Dominik Mueller

I’m off to a late start this year as I had a brief encounter with Covid at the beginning of January. But I’m fully recovered now and ready for my first tasting, finally. We’ll start things off with a tasting pack that’s been waiting for me for a while now. Seven wines from relatively unknown German producers: Three rosés and four whites. Well, let’s see what they can offer!

Rosés

2021 Weinhaus Bettina Schumann Badisch Rotgold
The colour is a glowing, transparent orange pink. Clean nose, nice primary fruit characteristics. Strawberries, water melon, blood orange, red apples. There’s also a layer of sweet candy. On the palate, comes across as slightly off-dry with low tannings and medium alcohol. Somewhat warm feeling, riper than in the bouquet. Acidity is low. This is easy drinking, not much complexity. It would drink even better if the alcohol wasn’t just so slightly out of balance. Cuvée of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Pinot Gris. DM83.

2021 Hinterland Connection Rosé trocken
Bright pink. Fresh bouquet of grapefruits, red currants, raspberries, rhubarb and refreshing notes of mint. In the mouth, the rosé is dry with a slim body. Acidity is more pronounced than in the first wine, but still not high. More refreshing, nicely fruity and well-balanced. Good drinking flow. DM88.

2021 Weingut Dambach Cuvée Rosé
This is an assemblage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Pale pink. A little restrained on the nose. Cherries, strawberries, cassis. Some green notes, too. Green pepper, rhubarb. Dry, pleasant acidity, good grip. Fuller body in comparison to the first two rosés. The fruit is in balance with the herbaceous aromas, although the wine doesn’t quite sing for me. DM85.

Whites

2021 Wine Girls United “Sunny” Cuvée Weiß trocken
Pale lemon yellow. Clean bouquet, immediately fruity: Passion fruit, mango, lychee, peach, lime. Ticks all the boxes of its grape varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Blanc. Unfortunately, the wine is less seductive on the palate. The fruitiness and acidity do not quite go hand in hand for my taste. I’m even inclined to say the acidity isn’t integrated well, standing out awkwardly as a result. DM82.

2021 Wine Girls United “Yummy” Riesling trocken
Pale lemon yellow with a green tint. The bouquet is clean and of medium intensity. Green apples, pear, white peach. Falls short on the taste with a dominant acidity without enough primary fruit tastes to keep things balanced. DM81.

2021 Weingut Bernhard Wolfspakt Cuvée Weiß
Very aromatic in the glass. The exotic fruits are unmistakable: passion fruit, ripe mango, quince. There are also grassy aromas, asparagus as well, not atypical for Sauvignon Blanc. On the palate, lime, passion fruit, ripe pineapple. This is not a complex wine, but it offers fruity drinking pleasure. DM86.

2021 Weingut Stein Riesling & Gewürztraminer Spätlese
Pale lemon yellow. The bouquet offers rose petals, ripe apricots, peach, and nectarines. Acidity is on the lower end while the sweetness has a fruity profile with a taste of nectarines and ripe oranges but it leans towards sweet candy because it’s not offset by a more prominent acidity. Simple off-dry Spätlese with an aromatic profile for those who like fruity wines without much acidity. For me personally, it lacks complexity. DM84.