also emerge, while mineral hints appear on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2034. 330 cases made, 56 cases imported.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese Goldkapsel, Nahe 2018 750ML ($59.95) $59 special, 9 bottles in stock now
John Gilman 93+ points “The 2018 Goldkapsel Spätlese from the Felseneck vineyard was made solely with shriveled golden berries and there is not a trace of botrytis in this beautiful wine this year. The bouquet is nicely youthful at the present time and takes a bit of coaxing to offer up a gorgeous blend of pear, white cherries, wild yeasts, a lovely undertow of salty slate, white flowers and a whisper of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is very pure, medium-full and racy, with a lovely core, superb filigree and bounce and a very long, vibrant and complex finish. This just dances across the palate. 2024-2070.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Schäfer-Fröhlich Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Großes Gewächs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($99.95) $89 special, 9 bottles in stock now
John Gilman 95 points “The 2018 Frühlingsplätzchen Großes Gewächs is going to be closer to 8.5 grams per liter of acidity in this vintage, as is the Halenberg, and this gives the wine just a touch more precision and backend lift than the lovely Felsenberg this year. The bouquet is stellar, wafting from the glass in a blaze of lime, pink grapefruit, a touch of herb tones, salty minerality, citrus peel and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, laser-like and gloriously transparent, with a superb core, zesty acids, laser-like focus and a very long, very minerally and complex finish. This is stunning young wine! 2024-2070.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next lowest listed price is $99

#36 – James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of the Year
Schäfer-Fröhlich Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 16 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott – jamessuckling.com 99 points “This has discreet aromatics, showing very fine stones and yellow grapefruit with a delicate, lemon-blossom perfume. The palate has a scintillatingly intense and focused feel with laser-guided acidity, driving a very long, pure and thrilling palate. Yellow citrus fruit abounds. Such precision is really special and the concentration in 2018 is immense. Drink or hold.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Schäfer-Fröhlich Schlossbockelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Großes Gewächs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2018 Kupfergrube Riesling GG is clear and precise on the aromatic nose that displays enormously ripe and concentrated Riesling fruit that reflects the heat of the vintage, especially in south-facing vineyards like this. Almost raisin flavors here. Crystalline and elegant on the palate, this is a linear and mineral but lush, rich and powerful Riesling with grip and tension and lingering salinity that indicates very good aging potential. 13% alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted from a bottle declared as Fassprobe (a sample) in October 2019.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Schäfer-Fröhlich ‘Schiefergestein’ Bockenauer Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2018 750ML ($49.95) $41.50 special, 6 bottles in stock now
John Gilman 92 points “The 2018 Schiefergestein Bockenaur Riesling Trocken is also a stunning wine and in many vintages, this is Großes Gewächs complexity and breed! The absolutely superb nose soars from the glass in a blaze of pink grapefruit, wild yeasts, flinty slate minerality, dried flowers and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, medium-full and very transparent and elegant in personality, with great intensity of flavor, lightness of step and stunning cut and grip on the very long, complex and precise finish. This is GG quality without the GG price tag in 2018! 2019-2050+.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Stromberg Großes Gewachs Riesling, Nahe 2018 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 7 bottles in stock now
John Gilman 97 points “I have never tasted a better young example from the Stromberg than this 2018 from Tim Fröhlich! The wine is so beautifully refined and precise this year, delivering a great bouquet of tart orange, sweet grapefruit, gorgeously complex minerality, wild yeasts, citrus zest, a touch of cress and a lovely floral topnote redolent of orange blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very, very long on the backend, with beautiful mid-palate depth, great cut and grip and a very, very long, snappy and nascently complex finish. This is breathtaking. 2026-2070.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Schäfer-Fröhlich Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2018 750ML ($27.95) $26 special, 34 bottles in stock now
John Gilman 90+ points “The 2018 Estate Riesling Trocken is also an excellent bargain from Tim Fröhlich this year. The wine is twelve percent in alcohol and carries an impressive 8.5 grams of acidity this year, with all of the fruit for this bottling hailing from volcanic soils. The bouquet is beautifully expressive out of the blocks, offering up scents of lemon, tart orange, wild yeasts, an excellent mineral underpinning, white flowers and citrus zest. On the palate the wine is pure, elegant and medium-full, with lovely focus and grip, outstanding cut and grip and a long, complex and dancing finish. A stunning value this year! 2019-2040+.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Schäfer-Fröhlich Vulkangestein Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2018 750ML ($41.95) $36 special, 17 bottles in stock now
Decanter 94 points “This wine is effectively made from declassified fruit from Tim Fröhlich’s volcanic grand cru sites of Felsenberg and Kupfergrube, and it’s a hot tip for lovers of thrilling Riesling. Like all his wines, this has a reductive cloud for now but underneath lies a tropical allure with pristine flavours of passion fruit and mango. The body is slender and concentrated, with a stony, long and crystalline finish. Lovely now but this also ages well.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Also in Stock from Schäfer-Fröhlich:

