Dr von Bassermann-Jordan - Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 1949

Dr von Bassermann-Jordan – Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 1949: A liquid monument to the Palatinate

The 1949 Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese from the Geheimer Rat Dr von Bassermann-Jordan winery is a wine of exceptional historical significance and rare perfection. It was produced in a vintage that went down in the history of German viticulture and embodies the centuries-old tradition of one of the Palatinate’s most renowned estates. The renowned wine critic Neal Martin (Vinous) described it as a wine that ‘flirts with perfection’ and awarded it99 points.

The winery: A dynasty spanning over 300 years

The history of the Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordanwinery dates back to 1718, when Pierre Jordan from Savoy moved to the Palatinate and acquired his first vines. His descendant Andreas Jordan (1775–1848) established quality viticulture in the region and laid the foundations for the estate’s international reputation. In 1848, as part of the ‘Jordan Division’, the estate was – from which, alongside Bassermann-Jordan , the Reichsrat von Buhl and Bürklin-Wolf estates emerged, together forming the ‘three great Bs’ of the Palatinate. The estate acquired its current name through the marriage of Emil Bassermann to the heiress Auguste Jordan; the suffix ‘Geheimer Rat’ derives from the title held by Dr Ludwig Bassermann-Jordan (1869–1914) as a Royal Bavarian Privy Councillor. The winery is one of the founding members of the VDP and is now owned by the Niederberger family .

The vineyard: Forster Jesuitengarten – a jewel of the Mittelhaardt

The Forster Jesuitengarten is situated in the heart of the Mittelhaardt at the foot of the Haardt Mountains and comprises a vineyard area of just 6 hectares. The name refers to the Jesuits who once cultivated vineyards here. According to the Royal Bavarian soil classification of 1828, the Jesuitengarten is – after the ‘Kirchenstück’ – the second-best vineyard site in the entire Palatinate. The soils consist of sandy loam, sandstone rubble, marly clay and basalt, which lend the wine a distinctive terroir character and minerality. The wines from the Jesuitengarten are prized for their exceptional interplay of fruit and minerality.

The 1949 vintage: a wine of the post-war era

The 1949 vintage was characterised by idyllic growing conditions in Germany . The wine historian Michael Broadbent – who awarded this TBA five stars – noted that by 1949 many German vineyards had recovered from the devastation of the Second World War and that winegrowers were able to capitalise on the ideal conditions. The wines of this vintage are characterised by remarkable concentration, a lively acidity and enormous ageing potential – qualities that make them exceptionally long-lived wines.

Tasting notes: A wine of ethereal perfection

Neal Martin ’s tasting note (Vinous, July 2020) paints a picture of a wine that has stood the test of time: “The 1949 was so deep in colour that I briefly feared it had long since passed its peak. But as I breathed in the aromas wafting from the glass, I knew I was in for something special.” He describes the bouquet as“intoxicating andprofound” with aromas of Californian raisins, hoisin, toasted almonds and even melted chocolate, followed by raspberry jam and wilted rose petals – “beautifully defined and focused. The purity of these aromas is quite simply extraordinary.” On the palate, the wine is“perfectly balanced, so that the residual sugar is barely perceptible”. The texture is“velvety-soft” with notes of jam and dried apricots and a finish that is “not unlike that of a Mondeuse”. Martin emphasises: “Its weightlessness makes this TBA truly ethereal, and its length is phenomenal. There is no doubt in my mind that it will outlast a century.”

The existence of this bottling is documented by auction lots at Christie’s: a lot featuring a 1949 Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Auslese from Hellmers & Söhne was offered with a liquid level 6 cm below the capsule – a typical appearance for a wine of this age. The fact that the Bassermann-Jordan TBA was offered in the same auction underlines the rarity and historical significance of this wine.

A window into a bygone era

For the collector and connoisseur, the 1949 Dr von Bassermann-Jordan Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Trockenbeerenausleseis far more than a rare bottle – it is a liquid monument to a bygone era of German viticulture. It was produced in a year when the vineyards of the Palatinate were returning to tranquillity after the turmoil of the war, and was vinified by an estate that even then could look back on a tradition stretching back over 200 years. Anyone who opens such a bottle holds not only a rare Riesling in their hands, but a piece of German wine history – and a wine that, after more than seven decades of ageing in the bottle, has retained remarkable depth, elegance and vitality.