Dr Bürklin Wolf – Les Cornes Riesling dry 2009 MAGNUM 1500ml

Dr. Bürklin-Wolf – “Les Cornes” Dry Riesling 2009 MAGNUM: A mature estate wine from a great Palatinate vintage

The magnum bottle – 1,500 millilitres instead of the usual 750 – is far more than just a measure of size in the world of wine. It is regarded as perhaps the most ideal embodiment of a great white wine: the greater volume of liquid in relation to the surface area of the glass slows down the ageing process, preserves the fruit and lends the wine a texture and depth that is almost never achievable from a standard bottle. The ‘Les Cornes’ 2009 dry Riesling from the Dr. Bürklin-Wolf winery , in this large-format bottling, combines several rare factors: an estate wine from one of Germany’s most renowned vineyards, a vintage of remarkable quality – and all in a format that is virtually tailor-made for decades of ageing.

The winery: Dr. Bürklin-Wolf – a Palatinate institution

The Dr. Bürklin-Wolfwinery in Wachenheim an der Weinstraße looks back on a history dating back to 1597, when Bernhard Bürklin – then mayor of Wachenheim – laid the foundation stone. The estate acquired its current name in 1875 following the marriage of Dr Albert Bürklin to Luise Wolf, the daughter of a Wachenheim winemaking family. Since 1990, Bettina Bürklin-von Guradze has been running the winery with a clear and ambitious vision. With 86 hectares of vineyards, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf is one of the largest privately run wine-growing estates in Germany. The vineyards are spread across 15 different single-vineyard sites in the municipalities of Forst, Wachenheim, Deidesheim and Ruppertsberg – all of which are prime sites in the Palatinate. Under the leadership of Bettina Bürklin-von Guradze, the winery has become a pioneer of top-quality German viticulture: As early as 1994 – long before the VDP – she introduced a classification of vineyard sites based on the Burgundian model and divided the range into four tiers: estate wines, village wines, Premier Crus (P.C.) and Grand Crus (G.C.). Another milestone followed in 2005 with the complete transition to biodynamic viticulture, which earned the estate the prestigious Biodyvin certification as the first German winery to do so – an accolade also held by leading estates such as Domaine Leflaive and the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

The vineyard: ‘Les Cornes’ – the estate wine with character

‘Les Cornes’ is the estate’s signature wine and forms the basis of the four-tier classification. Its name – ‘the horns’ – refers to the cow’s horns used in biodynamic farming to activate the soil. The wine comes from the red sandstone soils of the Palatinate and is matured 50 per cent in stainless steel tanks and 50 per cent in large wooden casks. This combination gives the wine a remarkable balance of fresh fruit and structured depth. In addition to the Riesling, the ‘Les Cornes’ range also includes a Pinot Blanc, a Pinot Noir and a rosé – all produced in accordance with the principles of biodynamic agriculture.

The 2009 vintage: A great Palatinate vintage

The 2009 vintage is regarded in the Palatinate as one of the outstanding vintages of the early 21st century. Falstaff magazine devoted a detailed tasting note to it, noting that ‘in particular, the wines from the Palatinate estate Dr. Bürklin-Wolf, but also the Rieslings from Künstler (Rheingau), possess far greater depth and complexity than originally assumed’. The estate’s cellar master at the time – Nicola Libelli – was quoted as saying: “I am, however, convinced that Bürklin-Wolf in particular produced Rieslings of stupendous quality and expressiveness in 2009”. This assessment underlines the exceptional quality of the vintage, which produced wines of remarkable depth, complexity and ageing potential.

Tasting notes: A mature Riesling of rare elegance

After more than 15 years of bottle ageing, this 2009 ‘Les Cornes’ Riesling in a magnum bottle is in a condition reserved for only the very greatest rarities. The colour is likely to be a deep golden yellow with green highlights – the typical patina of a Riesling that has matured for over a decade. The nose unfolds the classic aromatic spectrum of a great Palatinate Riesling: notes of white peach, citrus fruits and lime zest, underpinned by the petrol note characteristic of mature Rieslings and a delicate minerality. On the palate, the acidity is beautifully integrated, with remarkable length and a salty, mineral finish. The peachy nose typical of ‘Les Cornes’ , the acidity that is as pronounced as it is elegant, and the fantastic finish – as one description puts it – are likely to be expressed to perfection in this magnum bottle.

The magnum bottle: a window into a bygone era

The existence of this magnum bottling is documented by auction lots at renowned auction houses. On CellarTracker, a magnum bottle of the ‘Les Cornes’ Riesling was awarded91 points and described as ‘very fresh, crisp, lots of lime, plenty of chalky mineral notes’. The fact that Dr. Bürklin-Wolf regularly bottles magnums of his top wines – including the Pechstein Riesling Großes Gewächs – underlines the importance of this format for storage and ageing.

For collectors and connoisseurs, the magnum bottle of Dr Bürklin-Wolf’s ‘Les Cornes’ Riesling dry 2009 is a wine of great rarity – a testament to a bygone era of German viticulture, from one of the Palatinate’s most renowned estates, produced in a vintage that ranks among the finest of the decade. Anyone who opens such a bottle holds not only a rare Riesling in their hands, but a piece of German wine-growing history – and a bottle size that has preserved the essence of this history in all its richness.