SPIEGELAU Hi-Lite Universal Glass

Check out Cellar Class to take your wine knowledge to the next level: https://www.cellarclass.com/ Learn from a Master of Wine at your pace, wherever you are with Cellar Class! Follow me on ...: https://www.instagram.com/konstantinbaum_mw/ https://www.threads.net/@konstantinbaum_mw https://www.tiktok.com/@konstantinbaum_mw Check out my website: https://www.cellarclass.com/ https://www.konstantinbaum.com/ https://baumselection.com/ I have used the following glass in this video: SPIEGELAU Hi-Lite Universal Glass – Get it here: https://www.spiegelau.com/en/shop/hi-lite/universal-glass-1750161?mtm_campaign=2025_cont_ec_baum20&mtm_source=ig&mtm_medium=afp&mtm_content=workshop&mtm_group=bgw&mtm_placement=link I have tasted the following wines in this Video: 2023 Weingut Bernhard Huber Malterdinger Chardonnay Trocken, Baden, Germany https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/bernhard+huber+malterdinger+chard+trocken+baden+germany/2023?referring_site=KSB 2024 Weingut Julg Schweigen Chardonnay, Pfalz, Germany https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/julg+schweigen+chard+pfalz+germany/2024?referring_site=KSB 2023 Weingut Philipp Kuhn Laumersheimer Kapellenberg Reserve Chardonnay, Pfalz, Germany https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/philip+kuhn+kapelle+berg+rsrv+chard+laumersheim+pfalz+germany/2023?referring_site=KSB 2023 Weingut Knewitz Chardonnay Réserve, Rheinhessen Germany https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/knewitz+rsrv+chard+rheinhessen+germany/2023?referring_site=KSB 2022 Weingut Salwey Oberrotweiler Steingrubenberg Chardonnay Grosses Gewachs, Baden, Germany https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/salwey+steingrubenberg+chard+grosses+gewachs+oberrotweiler+kaiserstuhl+baden+germany/2022?referring_site=KSB 2024 Schafer-Frohlich 'S' Chardonnay Trocken, Bockenau, Germany https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/schaef+frohlich+s+chard+trocken+bockenau+nahe+germany/2024?referring_site=KSB I use this wine key: Forge de Laguiole Ebony The 100 Point Scoring System (from www.robertparker.com): 96-100: An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase and consume. 90 - 95: An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines. 80 - 89: A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws. 70 - 79: An average wine with little distinction except that it is soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine. 60 - 69: A below-average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor or possibly dirty aromas or flavors. 50 - 59: A wine deemed to be unacceptable. It might be Germany’s hottest export right now, and it certainly is a wine style that delivers a lot of value for money. Chardonnay is one of the fastest-growing grape varieties in Germany, and it seems that German producers have now learned how to handle Chardonnay in the vineyard and at the winery. So is this the beginning of a golden age for German Chardonnay, or is Germany just another country to jump on the Chardonnay bandwagon? Let's find out by tasting a selection of German Chardonnays blind! For a long time, German wineries were not allowed to plant and produce Chardonnay. That changed only in 1991, when Chardonnay was added to the list of grape varieties accepted for wine production in Germany. I wonder why that had not happened earlier. The grape variety had been extremely successful around the world, and its home region Burgundy, has similar climatic conditions to the southwest of Germany in particular, where other grape varieties from Burgundy were already widely planted. I have heard stories from winemakers telling me that their parents had already planted Chardonnay in their vineyards before 1991, just labelling the wine Weißburgunder. Since 1991, the vineyard surface area officially planted to Chardonnay had grown by 3050 hectares – over 70% being in Rheinhessen and Pfalz - and in recent years, up to 100 hectares per year were added. Chardonnay styles can vary quite a bit due to clonal selection as well as viticultural practices, but I think that the quality has increased significantly in recent years. I was actually recently contacted by one of my Instagram followers, Ronny, and he sent me an article from a leading Norwegian wine writer on the German Chardonnay Revolution, stating that German Chardonnay sales increased by 2000% in the last 6 years.