In April, Macau CLOSER was invited to an exclusive wine pairing dinner at Mandarin Oriental’s Vida Rica restaurant, featuring the exceptional Toni Jost wines of Germany, presented by the wine maker herself, the young and talented Cecilia Jost. Cecilia is the sixth generation to join the family business, which has been making wines in the Mittelrhein region since 1831. Taking over from her father Peter just three years ago, Cecilia has already produced some very high quality Rieslings and Pinot Noirs, that we were fortunate to try on the night. Many of the Toni Jost Rieslings are classified as VDP Grosses Gewächs (or GG), which designates dry wines of the very highest quality in Germany.
Could you tell us a little about your wine making style and philosophy?
Cecilia Jost: I personally prefer to describe myself as a “wine grower” rather than a “wine maker” because we believe that the quality of our wines comes straight from the vineyard. Our ideal wine is grown in the vineyard, rather than made in the cellar, particularly because we have a perfect picture of the soil and the microclimate of its origin. I try to work as little as possible in the cellar, but I do keep a close eye on the wines, tasting every one once or twice per day during fermentation so I can intervene when needed. And even then, an intervention might just be a change of fermentation temperature from 16°C to 17°C.
How does the terroir of the Mittelrhein and Rheingau regions influence the characteristics of your wines?
Our wines are growing at Bacharacher Hahn, one of the best vineyard sites in the Mittelrhein region. This vineyard is on a steep slope of slate stone. The Mittelrhein is one of the most northern winegrowing regions in the world. For the perfect inclination of sunlight, we need a steep slope (approximately 70% steepness) which is open to the south. The Rhine river flows directly next to the vineyard. With its relative warmth, the river prevents the vines from frosting in the wintertime and stops them from getting too warm in the summertime because of its thermic effect.
Wines from the Bacharacher Hahn vineyard have a very remarkable slate-aromatic and are quite fruity (also as dry style wines). They taste like a bunch of tropical fruits – passion fruit, mango, and ripe pineapple – with a strong slate minerality. The slate-aroma together with the typical acidity of Riesling keeps the wine very balanced and light.
Our wines from the Rheingau region are grown on loamy clay soil with quartz and gravel from the Rhine. The special topography and microclimate of the Rheingau region (the only time in Germany the Rhine flows in a western direction and not straight north) allows the winegrowers to cultivate vines not just on steep slopes, but also on the plains. This is a perfect area for full-bodied Riesling and Pinot Noir. Wines from this area do not have the minerality of the slate soil, but more spiciness and powerful aromas of peaches and yellow fruits.
Can you tell us about your family’s winemaking heritage?
Our family has been in the winemaking business since 1831. Being located in the Mittelrhein region, we have always had vineyards around Bacharach like the Bacharacher Hahn. With the marriage of my grandparents 70 years ago, we inherited my grandmother’s vineyards in the Rheingau region. Since then the vineyards Martinsthaler Rödchen and Wallufer Walkenberg have also been part of our portfolio. Now we are very glad to grow grapes in both areas, just parted by the Rhine, so we can show in our wines the different terroirs and types of Riesling.
What is the size of your vineyard and output?
We cultivate vines of 12 ha in the Mittelrhein region and 3 ha in the Rheingau region. In total we produce 100,000 bottles or around around 8,300 cases of 12 bottles, so we are a small winery but a very common “German” size for a family-owned winery. This gives me the chance to not just sell the wine, but also to work in the vineyards and in the cellar. I can guarantee, that I personally control every step of my wines from planting, nursing, harvesting, fermenting and bottling.
Looking to the future, what are your plans for developing your wines?
As a wine grower, you learn to think in the long term. I recently planted a vineyard, which will be carrying fruit for the first time in three years. And it will take up to 20 years, or even longer, until the grapes will get the concentration that is needed for a Grosses Gewächs. So today I am very happy to work together with my father and to benefit from his knowledge about our wines and vineyards.
Of cause there are a lot of ideas in my head about how to face the climatic changes and new ways of cultivating grapes. But to honour the style that my father has been making and the tastes of my customers, I do not want to change the style of Toni Jost wine completely within one or two years. I am trying something new every year, and I try to introduce those new things carefully to the people who are drinking my wines, so that they can understand the transformation that I want to bring, and so they can follow me on my way to the best wines of Bacharacher Hahn and Martinsthaler Rödchen.
Tasting notes from the “wine grower”
Bacharacher Hahn Riesling 2013
This is a very typical Riesling from the VDP. Grosse Lage Bacharacher Hahn. The flavours are of white peaches, minerals, passion fruit and slate. Not too full bodied in taste, but with a nice balance and a medium long finish on the palate.
Bacharacher Hahn Riesling Grosses Gewächs 2012
This is the highest quality of dry German wine. Much more minerals than the 2013, even though it comes from the same vineyard. Very tropical fruits, full bodied and super concentrated. The acidity keeps the wine very elegant. And the deep complexity guarantees a very long finish.
Wallufer Walkenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs 2013
From the same year, same quality, same variety but different soil, this wine does not have strong slate minerals but very smooth and spicy characters of ginger and limestone, and more “German” fruits like ripe yellow apples, peaches and apricots.
Wallufer Walkenberg Spätburgunder Reserve 2011
Very soft tannins, just aged in traditional 2,000 litre German oak barrels. It has more fruity aromas than heavy oak flavours. Typical of German Pinot Noir, it has a lot of cherries, elderberries and a touch of chocolate. Round, smooth, and very balanced.
Martinsthaler Rödchen Spätburgunder Reserve 2011
Dark red, full bodied, high acidity and velvety tannins. Rich dark fruits as cherries, black berries, and raspberries. Very deep and complex, a lot of minerals, a good balance with the French oak and a very long finish.
