Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach - Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Pinot Noir Weissherbst Beerenauslese Auction Wine Barrel No. 32 1966

Hessian State Wineries, Kloster Eberbach – Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Pinot Noir Weissherbst Beerenauslese Auction Wine, Cask No. 32, 1966: A liquid monument to German noble sweet wine from the treasure trove of the Rheingau

There are bottles of wine that are less a drink than a historical document – a liquid witness to a bygone era in which German viticulture stood on the threshold of world-class status and celebrated the art of noble sweetness in its purest form. The bottle under discussion here – an Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Weissherbst Beerenauslese auction wine from the 1966 vintage, matured in cask no. 32, produced by the Hessian State Wineries at Kloster Eberbach – is precisely such a relic. It comes from one of Germany’s most legendary vineyard sites, from a state-owned winery with a viticultural tradition stretching back almost nine hundred years, and from a vintage that the estate’s own chronicle hails as one of the best of the decade. Tasting a bottle of this wine today is no ordinary encounter with a German sweet wine, but a journey into the quiet grandeur of a region that once rivalled the great Burgundies and whose reputation lives on to this day in bottles such as this.

To understand this wine, one must first understand the vineyard site from which it originates. The Assmannshäuser Höllenberg is no ordinary vineyard site. It is regarded as the most famous German red wine site of all and looks back on a tradition of Pinot Noir spanning over 500 years. The vineyards are situated on an extremely steep, south-facing slope and rest on a soil of weathered Taunus quartzite and phyllite schist, which demands deep root systems from the vines and lends the wines their unmistakable structure and mineral character. In the first half of the 20th century, the Höllenberg enjoyed a golden age, producing Pinot Noirs that even experienced tasters still describe today as ‘breathtaking masterpieces’. The German Emperor Wilhelm II is said to have been such a great admirer of these wines that he drank an average of one bottle a day.

The distinctive feature of the bottling discussed here lies in its threefold nature: It is a ‘Weissherbst’, that is, a wine made from the red Pinot Noir grape variety, but – much like a ‘Blanc de Noirs’ in Champagne – produced by gently pressing the grapes without a long maceration period. The result is a white wine made from red grapes, which displays the finesse and aromatic depth of Pinot Noir in a light, transparent form. At the same time , it is a Beerenauslese, meaning that the grapes were harvested at an advanced stage of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) and extreme ripeness, which lends the wine its concentrated sweetness and complex aromas. Finally, this is an auction wine from cask no. 32 – a bottling intended for the traditional auctions of the Hessian State Wineries, which underlines its rarity and historical significance.

The 1966 vintage is described in Kloster Eberbach’s own chronicle as one of the finest of the decade. A long growing season gave the grapes ample time to ripen to perfection, and the harvest took place under favourable conditions, yielding aromatic, healthy berries. This assessment is consistent with the general perception of the year 1966 in the Rheingau, which – much like on the Moselle – is regarded as a classic, structured vintage that, with careful cellar work, produced wines of remarkable longevity. Barrel number 32 refers to the traditional practice of the state-owned wineries of vinifying their top wines by plot and by barrel, selecting only the finest barrels for auction. The alcohol content is stated on the label as 10 % vol., a remarkably moderate figure for a Beerenauslese of this age and concentration, suggesting a balanced, terroir-driven style.

Tasting a bottle of this wine today, almost six decades after the harvest, is an experience of rare depth and complexity. The colour is likely to be – as is typical of mature Beerenauslese wines from the Höllenberg – a dark amber with golden highlights. The nose is the first major revelation of this wine. The tasting notes for other, equally matured Höllenberg sweet wines from the era of the State Wineries paint a fascinating picture. A 1966 Höllenberg Spätburgunder Weißherbst Eiswein is described as havinga ‘dark amber colour with a mahogany-coloured hue’, with ‘quite typical Pinot Noir character from Assmannshausen with smoky hints’, underpinned by ‘hints of quinces and prunes, truffles and distilled raspberries’. A 1968 Höllenberg Weißherbst Beerenauslese displays an ‘intense golden-yellow colour’ with a ‘complex bouquet’ of ‘honeyed notes with ripe peach, apricot and citrus’, as well as the development aromas typical of mature sweet wines. These descriptions point to a bouquet dominated by tertiary aromas: beeswax, honey, dried apricots, quinces and a hint of truffle, underpinned by the characteristic smoky, salty minerality of the slate soil and a subtle spicy note of fennel and star anise, as described in the estate’s own chronicle for a 1964 Höllenberg Weißherbst Beerenauslese.

On the palate, the wine is likely to display a medium to full body and an oily, velvety texture typical of great, matured Beerenauslesen. The sweetness is concentrated and rich, but – and this is the defining quality – it is underpinned by a lively, invigorating acidity that prevents the wine from feeling heavy in any way. The estate’s own chronicle describes the ‘delicate balance of sweetness and acidity’ that lends the wine ‘a lovely tension’, and the tasting note for a 1968 Beerenauslese highlights the ‘refreshing line of acidity that brings balance and prevents the wine from feeling heavy’. The aromas on the nose are echoed on the palate with great precision: honey, dried fruit, quince and a delicate mineral salinity blend into a harmonious whole. The finish is exceptionally long and lingering, with a clean aftertaste of fruit, honey and a subtle spiciness – a sign of the wine’s perfect maturation and great class.

Today, almost sixty years after the harvest, this wine can be said to have reached fulldrinking maturity. The tertiary aromas dominate, the sweetness is fully integrated, and the acidity still lends the wine a remarkable freshness. The wine is no longer a candidate for decades of ageing, but one created to be enjoyed in the present – a wine that tells its story whilst retaining its remarkable balance and elegance. The serving recommendation is clear: the wine should be served at a temperature of 8 to 10 degrees Celsius to bring out its delicate aromas and lively acidity to the full. It is a perfect accompaniment to foie gras, blue cheese, pâté or delicate fruit-based desserts such as an apricot or peach tart – and it is a wine that deserves to be savoured on its own and in tranquillity, as a meditation on time and the enduring power of a great terroir.

Conclusion: The quiet grandeur of a liquid monument

The Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Pinot Noir Weissherbst Beerenauslese auction wine, cask no. 32, 1966, from Eberbach Abbey is not a wine that stands in the limelight. It is not a Trockenbeerenauslese that fetches record prices at auctions, nor is it hailed as a legend in every wine magazine. And yet it embodies a virtue that is often overlooked in today’s wine world: the quiet, enduring greatness of a wine that has emerged from one of Germany’s most historically significant vineyards, the steadfast craftsmanship of a state-owned winery with a tradition stretching back almost nine hundred years,and one of the finest vintages of the decade. It is a liquid monument to German noble sweet wine, a testament to the auction tradition of Eberbach Abbey and proof that true class is not always expressed through spectacular opulence or a famous name, but often through the ability to develop its own subtle and deeply satisfying character in the context of the times. Its greatness lies in its modesty – a quiet triumph of consistency and a worthy ambassador for the Höllenberg, the Rheingau and the centuries-old winemaking tradition of Kloster Eberbach. Anyone lucky enough to open a well-aged bottle should take their time, not only to savour it, but also to reflect on the transience and the enduring fascination of a wine that has stood the test of time.