Schäfer-Fröhlich Felsenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs, Nahe 2017 750ML ($99.95) $89 special, 21 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 96 points “Despite the ample concentration and power, this is really filigree with great delicacy and breathtaking freshness at the finish.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Stromberg Großes Gewächs Riesling, Nahe 2017 750ML ($99.95) $85 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Stromberg Großes Gewächs Riesling, Nahe 2017 750ML ($599.95) $479 special
Mosel Fine Wines 96 points “The 2017er Bockenauer Stromberg GG proves rather reduced and smoky at first. It then gradually reveals riper notes of pineapple, orange, yellow peach, tangerine and gingerbread, all wrapped into spices and residual scents from the spontaneous fermentation. The wine proves coats the palate with juicy and lightly flavors. The finish is however focused and even racy thanks to a pure and lime driven acidity kicking in. A slightly tart side in the after-taste still needs to melt into the wine but the wine is hugely impressive. 2025-2037”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Schäfer-Fröhlich Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2017 750ML ($31.95) $26 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Schäfer-Fröhlich Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2017 750ML ($159.95) $149 special
Stuart Pigott-jamessuckling 92 points “A seriously racy and minerally dry riesling that has serious depth at the long, sleek finish, where it achieves lift off! Drink now.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Love German wine? We have over 350 different options (not a typo!) in stock. Shop the entire selection, including famous names like Dönnhoff, J. J. Prüm, Molitor and more, on our web store now.

Collector’s Corner

Charlopin’s Coveted Grand Crus Burgundy

Philippe Charlopin first made name for himself in Gevrey Chambertin as a member of Burgundy’s new class of dynamic wine growers. In the years since he burst onto the scene, he has developed a devoted following in the United States thanks to his more modern style. He also sources from some of the finest vineyards in the Côte d’Or, including iconic climats like Chambertin and Échezeaux. We have several of his highly coveted Grand Cru bottling in stock now. These are incredible deals, but limited to the case (or less) we have of each wine.

In Stock Now:

Domaine Charlopin Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits 2013 750ML ($249.95) $199 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 94 points “There’s a lot of oak here, lending char, vanilla and whisky elements to the core of black cherry and black currant flavors. Fresh and firm, though the finish absorbs the oak better than the initial attack. Vibrant and long, this just needs time to integrate. Best from 2020 through 2036.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Domaine Charlopin Chambertin Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits 2013 750ML ($349.95) $249 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Burghound 93-95 points “Dont miss! Reduction flattens the fruit. Here too there is excellent volume and almost painful intensity to the broad-shouldered, concentrated and mineral-driven flavors that culminate in an explosively long, driving and highly persistent finish. This is a seriously impressive effort and as it often is chez Charlopin, it’s the best wine in the range in 2013.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Domaine Charlopin Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits 2013 750ML ($249.95) $199 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 94 points “Bright and focused, exhibiting spicy black cherry, raspberry, earth, smoke, vanilla and toast aromas and flavors. Bracing acidity offsets the lush texture, driving this to a long, expansive finish. Best from 2019 through 2030.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits 2015 750ML ($299.95) $249 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Neal Martin – Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2015 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, which is a 50/50 blend from Mazoyères and Charmes, has an elegant and pure bouquet that unfolds in the glass, delivering both red and black fruit with fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy ripe red berry fruit matched with fine acidity and harmony, long and almost languorous towards the finish. Very fine – one of Philippe’s best offerings in 2015.”
Stephen Tanzer – Vinous 92-94 points “(13.3% natural alcohol; half from Charmes and half from Mazoyères, with both parcels planted 60 years ago): Saturated deep ruby! Black fruit aromas convey an almost candied ripeness. Very rich, sweet and deep, filling the mouth with ripe black fruit flavors. Finishes very long, with huge but ripe tannins. In contrast to the Bonnes-Mares, this is clearly a wine from a sun-drenched growing season. Very impressive but almost too much.”
Burghound 91-94 points “From a 50/50 split of Charmes and Mazoyères. A pungent nose of reduction and wood is difficult to assess though by contrast there is excellent volume and richness to the sleek, focused and extract-rich big-bodied flavors that possess terrific complexity on the balanced and mouth coating finish. This is really quite good and should be approachable after only a few years of bottle age.”


Domaine Charlopin Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits 2013 750ML ($249.95) $189 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 94 points “Draws you in, with beautifully fragrant cherry, floral and spice aromas. The oak spice is more dominant on the palate, integrating with the cherry and blackberry fruit and lush texture. Impressive and should come together with time. Best from 2020 through 2034.”
Burghound 92-94 points “A restrained, elegant and airy nose displays both red and blue pinot fruit as well as plum and spice nuances. There is good richness and tension to the medium-bodied and velvety flavors that possess fine mid-palate density, all wrapped in an energetic and refined finish where a touch of mocha surfaces. While this will almost certainly repay extended cellaring it should also be a reasonably good candidate for enjoyment young.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot Échezeaux Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits 2015 750ML ($299.95) $249 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Stephen Tanzer – Vinous 92-94 points “(from the lieu-dit En Orveaux): Full red with ruby tones. Sexy, slightly high-toned aromas of red raspberry and smoked meat, plus a whiff of cooked strawberry that Charlopin says is typical of this cool site, which he picks ten days after his Clos Vougeot. Fine-grained and surprisingly sappy on the palate, showing terrific depth to its raspberry and saline mineral flavors. Finishes with savory tannins and excellent lingering sweetness. As much red- as black-fruit in style, this soil-driven wine really stains the palate.”
Burghound 91-93 points “From En Orveaux. Mild reduction doesn’t completely mask the background aromas of floral and spice nuances. There is both good richness and a lovely sense of energy to the refined and seductive middle weight flavors that possess good but not exceptional depth and length. On the plus side there is fine underlying material and this may very well develop more complexity than I imagine and if it does, my preliminary range may be too conservative.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Love the Côte de Nuits? We have 226 different red wines from the Côte de Nuits in stock. Shop the entire selection, including famous names like Dujac, Fourrier, Lignier and more, on our web store now.