Tasting some innovative projects from Luxembourg and Germany – Kox, Dope, Piri Naturel, Kraemer and Salutaris
This was an informal tasting held after the Porto Protocol Living Vineyards day at Staffelterhof in the Mosel. Some of the participants had brought their wines along, and so we tasted together. Some really interesting projects here.
Kox
This is a winery in Luxembourg, run by Laurent and Rita Kox, who have been joined by their daughter Corinne. Corinne was presenting the wines: she has a background as a scientists (biology) and she’s helping take the domaine in interesting directions, including installing a couple of qvevri, sunk into the ground as they are in Georgia.
They are represented in the UK by Benedict & Butterworth: https://www.benedictbutterworth.com/domaine-kox
Kox Amber Essence 2024 Luxembourg
12% alcohol. This is Auxerrois. It’s lively, bright and refreshing with a nice salty twist. Stylish. 91/100
Kox Bulles D’Audace NV Crémant de Luxembourg
12.5% alcohol. This is 80% Cabernet Blanc and 20% Rivaner, mostly from 2023 but with a bit of 2021 in the blend. Juicy and bright, this is citrus driven with incisive fruit. Delicious and focused. 90/100
Kox Melusiner NV Crémant de Luxembourg
12.5% alcohol. 14 years on the lees! This is juicy and fruity with lively pear and peach fruit as well as some lemon. Lively and expressive, with some pear and toast. 91/100
Kox Orchard Fille d’Ausone 2022 Luxembourg
This is a new project, based on agroforestry. This wine is Chardonnay, and it’s matured in Luxembourg oak. Just one barrel made. Fresh citrus and pear fruit with some nuts and spice. The oak makes its presence felt maybe a little too much at the moment. 89/100
Dope wines
Event managers Lisa Hofmann and José Fleck are the folk behind Dope wines, which is a natural wine project based on 2 hectares of vines in the Rheinhessen. They were inspired to start Dope because they moved to an old family house, where wine had been made up until 1990. They got to know the area, and found out that the family had farmed with a permaculture approach, which they were very keen on. So they took back one of the family’s vineyards, surrounded by trees, and began to farm this way. They don’t turn the soil, but instead use mulches, and allow other things to grow in the vineyard aside from vines. Initially, the plan was to sell the grapes, but they had a cellar in the house so began making wines in 2022: José had trained with the help of his 85 year old grandmother. The bottles they use are called ‘star’ bottles, and in the past these were returnable. They are believers in recycling and upcycling.
Superdope Faberrebe 2022 Rheinhessen, Germany
12.5% alcohol. There are just 340 hectares worldwide of Faberrebe. This is fresh, stony and brisk with a mineral edge. Delicate and refined with a salty twist. 93/100
Superdope Rivaner 2022 Rheinhessen, Germany
Lovely appley, lemony nose. Bright with juicy citrus fruit on the palate backed by good acidity. Supple, fresh and stony. Linear and tangy. 91/100
Jus’ Dope Orange NV Rheinhessen, Germany
Orange wine from Silvaner, and a solera with 2022, 2023 and 2024 vintages in the mix. Tangy, bright and lively with nice acidity, as well as some lovely orange peel and pear skin. Tangy and alert with nice grip on the finish. 92/100
Piri Naturel
Christine Pieroth is based in the Nahe, where she makes amazing natural wines without any sulfite additions. These wines are represented in the UK by Roland Wines: https://www.rolandwines.co.uk/piri-naturel-germany
Piri Naturel Weissburgunder 2023 Nahe, Germany
Pinot Blanc grown on red slate soils. Half whole bunch, fermented on skins for a week, half direct pressed. Textured, refined and fine. Some nice yellow fruits, but also a stony minerality. Such precision, with some saline notes. 93/100
Piri Naturel Riesling 2023 Nahe, Germany
From sandy/gravelly soils under the forest. One day maceration, then aged 18 months in 1200 litre stuck on full lees. Smoky, stony, mineral edge to the nose. Bright, vivid citrus fruit. It’s really bright, but there’s also a complex, spicy, stony element. Refined. 94/100
Piri Naturel Ponderosa 2022 Nahe, Germany
This is 90% Pinot Gris and 10% Pinot Noir, from blue slate soils, given carbonic maceration in bins. The first bucket is foot stomped, then it is whole cluster on top, and it’s left for 10 days. Finishes in large oak. Fresh, supple, stony and mineral with hints of cherry and some spiciness. Such detail, with some orange peel notes. Beautifully expressive. 93/100
Kraemer
Website: https://www.kraemer-oeko-logisch.de/
Stephan Krämer farms 4 hectares in the Tauber Valley in Franconia. Farming is organic and winemaking is low intervention, with no sulfites used before or during fermentation.
Kraemer Johanniter Reserve Taubertal NV Franconia
12.5% alcohol. This is a resistant variety. Lively, bright and pure with appealing citrus fruit and some ripe pear. Good mineral thread here, with some stoniness. Stylish wine. 93/100
Kraemer Silvaner Alte Reben Taubertal 2020 Franconia
This is fresh and textural with ripe pear and green apple fruit, as well as some citrus. Fine grained and mineral, with lovely purity. Some chalky detail, too. Fine and textural. 94/100
Salutaris
This project is based in Regensberg, not an area known for wine these days, although it was a wine region in the past. These aren’t expensive wines. As far as I remember they are made from vineyards owned by the municipality.
Salutaris Regensberger Landwein Rotwein Cuvée NV Germany
14% alcohol. This is Regent and Dornfelder. Supple, fresh and bright with juicy cherry and raspberry fruit. Nice texture. Silky but finishes bright and pure. 90/100
Salutaris Müller-Thurgau Trocken NV Regensberg, Germany
10.6% alcohol. Supple and sweetly fruited with apple, pear and some nice juiciness. Very smooth and fruity with a touch of grapiness. Fresh and delicious. 90/100
