Anyone who drives along the Mosel, will see at the south side of this river in Bremm the steepest vineyards of Europe. It's been a few years ago, Ulrich Franzen had planned to plant grapes here, an almost impossible task, given the average slopes of 60-70%!

Sekt
As Ulrich Franzen has deceased at his work in the vineyard this year, the tasting was done by his wife Iris. The first wine, a glass of Sekt (sparkling wine), made from the Chardonnay grape. It has the same preparation and the same grape as the Champagne region, but only for a fraction of the Champagne price. A delicious wine with nice acidity and small bubbles.

Bernkasteler Ring
Franzen is a member of the Bernkasteler ring. This is an association of winegrowers who name their wines Grosses Gewächs. One of these wines is called Neefer Frauenberg. This wine, made from Riesling, can age well because of the acids in the wine. Indeed, the wines develop well in the bottle and are at their best only approximately 4-8 years after harvest.

Blossom and flowers
After tasting various years it was clear again what time does to a wine. The young 2009 vintage still smelled of flowers and blossoms, while the older years had turned into a powerful wine with aromas of apricot. The Calidus Mons (the ‘hot mountain’) produces wines with a slightly higher content of alcohol. The wines are all semi-sweet. The acid of the Riesling grape has a nice balance between acidity and sweetness.

Riesling von Quarzit
That fine wines do not always have to be expensive, is proven by these dry wines: the von Riesling trocken Quarzit and Bremmer Calmont (black cap).
However, when I first wanted to buy these wines, I received a disappointing message: SOLD OUT!