Monday, September 22, 2008

2001 Ferdinand Pieroth Burg-Layer Schloßkapelle Pieroth Blue



The little wooden guy is a bit unsure. This was the first time any of us tried anything made from the Kerner grape. It was very interesting. It was even good, but the overpowering diesel kept it from reaching very good.

Night One

The nose is overpoweringly diesel. At first it surprises, with none of the sweet fruit you would expect from the "Spatlese" on the label.

The feel is slightly thick, that taste fairly complex. It stirs around a bit, never as sweet as you expect, starting with a tiny hint of very sweet limee- think key lime pie, not gimlet, but ultimately settling on over-ripe apple. The diesel from the nose makes a split-secod appearance on the mid-palate and then disappears for good.

Night Two, well actually, Night Three, corked and in the fridge.

Diesel on the nose is still very strong. Behind that is some green apple skin. There is also a fairly strong smell of gooseberry. I wonder if that is from two nights in the fridge.

It is still very thick on the palate, but the diesel is now asserting itself more strongly up front and lingering. Again, the primary flavor is very ripe apples, even stronger than on Night One. The finish gets a bit more tart, ending with green apple skins. It is very long.

This is a very interesting wine. It is as strong a diesel nose as I have ever smelled. The fruit is good, and for a Spatlese it comes across a surprisingly dry.

I was given this bottle as a gift. I have never even seen the grape before, so have no idea how much this costs. That said, for its curiosity and complexity, for its balance with the relatively high sugar content, and for overall drinkability, this is a good wine. Is it great? No. But if you want to add a whole new grape to your list this is a very pleasant way to do it.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's too bad. I actually dig Kerner, but haven't had this one.

I'm kind of a diesel lover though!

Julie Ann Brady said...

I was researching information on Pieroth Blue 2008 Burg Layer Schlosskapelle -- a Kabinett that we found to be a great-tasting white wine.

We were introduced to this Kabinett at a wine-tasting recently and liked it well enough to order 6 bottles. It cost about $18.50/each.

Anonymous said...

Tasted this at a wine tasting. I really enjoyed this wine. I'm not much of a wine drinker but, this one I wanted more. So I bought a case of six to share with friends. Sweet and smooth.

Unknown said...

I have a bottle of 1979 burg layer schlobkapelle kabinett blue bottle from a family member. I can't find any information on it, could you help me out?

wilson said...

Hi H

I work for Pieroth in Australia, I am one of the Wine Consultants.
In regard to your 1979 bottle of the Burg Layer Kabinett; it is a fruity, light German white, fairly sweet to the palate of a usual chardonnay or sauv blanc drinker, as it is going on the dessert or "sticky" style of wine.

It comes from Nahe in west Germany, where the Pieroth house has been located for the past 400 years.
The most important thing is that depending on how it was stored, is how it is going to be now. 1979 is very old for german kabinett quality wines, this is because although sweet, it doesn't have enough residual sugar per liter to make it age for long periods. In all honesty, we recommend these wines to be drunk within 3 years, so they are still fresh and lively, but I have known some of my customers to be drinking these from the mid 80's, and still enjoying them in 2011! so it just depends on storage, and a bit of luck!
My advice is not to open it, because the chances are you will end up with a bottle of vinegar, but do keep it for a bit of fun, as you wouldn't come across a 1979 vintage very often.

Hope this helps, you're more than welcome to ask some more questions about the wine if you have any more questions.

Kind regards, wilson

Anonymous said...

I just Drank my last bottle of 1979Ferdinand Pieroth Burg-Layer Schloßkapelle Pieroth Blue. I hated to do so but it was wonderfull. I have kept it cooled for all these years and it was still great after this much time.
S J B

Unknown said...

Does anyone know where i could buy a single bottle as a gift for someone.