SANCTUS JACOBUS 2001 SCHARZHOFBERGER RIESLING SPATLESE

Introduction

OK, I said that the next wine I would discuss would be Beaujolais. However, I decided to jump my list with this wine. My father-in-law, BG, who sold wine for many years in California, had highly recommended that I try a German wine from the Mosel area when I first told him I had started this blog. It was definitely on my list already. However, I spoke with him again this weekend and he recommended it again so I decided to pick one up yesterday and try it.

He actually recommended several wines from the region. He emphasized the long bottles in both green and brown. We were open to any of them. My wife and I went to the local liquor store with the largest selection. We are not that familiar with German wines and I find the names difficult to remember (and I am glad I do not have to pronounce them for this blog!). There were many Riesling wines at the store, but I could find only one that was clearly marked as being from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwar region. It was a bit pricy ($19.99 on sale for a 750 ml bottle), but, hey, if BG recommended it, it was worth every penny!

Wine Impressions

I have to say that I should not complain about the price. This wine came with the designation “Qualitatswein mit Pradikat” which means that it is a quality wine with distinction. Again, I must say that those designations definitely mean something. The German classification system consists of four levels according to the eSSORTMENT web site. These are Deutscher Tafelwein (basic table wine), Duetscher Landwein (regional wine, superior to Tafelwein, made from grapes from one of the Landwein regions), Qualitatswein Bestimmter Anbaugebiete (quality wine from designated regions, and Qualitatswein mit Pradikat, the top-ranked wines. The last category is further divided into six categories of which “Spatlese” is one of the six. There will be a quiz on these names before you can exit the blog!

This was a fabulous wine. My wife and I both loved it. It has a clear yellow color that is very appealing. The taste is pleasantly sweet. It is sweeter than a Chardonnay, but not as sweet as a dessert wine. It has a very aromatic aroma, but a gentle one.

It came in the classic long, green bottle, slightly thinner than a regular bottle of wine. It had a natural cork. The wine was imported by the Carolina Wine Co. of Norwood, MA.

While we enjoyed the wine very much (and may purchase it again for special occasions), we will definitely try other Rieslings from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwar region that may cost a bit less also.

The Company: Vereinigte Hospitien

Again, without trying, I have come across a wine company with an interesting history. While this wine is labeled as Sanctus Jacobus (which means St. James), the company’s name is Vereinigte Hospitien, which is located in Trier, Germany.

The company is actually owned by a non-profit foundation. According to one web site, its origins date to 1805 when Napoleon issued an edict to consolidate various hospitals in Trier that served lepers, the poor and orphans. The foundation still serves the elderly, orphans and disabled persons. It has more than 25 hectares of vineyards in the Saar and Mosel valleys. One of the vineyards, Scharzhofberger (from which this Riesling is from) is called one of the finest vineyards in Germany and one of the few whose wines are sold without mention of its name (this may be changing since the wine I bought did have that name on the label).

The wines are marketed under the Sanctus Jacobus name because one of its hospitals once served as a hostel for pilgrims on their way to visit the tomb of St. James the Apostle in Spain. There are mentions of Sanctus Jacobus wines going back to 1464, and this is the oldest documentation of Riesling grapes being cultivated on the Mosel.

The Region: Mosel-Saar-Ruwar

One common theme I have encountered as I have researched various wine-growing regions in Europe is that so far they all seem to have Roman origins (or at least Roman influence). That is probably due simply to the fact that the Roman Empire was so dominant throughout Europe in all aspects of life. However, I like to think establishing vineyards and producing good wine was a high priority of Romans wherever they went!

Trier is the center of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwar region, and in fact, is considered the cradle of German wine culture. One web site says that “Everything in Germany having to do with wine, wine history and culture has its origins in Trier.”

Trier is located on a bend on the Mosel River. The Saar River joins the Mosel just south of the city and the Ruwer River joins the Mosel just to the north of Trier. Wikipedia says that Trier is the oldest city in Germany. It has a population of about 100,000. Trier has many Roman ruins, including baths, an amphitheater, a Basilica and a bridge across the Mosel. The bridge is the oldest bridge north of the Alps still in use.

Trier is the birthplace of Karl Marx as well as Saint Ambrose who became the Bishop of Milan. The nearest large cities are Cologne and Luxemburg.